Ryan Weathers hurt as Padres lose to Rockies to end first half
Credit: Derrick Tusken, Associated Press
Petco Park- San Diego, California
The first half of the season has officially ended for Major League Baseball. For the San Diego Padres, they need a break, and that’s an understatement.
In their final game of the first half, the Padres lost to the Colorado Rockies 3-1 in another game where the bats went cold, and the bullpen had to be used earlier than expected. Bring on the All-Star break, please.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler is frustrated with the inability to score runs after they combined for five runs in three games against the Rockies.
“It’s disappointing…Struggled to score runs. When you do that, you gotta play airtight defense, and we didn’t do that…It’s unacceptable. We’ve got to find ways to be better,” Tingler said after the game.
Ryan Weathers got the nod for the Padres and was rolling right along but only lasted two innings after a collision with counterpart Jon Gray that forced him out of the game and had the fans gasping with concern.
On the same day All-Star Yu Darvish was placed on the 10-day IL, seeing Weathers go down brings more questions to the Padres rotation. They are also missing Blake Snell, who is with Darvish on the IL.
Oh no. Ugly collision up the first-base line between Ryan Weathers and Jon Gray after Gray's bunt and Weathers' tag. Weathers comes out of it holding his knee in pain.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 11, 2021
However, Tingler expressed optimism regarding Weathers injury, although they are waiting for more tests to be done.
“Good news is doctors feel confident the knee looks good. The ankle looks good. He’s walking around much better than when he came off the field.”
On the Rockies side of things, Gray went six innings, giving up just three hits and one run on a bases-loaded ground out by Trent Grisham in the second inning. The Padres bats would go hitless until the bottom of the ninth when Eric Hosmer hit a line-drive single to center, and that’s that.
The Padres again went deep into their bullpen– as to be expected when your starter leaves after just two innings. Tingler used six pitchers after Weathers, including Chris Paddack who threw two innings and gave up a run and four hits.
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The Padres ended the first half with a 4-6 mark in their last 10 games and will be desperately searching for a way to fill their rotation. On the other hand, they will send five players to the All-Star game as Manny Machado was named as a replacement on Saturday.
The All-Star Game is on Tuesday at Coors Field, and the rest of the team will be off until Friday, when they begin a 10-game road trip against a trio of National League East teams, beginning with the Washington Nationals.
Matthew Wadleigh, born in Oceanside and currently lives in Fresno. He lives with his wife and 2 dogs and is a sports enthusiast. Retired drummer and member of the Fresno State Marching Band. He has been a Padres fan since childhood and has suffered during the struggles just like everybody else.
Let’s face it, this team’s performance sucks. This manager sucks. Yet AJ lacks the competence to do what needs to be done. I’m terrified at how he will further decimate this team at the trade deadline.