Padres vs. Giants: Get the big broom

The San Diego Padres swept the San Francisco Giants in a three-game away series. San Diego caught the Giants at the perfect time. San Francisco was riding on a four-game losing streak entering the series, and the Padres were able to make that a seven-game losing streak. Despite facing solid starting pitchers such as Carlos Rodon and Logan Webb, San Diego’s offense was able to fly high in this series. 

In the first game of the series, the Padres’ offense started out strong. The team scored six runs in the first five innings, including three runs in the first inning. The top producers in the lineup were first baseman Brandon Drury and catcher Austin Nola. Drury went 2-for-4, which included a two-run home run in the first inning. Nola had a hit and drove in two runs. San Diego was able to score six runs on just seven hits.

Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger pitched well in his start. He went for five innings, and he gave up two runs on five hits and a walk. He also added three strikeouts in the outing. Relief pitcher Robert Suarez made the game close in the eighth inning, giving up three runs. Fortunately, Nick Martinez was able to get the last four outs of the game for a save. San Diego won the game with a score of 6-5.

The second game of the series was another close game that included solid offense. Third baseman Manny Machado and center fielder Trent Grisham were a couple of the main offensive producers in the game. Machado went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI, while Grisham went 2-for-4 including a two-run home run in the seventh inning.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell had a stellar performance, as he bounced back from a rough start in his previous outing. He pitched in six innings, giving up no runs on four hits and three walks. Snell also struck out eight hitters in the outing. He dropped his ERA down to 3.87 on the season. The Padres won this game with a score of 4-3.

The third and final game of the series was yet another one-run game. Machado continued his hot stretch of play, as he went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. San Diego scored five runs on nine hits and three walks.

Joe Musgrove has struggled since he signed a contract extension. He has had a 4.24 ERA in games he has pitched since signing. However, he did not struggle in this game. He went six ⅔ innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks. He also struck out 11 batters. San Diego won the game with a score of 5-4.

San Diego now has a record of 73-59 on the season. Despite the sweep of the Giants, the Padres are still in the third Wild Card spot in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies lead the Padres by half a game for the second NL Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers are now 2.5 games behind San Diego for the final Wild Card spot.

After a six-game stretch of scoring three or fewer runs, the Padres have scored four or more runs in six straight games. San Diego is getting hot just in time to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are a team that has arguably been the best team in the MLB and a favorite to win the World Series. The Padres will head to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in a three-game series during the weekend.