Progressive Field – Cleveland

The San Diego Padres began their away stand with a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

The Padres and Guardians have had very similar seasons going into the All-Star break. Both had below-average offenses to start the year, but were largely saved by their pitching. For the Padres, their bullpen is as good as they come; for the Guardians, it’s their rotation that can go deep. The Guards starter for Friday night’s match, Gavin Williams, is no exception.

The red-hot Padres, who just swept the best team in baseball, certainly had their work cut out for them Friday night in Cleveland.

Thankfully, the Padres’ most consistent starter, Michael King, was up on the mound that evening. King’s last start was of superb quality, and that night, he was looking to expand.

The game started quietly. With two elite pitchers on the mound, it was up to who would make the first mistake.

In what is unfortunately Michael King fashion, the first run given up in the game was a solo homer. This continues his unlucky streak of giving up homers, a trend that’s plagued his season. Usually, he limits it to one solo homer, but today was a little different. In the third inning, King gave up another solo homer.

This is Michael King’s fifth multi-homer game. Only 13 of his 24 starts this year have he survived it homerless.

King’s luck continued to elude him; a series of shots to left field allowed outfielder Steven Kwan to score, making the game 3-0.

However, the Padres immediately responded in the fourth inning. After a leadoff walk that put Jackson Merrill on base, Xander Bogaerts hit a shot into the Progressive Field bleachers, putting the Friars on the board.

The sound off the bat 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/NDc888IjSN

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 15, 2026

That’s his second consecutive homer. He’s only done that once before this year in May.

After a scoreless frame from King, the Padres continued to put the pressure on Williams.

A leadoff homer from Fernando Tatis Jr. completely erased the run deficit, and it was then a tie game. Fernando, who was formerly homerless for over 50 games, has now hit a home run in five of his last 12 games.

That’s a pretty one. pic.twitter.com/8UN9mDcjRM

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 15, 2026

Williams continued to struggle, loading the bases with Padres on no outs. Luis Campusano, on a ball that was very nearly a grand slam, had to settle for knocking in two runners as he cruised into second base. This was enough to send Williams packing after only 4 ⅓ innings. This is his shortest start of 2026.

Dawg. pic.twitter.com/GD30MyvWq3

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 15, 2026

With the lead now theirs, King coasted into the sixth inning. However, the Guards managed to score once more on the way out. A ball to second base picked up by Bogaerts missed its mark at first, putting a runner on second. Then a fly ball off the wall sent a Guardian home, making it a one-run ball game.

The Padres continued to pile on after their mistake. Ty France and Merrill reached base on no outs, allowing Campusano to drive in both men once again. Then Bogaerts joined the party again, driving in Campy on a sac fly. The game was now 7-4.

King left in the seventh inning, giving a pretty solid start to complement the Padres’ destructive offense. However, the Guardians continued to claw back.

Jerimiah Estrada entered the eighth inning, allowing a double that turned into a run after a wild pitch. This slightly closed the deficit, but the Padres ended the inning still in the lead, 7-5.

The Padres had no response for this, meaning they entered the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead. However, the Padres did not elect to bring out the Reaper. Instead, Bradgley Rodriguez got the chance to secure his first save of the season. He did so on 17 pitches, striking out two in the process.

The Padres return for game two against the Guardians Saturday night. The Padres face Joey Cantillo (8-7, 3.91 ERA) on the mound, while their probable starter is currently undetermined.

Fabian Garcia