MILWAUKEE -- Gavin Sheets’ dramatic ninth-inning home run on Wednesday was the only thing standing between the Padres and being swept in Milwaukee this week.
San Diego dropped its series finale against the Brewers on Thursday, 7-1 -- on a day when Griffin Canning struggled and the offense was held scoreless until the ninth.
Here are some takeaways from American Family Field, where the Padres lost their first road series of the season:
Starting slow
The late drama has been remarkable. The Padres have staged all manner of comeback victories this season -- including Wednesday night.
Ideally, however, they wouldn’t be in a position to need to come back so dang often.
“We’ve been fighting back all year,” manager Craig Stammen said. “Sooner or later, you just can’t put yourself in those types of holes.”
Wednesday was an extreme example. San Diego allowed three runs in the first and three more in the second. It proved too big a hole to climb out of and exposed what’s become one of the Padres’ biggest issues this season: their slow starts.
In the first three innings of games, the Padres have been outscored 69-35. They’re still winning plenty of games. But they’re making things awfully difficult on themselves.
Canning concerns?
Canning’s first two outings with the Padres were encouraging. Even when he allowed six runs to the Cardinals on Friday, he did so after four scoreless frames. Things only spiraled on him in a fifth inning that featured Fernando Tatis Jr.’s costly error in right field.
This was a different story. Canning couldn’t locate any of his pitches from the outset. He walked four straight hitters in the first and needed 43 pitches to get through the inning. Sent back out for the second, he wasn’t much better.
“It’s disappointing, a little embarrassing,” Canning said. “I feel too good right now, my stuff’s too good to just not be on the attack and going after guys.”
Canning’s arrival was supposed to alleviate some of the concerns at the back end of San Diego’s rotation. (So, too, is the pending arrival of Lucas Giolito.) But after missing the final few months of 2025, then the first month of this season while recovering from a left Achilles tear, Canning is still clearly working his way back into form.
Burnt-out bullpen
Only four teams have asked their relievers to cover more innings than the Padres this season, and those four teams are all below .500 (most of them well below .500). Of course, San Diego’s bullpen is one of the best in the Majors. There are worse things than asking that group to pitch.
Still ... this seems untenable. At some point, the Padres are going to need more from their starters.
“We have such an elite bullpen, we do need to use it to help us win games,” Stammen said. “And so far, it’s worked in our favor that way. But obviously, we can’t tear them down and not have them at the end of the season.”
In the short term, Canning’s abbreviated outing puts San Diego in a bind. Ron Marinaccio threw a career high 52 pitches. Yuki Matsui covered two innings. Matt Waldron pitched the final two frames, after pitching bulk duty in Tuesday’s series opener.
The Padres don’t have another off-day until next Thursday. They have a pivotal three-game series against the Dodgers looming (Monday-Wednesday). They’re going to need their bullpen to be fresher than it is right now.
Waldron to the ‘pen
Following his poor outing on Tuesday, there were major questions about Waldron’s roster status. The Padres’ bullpen is relatively full. Waldron is out of options. Even he seemed to understand it was possible he could be designated for assignment.
So it came as a surprise when Stammen announced postgame that Waldron would be moving to the ‘pen full-time as a length option. He cited Waldron’s durability and his hope that his stuff -- particularly his knuckleball -- might play up as a reliever.
“If that’s where is best for the team, I’ll do that,” Waldron said.
It’s a clear vote of confidence in Waldron by the organization. Despite his poor start to the season, the Padres believe there’s a place for him.
“That is an encouraging sign for me,” he said. “I want to back that up.”
Nonetheless, Waldron’s move to the ‘pen only raises questions elsewhere on the roster. Giolito is expected to join the team this weekend in Seattle. The Padres will need to make another move on their pitching staff to clear space.
Marinaccio has been extremely valuable and is also out of options. Matsui has been excellent since returning from injury. Bradgley Rodriguez, one of the few relievers who can be freely sent to the Minors, has pitched his way into high-leverage spots. If Waldron sticks, the Padres might have quite a decision on their hands.
Then again, Waldron made the case for why he ought to stick with his performance Thursday. After he was hit hard on Tuesday, he returned to the mound on one day’s rest and pitched two scoreless frames, striking out four.