Castellanos gets going, but Padres still waiting for star trio to join him

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres dropped Wednesday afternoon’s rubber match against the Cubs, 5-4 -- snapping a stretch in which they’d gone 6-0-1 across their last seven series.

Here’s some analysis from Petco Park, after San Diego lost its first series since the final day of March:

Stars still slumping

If I told you Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado combined to hit .224 with only seven home runs through April …

You probably wouldn’t have guessed that San Diego would be 19-11 and half a game out of first place in the National League West. In fact, the Padres just won 18 games in April, something they’ve only done one other time -- in 1998 when they finished with 98 wins and the NL pennant.

“We’re a good team,” said Tatis, who remains in search of his first home run of the season. “It’s not just about the big guys. To go all the way and to perform in this long marathon you need a whole team to win ballgames.”

In the game’s biggest moment, the Padres loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth, but they came away with only one run. Tatis lofted a sacrifice fly to center. Machado grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Glass half full: The Padres have managed to not only survive -- but thrive -- without much from their biggest contributors on offense.

Glass half empty: They’re going to need that trio to get going at some point.

“You look at the back of the baseball card, and they all hit the same at the end of the year,” said bench coach Randy Knorr, who served as acting manager with Craig Stammen out of town attending a funeral. “I’m waiting for them to get hot. Once they get hot, we’ll roll off a bunch of wins again. It’s just a matter of time.”

Castellanos reinforces his value

Nick Castellanos has been a regular starter in the big leagues for about a decade. But he signed with the Padres knowing that he might be deployed as a bench piece, and, sure enough, that’s how he’s been used.

“I’m still figuring that out,” Castellanos said Wednesday. “I don’t want to say I’ve figured anything out yet. … I’m just getting more comfortable as time goes on.”

With only sporadic playing time, Castellanos has struggled. He entered play Wednesday hitting just .151 with a .404 OPS. But he delivered the go-ahead single in Monday’s victory. Then, on Wednesday, he launched a game-tying, two-run homer off the left-field scoreboard, his first as a Padre.

“Any time that you have results, it’s a good feeling, you go home less frustrated,” Castellanos said. “Would’ve been better if we would’ve won. But all the same, just doing things to help the team win puts your mind at ease.”

There’s still not much playing time available for Castellanos. The Padres’ outfield is full, and Ty France has begun to assert himself at first base. So, for now, he’ll continue to come off the bench and maybe DH occasionally.

The Padres believe Castellanos can still provide plenty of value in that role -- and Wednesday might’ve helped to prove their point.

Miguel Andujar, another bench piece, also launched his first home run of the season. It’s clearly part of Stammen’s ethos as manager to get his bench as involved as possible. And if Castellanos -- a proven slugger and a 14-year veteran -- is one of the last guys on your bench …

“I think we have the best bench in baseball,” said Knorr.

Waldron makes a rotation case

Matt Waldron entered his start with questions about how long he might hold his place in the rotation. Griffin Canning is on his way back from injury. Lucas Giolito is building up after his recent signing. There are only so many rotation spots to go around.

Waldron’s line won’t show it. He allowed three runs over five innings. But he was solid on Wednesday -- despite getting little help from his defense. In each of the first two innings, Padres defenders dropped a catchable ball -- Jake Cronenworth in the first and Merrill in the second. Waldron worked out of those two innings having allowed only one run.

“He didn’t panic at all,” Knorr said. “He stayed with it, made some pitches.”

In the fourth, Waldron hung a sweeper to Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. It was an all-too-hittable pitch, and he was punished for it. Crow-Armstrong sent it to the right-field seats for a two-run homer. But that hanging sweeper might’ve been Waldron’s only true mistake. (The baserunner had only reached on a bunt single.)

“I feel like I’m making strides in the right direction,” Waldron said.

This was not a quality start. But it was promising, compared with Waldron’s recent outings. It seems likely he’ll get at least one more chance to make his case to stick. This was something to build on.