The Padres entered Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles with a chance to move within 1.5 games of the Dodgers in the race for the NL West following the Dodgers’ loss in Pittsburgh.

The Friars started the night off shaky with Yu Darvish on the mound, as the pitcher accumulated over 30 first-inning pitches. Darvish, who has struggled with command and home runs at times this year since returning from injury, started by allowing a first-inning homer and a pair of hit-by-pitches.

The veteran pitcher was able to eventually settle in, limiting the total damage to just three runs through four innings pitched. This, notably, is yet another instance where a Padres starter has been unable to secure a quality start, highlighting an increasingly prevalent issue that could catch up to the Padres in October. This game is the eighth in the last nine in which the Padres starter went less than five innings.

Arraez Hits a Homer

A two-run home run smacked out by Luis Arraez in the third put the Padres within one as Darvish ended his day down 3-2; however, it would prove to be the only spark in the Padres’ offense for the night.

Luis Arraez slugs his 7th HR of the year 😮 pic.twitter.com/zYSYxKx0qY

— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2025

Bullpen Meltdown

The Padres bullpen immediately thereafter allowed two more runs, extending the O’s lead to 5-2. With the bases loaded and two outs, Mike Shildt elected to take out Wandy Peralta in favor of David Morgan, a decision that could be characterized as questionable at best, given Morgan’s struggles of late, with Morgan posting an ERA of over six in his last seven appearances.

Late Inning Thunder

The Padres did not go down entirely silent, and the offense threatened in the seventh. A key walk by Tatis led to a bases-loaded situation down 3 in the seventh with Arraez coming up to bat; however, unimpressive at-bats by both Arraez and Manny Machado got the O’s out of the jam, as the Padres hit the O’s with thunder, but no lightning.

Overall, it was an odd night for the Padres. It was a night that saw both a Luis Arraez home run and strikeout, as the Friars ultimately lost 6-2.

One of the bright spots of the night was the production of the deadline acquisitions. Both Freddy Fermin and Ramon Laureano notched multi-hit nights, and Fermin threw out a runner. It was also another night where Ryan O’Hearn did not get the start, yet was productive in a pinch hit, working a walk.

Up Next

Looking forward, the Padres will need better length from some of their proven starters, including Darvish and Dylan Cease.

San Diego will also look for its stars, such as Fernando Tatis Jr., who is hitting .224 in his last 15 games, and Manny Machado, hitting .198 in his previous 25 games, to break out of their slumps. A healthy Jackson Merrill will also be key moving forward, as he made his return to the starting lineup.

On Wednesday, the Friars hope to salvage the series and avoid the sweep.

Billy Seidlitz

Billy has spent a majority of his life following San Diego sports and worked in San Diego for many years. Now residing in Newport Beach he recently obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Chapman University and now works as an Associate Personal Injury Attorney. Billy enjoys supporting the Padres and SDFC from Orange County and making the drive down for big games. He is passionate about analytics and writing about sports.