SAN FRANCISCO -- Where did the Padres offense go?

For 4 1/2 months, the San Diego lineup was serviceable enough -- even if it couldn’t quite match the lofty standards it had set during a shortened 2020 season. In mid-August, with a relatively comfortable Wild Card lead, the Padres’ hitters insisted there was more to come offensively. They simply needed to find a way to tap into their immense upside.

That hasn’t happened. But the reverse has. Over the past month, the Padres offense has gone from bang average -- and only mildly disappointing -- to the worst unit in baseball. Beginning with Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter a calendar month ago, the Padres, as a team, are hitting .196, by far the lowest mark in baseball. That’s a borderline incomprehensible number considering the array of talent they have available and the stakes of what they’re playing for.

Those offensive struggles continued on a chilly Tuesday night in San Francisco, where the Padres fell to the Giants, 6-1. It marked their fifth consecutive loss to begin what could be considered one of the most important road trips in franchise history. The Padres now trail the Cardinals by a game and the Reds by half a game in the race for the second National League Wild Card spot.

“Yeah, this has been a frustrating time, a frustrating month,” said Padres right fielder Wil Myers. “But it is what it is. There’s nobody feeling sorry for us. We’ve got to find a way to get this better.”

And, no, the offense isn’t solely to blame. The Padres’ issues are team-wide, as their rotation and their bullpen have also slumped. But on those two fronts, there’s at least an explanation. The San Diego rotation has been battered by injuries. The bullpen, as a result, has been overtaxed.

On Tuesday, Jake Arrieta lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The Padres signed Arrieta in mid-August with their rotation depth in shambles amid a spate of injuries. Realistically, they couldn’t have expected much more than what Arrieta has given them -- three abbreviated starts that he exited with the game still hanging in the balance.

“At this point, we’re doing everything we can to win games,” Arrieta said. “Just need to be ready whenever they need me -- that’s what I intend to do.”

The reality is that Padres pitchers had allowed only four runs entering the bottom of the eighth inning Tuesday night. That’s not ideal. But it’s certainly not insurmountable either. Except, over their past 21 games, the Padres have scored more than four runs only four times.

“Everybody’s obviously frustrated,” manager Jayce Tingler said. “... When you’re not scoring right now, your room for error in a lot of different areas -- you feel like you have to be perfect.”

Everyone is slumping. Nearly every hitter in the lineup has posted lower numbers in the second half than the first. On Tuesday night, the Padres' 1-5 hitters all went 0-for-4.

“It’s just really weird to watch a lineup with this amount of talent struggle, collectively,” said Myers. “When you put together a lineup that is this talented you would imagine that one or two guys might not be hot at one time. But right now we’re looking at six or seven guys who aren’t swinging the bat to their potential.”

Trent Grisham, Eric Hosmer and Myers -- who helped propel the Padres to their first playoff berth in 14 years in 2020 -- have all posted significantly lower slash lines this season. Austin Nola missed most of the year due to injury, but saw his OPS dip to .650 on Tuesday. Adam Frazier, who led the Majors in hits when the Padres landed him at the Trade Deadline, has a .558 OPS since arriving in San Diego.

And, yes, it's probably unfair to single out Fernando Tatis Jr. But his numbers made him the no-doubt MVP favorite in the first half. They qualify as merely very good in the second. Early in the season, Tatis carried the Padres' offense. Lately, he hasn't been able to carry that burden.

All those factors add up to a dismal offensive month at just about the worst possible time for San Diego. It has cast some questions on the effectiveness of Tingler and hitting coach Damion Easley. Myers swatted those questions aside.

“That’s not really relevant at this point,” he said. “This is a moment where the players have got to find ways to get things done, go out there and win ballgames.

“At the end of the day, it’s on us. We’ve got to go out there and get it done.”