It’s been an ugly season for the San Diego Padres, but it turned into a nightmare during Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago Cubs.
Walker Buehler, who was coming off a five-inning performance of one-run baseball against a loaded Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, was torched. The right-hander gave up nine earned runs across four innings at Wrigley Field.
Buehler gave up seven hits and issues four walks in a performance that led to a 23-3 loss for the Padres. It marked the most runs given up by the franchise since 1977, tying the record.
Each Padres pitcher in Wednesday’s game gave up five or more runs during their time on the mound. Reliever Kyle Hart allowed five runs across two innings of work.
Manager Craig Stammen didn’t waste any more bullpen arms with 28-year-old rookie catcher Rodolfo Duran taking the mound for the final two innings of the game. Duran allowed eight more runs against the Cubs lineup.
Chicago hit eight homers against San Diego, including three from infielder Dansby Swanson. He also recorded eight RBIs. Even Dodgers castoff Michael Conforto hit two homers off the Padres Wednesday.
The Cubs outscored the Padres 35-12 in their three-game sweep of the Padres in what is surely one of the San Diego’s worst games in its history.
Though currently tied for second in the NL West with the San Francisco Giants, the Padres have emerged as one of the worst offensive teams in Major League Baseball this season. San Diego’s lineup is hitting at a .224 clip, ranking dead last in batting average.
What’s next for the Padres remains a mystery as president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is expected to make a move at the trade deadline next month.
