The Padres’ June swoon continues, but at least they still have Fernando Tatis Jr.
The team lost at home to the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Friday. They’ve dropped seven of their last 10 and 11 of 19 games this month.
Two factors may have played in sizable role in the loss. First, San Diego was playing without manager Mike Shildt, who was serving a one-game suspension for his role in a fracas againstthe Dodgers the night before. Bench coach Brian Esposito served as San Diego’s acting manager Friday.
Also, superstar outfielder Tatis came into the matchup with a sore wrist, the result of being hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Thursday, the play that sparked the brouhaha with Dodgers.
He took a fastball off his left hand and although he was noticeably in pain, X-rays were negative. Tatis played the entire game Friday – he went hitless in three at-bats, but walked twice – although at times he wore a protective pad on his left hand and wrist.
Good thing, because he remained in the line of fire. In the bottom of the third, Tatis was nearly beaned by a pitch thrown by Royals starter Michael Lorenzen. He managed to duck under the ball in the nick of time, but fell to the dirt. It was the 10th wild pitch thrown this season by Lorenzen, the most in MLB.
The @Dodgers still throwing at Tatis.Oh wait…Better light a candle for the Royals. pic.twitter.com/e4XzONFBqb
— mike hiserman (@MikeHiserman) June 21, 2025Another close call happened in the bottom of the sixth, when Tatis was brushed back by a slider from reliever Lucas Erceg. After the second near HBP, television cameras showed awoman in Petco Park stands holding a sign saying “Stop Hitting on Tatis – This Ain’t Tinder!”
The game’s scoring was led off by Kansas City’s Bobby Witt, who nailed a solo home run to left field in the first for a 1-0 Royals lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Padres made a pitching change, as Wandy Peralta came in for starter Nick Pivetta. The move didn’t work out, however, as Kansas City then managed to significantly extend its lead with one swing of the bat by Royals infielder Jonathan India.
His three-run homer to left center field made the score 4-0.
The Padres’ first run of the game was scored by El Cajon native Trenton Brooks in the fifth. He hit a double, then Luis Arraez singled on a line drive to right to drive him in.
San Diego scored its second run of the game with the bases loaded. Jose Iglesias singled on a line drive to right field, sending Xander Bogaerts across the plate.
The Padres then scored two runs in the seventh to tie it up 4-4. Gavin Sheets singled on a line drive to center, to drive in Arraez and Manny Machado.
But the resilient Royals countered in the eighth by scoring twice. Salvador Perez singled on a line drive to left and Maikel Garcia scored. Drew Waters then singled on a line drive to right, sending John Rave home.
Machado made things interesting in the ninth when he hit a solo homer to draw the Friars within one, at 6-5. But no other Padre reached. The game ended on three consecutive pop-ups, by Sheets, Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth.
San Diego (40-35) continues a stretch of 26 games in 27 days that began May 30. The team last had a day off on June 12 and isn’t scheduled for another one until Thursday.
The Padres play the Royals (38-38) again at home at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.
Notes: Yu Darvish threw 39 pitches over two innings in a simulated game before Friday’s matchup against the Royals, according to San Diego-based reporter and radio talk show host Annie Heilbrunn. His pitches reportedly reached 94-95 MPH. Darvish has been on the injured list since March with right elbow inflammation … Reliever Robert Suarez has been fined by MLB and suspended for three games for plunking the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani on Thursday after Tatis was hit, but he is appealing.
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