Petco Park- San Diego, California

Monday’s game marked the long-awaited return of Yu Darvish.

Darvish appeared in his first start since October 11, 2024, after recovering from the right elbow inflammation that sidelined him for the first half of the season. The Padres were in desperate need of some fresh starting pitching to help alleviate the pressures placed on a very tired, but effective, bullpen.

It’s Darvish Day. pic.twitter.com/grzYMqF0n0

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 7, 2025

The opposing pitcher in the opener of the four-game matchup was Zac Gallen. With a comparably rough start to the season than in previous years, Gallen looked to expand on his six wins over the last 18 starts. In his last game against the Giants, Gallen looked more like his old self, posting 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched and allowing only one earned run.

As expected, the Padres aimed to keep Darvish at a comfortable 65 to 75 pitches and ease him back into the starting rotation. San Diego also benefited from the late scratch of Ketel Marte from the D-backs lineup just before game time.

Right out of the gate, Darvish was welcomed back to the mound with a four-pitch strikeout of Corbin Carroll. With his 10th pitch—a checked-swing strike—Darvish completed his first inning back in 1-2-3 fashion.

Yu Darvish returns to the mound with a 10-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning, featuring two Ks and four swings and misses.

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 8, 2025

Gallen, typically the Charlie Blackmon of pitchers against the Padres, gave up four earned runs and four walks in 6 1/3 innings pitched in his last outing against the San Diego squad. He started this game by walking Fernando Tatis Jr., striking out Jackson Merrill, and giving up Manny Machado’s 1,999th career hit, tying Ian Kinsler for the 299th most hits in Major League Baseball history.

The Padres were successful in stalling Gallen with 21 pitches in his first two outs of the game. Luis Arraez took an errant throw off the left arm in Arizona’s failed attempt to turn a double play, scoring Tatis from third base on the error. Gallen ended the inning having allowed one run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout on 25 pitches.

Top of the second — With no outs following a Josh Naylor walk, Eugenio Suarez doubled down the left-field line, allowing Naylor to score from first and even the score at one. Even with a rough start to the inning, Darvish was able to limit the damage to one run and escape without more than a scratch.

Top of the third — The Diamondbacks scored Carroll on a line-drive single by Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The top of the fourth brought the end of Yu Darvish’s day. Padres manager Mike Shildt exited the dugout after 63 pitches from the right-hander in his first start back, replaced by Yuki Matsui. The estimated pitch count before the game was around 70 to 75, but Shildt must have seen something that warranted pulling him just a bit early. For a first outing, Darvish really showed his resilience to come back so late in the season. Look for a longer, more complete performance in his next outing.

As expected, in the bottom of the fourth, Manny Machado recorded his 2,000th career hit with a sharp groundball to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. A future Hall of Famer for the Padres, Machado continues to make his case to be enshrined among the greatest of all time.

Career hit No. 2,000 for Manny Machado! pic.twitter.com/7P0e3jKvAS

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 8, 2025

Replacing Darvish was Yuki Matsui, who got out of the remainder of the fourth inning with a single pitch. Unfortunately for Matsui, he gave up a hit early in the fifth that set up a Josh Naylor two-run home run, giving the D-backs a 4-1 lead.

Jackson Merrill continued his offensive struggles with his third strikeout in as many at-bats. The Padres were limited to four hits among three hitters against Gallen. After a rough start in the first inning, Gallen found his stride and completely shut down the Padres’ offensive efforts. He did not allow another run through the sixth inning.

Filling in for Matsui was Bryan Hoeing. Hoeing finished with a clean inning, allowing only one hit and recording a strikeout on just 14 pitches.

Zac Gallen ended his night to the delight of Padres hitters, throwing 103 pitches over six innings while allowing only one earned run in his Monday night start.

In the seventh, the Padres looked to claw their way back. With two men on base and no outs, they managed to bring in just one run—on a sacrifice bunt by Martín Maldonado and an RBI by Fernando Tatis Jr. Merrill, continuing his hitless night, popped out to left-field foul territory to end the inning, leaving the Padres still trailing 4-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Wandy Peralta remained on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. He surrendered an RBI triple to Corbin Carroll, extending Arizona’s lead to 5–2 in the late innings. Perdomo fights off a pitch for a base hit to right field that scores Carroll at third. Arizona is still on top, 6-2.

Hit No. 2,001 for Manny Machado came in the bottom of the eighth—a deep home run to left field, landing just below the Western Metal Supply Building. The Padres looked to capitalize on what has at times been a vulnerable Diamondbacks bullpen this season. Luis Arraez drew a walk, prompting a mound visit to strategize for the often-dangerous Gavin Sheets. Sheets executed a sacrifice to move Arraez to second, and Xander Bogaerts followed with a walk, bringing the potential tying run to the plate in Jake Cronenworth.

A wild pitch by Morillo moves the runners over, followed by a Cronenworth walk to load the bases. With the bases loaded, the Padres had a chance to take a big chunk out of the Arizona lead with just one out.

Jose Iglesias pops up an infield fly for out number two, leading to an unusual pinch-hit appearance by Elias Diaz in hopes of sparking something for the Padres. Morillo gets out of the bases full one-out jam with a Diaz strikeout. The Padres had another rough outing with the bases loaded.

The Padres take a loss in the opening game of a series and are now 13-18 for all opening games for the 2025 season. This came after beginning the season 13-3, tying a franchise record.

Looking forward to a fresh start on Tuesday, July 8, the Padres send out Nick Pivetta with his 9-2, 3.45 ERA start to the season to face the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly in Game two of four at Petco Park in San Diego. Kelly has posted a 7-4 record with a 3.55 ERA in 18 games this season.

Scotty Keene

Scott Keene is a staff writer covering San Diego State athletics and Padres baseball for East Village Times. A San Diego native with deep roots in the local sports scene, he combines firsthand experience with analytical insight.

Follow him on X: @Scottykk88.