Padres News: Padres Shutout for 12th Time, Is This the End?
The San Diego Padres failed to managed all but one hit on Tuesday night against Seattle Mariners starter Mike Montgomery. A seventh inning double off the bat of Yangervis Solarte was the only hit managed by the team. In a most crucial home stand, the Padres have now dropped two straight and are in danger of falling out of contention in the National League playoff race.
The team has been shut out 12 times this season. The fact a left-handed rookie pitcher shut them out at home is a troubling fact. The team cannot continue to just tread water, they need to perform and play with accountability. No disrespect to Mike Montgomery, but this team full of right handed sluggers should have put up some runs. To be no-hit that deep into the game is demoralizing to Padre fans.
Jedd Gyorko returned to the team from El Paso and hit sixth in the lineup. He failed to produce going 0-3 with one strike out. The Padres inconsistencies continue to show on a weekly basis. Just when you believe this team has turned the corner, it takes a couple of steps back. So is the game of baseball, however all these games the team has given away will surely be damaging in the end. It has been maddening for the Fans to watch.
The Padres now stand seven full games out of first and five games under the .500 mark. The team needs a winning streak and they need it now. The upcoming road trip is going to be a huge test for this team. A 10 game road trip in which the Padres first play the St. Louis Cardinals in a four game set. The Cardinals have the best record in baseball with a 51-25 mark. Can you imagine that? The team is 26 games above the .500 mark. Amazing.
So the four game series in St. Louis will be rough for the Padres. Follow that up with a three game set in Pittsburgh and a three game series in Texas against the Rangers right before the All-Star break, and the road is long and dark. They need a 7-3 road trip to realistically have a chance at competing this season. Anything short of that will be too much (in my estimation) to recover. That is just the plain and simple truth.
The only way for the Padres to remain in contention is if the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants continue to falter. Both teams have struggled of late and left the door open for the Padres. The Friars have yet to capitalize. So many wasted opportunities and plain old bad luck have been a common theme for the Padres.
The Padres management seems determined to win this season. The firing of Bud Black indicates that. It will be really interesting to see if A.J. Preller continues to move forward on a winning season this year. Justin Upton and his future in San Diego are a very intriguing topic. The team could go any routes in the way they handle their slugging outfielder. Either way the Padres future is bright as the management is attempting to build a winning tradition. It just might take a little longer than some expected.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.