Padres stripped of homer and lose by one to Giants
Petco Park- San Diego, CA
After losing three straight to the Dodgers, the Padres needed to reverse their fortunes and get back on a winning streak. They welcomed the Giants for four games at home, whom they had just swept in the Bay Area. On the surface, this looked like a prime opportunity to pounce on a Giants team that looks dead in the water. However the Padres were unable to mount any offense until too late, as the Giants beat the Friars 4-3.
Unfortunately, it was Nestor Cortes who got shelled in the first inning. Cortes gave up back-to-back home runs to Heliot Ramos and Rafael Devers to start the game. After recording an out, he gave a two-run bomb to Wilmer Flores. With a third of the first inning complete, the Padres were already in a 4-0 hole and that’s all the Giants needed.
In the bottom of the second, Xander Bogaerts appeared to have hit a home run over the left field fence just out of the reach of Ramos. However, after a very lengthy review, the umpires overturned the home run claiming fan interference. Of all things, it was a fan in a Giants shirt that did the interfering with a would-be Padres homer. This brought out Mike Shildt who was promptly tossed for arguing the call. From there it didn’t get any better. The Padres only recorded a single hit for almost seven innings against Ray as their offense looked bewildered and anemic from the start.
Padres manager Mike Shildt was ejected after an apparent Xander Bogaerts home run was overturned and ruled fan interference. pic.twitter.com/TCYxiVwgIP
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) August 19, 2025
In the bottom of the seventh, the Padres finally showed some life as a Bogaerts double and a Casey Schmitt error gave the Padres their first run of the game. Then, Ryan O’Hearn, yet again not in the line up against a lefty, gave the team and fans a jolt on a two run homer to right-center field. More questions arise about Shildt’s lineup decisions.
The Padres brought in Gavin Sheets into the game as well. He got on base to bring the leading run to the plate. Tatis was unable to continue the rally as he grounded out to the pitcher. The Padres wouldn’t show any more offense after O’Hearn’s home run.
Cortes was in constant trouble from the start as he had at least two runners on base for the first three innings, even if he managed to limit the damage to the big first inning. He left after 5 2/3 innings after giving up seven hits, four runs (all on home runs) and four walks with five strike outs. David Morgan continued his outstanding rookie year, getting four outs with three strikeouts and a walk. Peralta then took over in the 8th, going one inning with a strikeout and a walk. He continues his rebound campaign.
Mason Miller would get the final inning, a scoreless ninth.
Robbie Ray showed decreased velocity throughout his start but the Padres were incapable of mounting any real offense until the seventh. Ray left after 6 2/3 innings with three hits and three runs as well as six strikeouts. The Giants depleted bullpen was able to limit the damage. They kept the Padres from scoring anymore after O’Hearn’s home run. San Diego got the winning run coming to the plate in the eighth and ninth but didn’t cash in. Overall, it was an extremely frustrating evening at Petco Park. This is a far cry from the momentum San Diego enjoyed before the weekend.
That home run called back due to interference loomed large as the Padres fell by a single run.
Both teams will continue the series tomorrow at 6:40pm PST, as it’s a rematch of last series’ final game as the Giants send Kai-Wei Teng back against the Padres’ Nick Pivetta.
A Native San Diegan, Loren has spent his entire life not only as a fan but an active participant in San Diego’s sports world. In 2006 Loren joined two other die hard Charger fans to create Bolttalk, where Loren was a co-host and regular columnist from 2006 until the Chargers left in 2017. After that he started another podcast, The Grid Podshow, from 2020-2021 with his former co-host and colleague, speaking about the local sports community and popular culture.
When he’s not giving his opinion about San Diego sports, Loren is an adjunct professor at San Diego State and an attorney.