Hosmer, Renfroe heat up, while others struggle

Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

While the Padres await final word on the severity of Fernando Tatis Jr.’s hamstring injury and try to bounce back from Sunday’s 11-inning, 7-6 loss in Washington after leading 6-0, there is some good news.

Two key run producers -- Eric Hosmer and Hunter Renfroe -- have started to produce.

First baseman Hosmer is 11-for-27 in his last seven games with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs, six runs scored and two walks. He has hit safely in six of the seven games and has hit .407 with a .462 on-base percentage, a .852 slugging percentage for a 1.314 OPS.

Corner outfielder Renfroe was 5-for-9 over the three games in Washington with a double, two homers, five RBIs and a walk for a slash line of .556/.600/1.333/.

However, several other expected contributors remain in droughts:

• Second baseman Ian Kinsler is 3-for-33 with one homer, one RBI and one walk since April 13.

• Center fielder Manuel Margot is 3-for-29 with no extra-base hits, two RBIs and no walks since April 14.

• Right fielder Franmil Reyes is 4-for-25 with two homers and three RBIs (all in the same game) with one walk since April 18.

Notebook

• Before left-hander Joey Lucchesi gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits in four innings Sunday, Padres starting pitchers had a 2.17 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP during a five-game winning streak -- a full turn of the rotation. Over those five straight wins, the Padres starters allowed seven runs on 16 hits and 11 walks with 35 strikeouts in 29 innings. During the first two games against the Nationals, Matt Strahm and Eric Lauer battled Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg to a draw before the Padres got to the Washington bullpen.

• Right-hander Kirby Yates has 13 saves in 13 opportunities. Yates has made 11 straight one-inning scoreless appearances -- allowing seven hits and four walks during the run with 16 strikeouts -- to lower his season ERA to 0.60.

• Setup man Craig Stammen had given up four runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in four appearances before Saturday’s 1 1/3-inning scoreless appearance in Washington. All four runs have scored on three home runs as his ERA has climbed from 0.96 to 2.76.

• Rookie Trey Wingenter has made five straight scoreless appearances, allowing no hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings.

• Recent callup Ty France has four pinch-hitting appearances in three games (yes, he hit twice in the 10th inning Saturday). The San Diego State product has reached base three times with two hits in three at-bats and a walk with a run scored.

• Second baseman Greg Garcia made his second start of the season Sunday and his first since March 31. In seven plate appearances over the past two days, the El Cajon native and Valhalla High grad is 1-for-4 with two walks, including Saturday’s tie-breaking sacrifice fly, two RBIs and two runs scored. His previous 11 plate appearances over 20 games had come as a pinch-hitter (2-for-10 with a walk).