​The San Diego Padres appear to be turning a corner, and while the final four games before the All-Star break will shed more light, the club has its first two-game win streak since June 26. Offensively, San Diego put a season-high 10 runs on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching staff last night, underscoring a step in the right direction for the club. The lineup looked sharp in Wednesday night’s win over Arizona, with Luis Campusano delivering his first home run since returning from the injured list and Miguel Andujar collecting three doubles—yes, you read that right. If the Padres want to claim their first series win of July against the Diamondbacks tonight, they’ll need to maintain that level of urgency.
Similar to Zac Gallen, Kelly has been an ace for Arizona in the past but has not shown it this year. The right-hander owns a 5.71 ERA this season and has been even worse recently, posting a 6.28 ERA over his last 38 2/3 innings. A prediction for the day: Fernando Tatis Jr. will hit a home run. In 31 career at-bats against Kelly, Tatis has four homers and a 1.186 OPS. If Kelly isn’t at his best tonight, another big night for Tatis could be in the cards.
Canning has actually pitched better in his last two outings than for most of the season. After a rough start (four earned runs in just 0.2 innings), he has allowed only three runs across 8 1/3 innings, which isn’t miraculous but does represent progress. The hope is that he can carry that momentum into tonight’s matchup against the D-backs. Most of Arizona’s lineup has faced him sparingly and none have faced him this season, which could work in Canning’s favor. If he does stumble, the bullpen is well-rested to step in and cover.
While Andujar and Campusano were the headliners on Wednesday, Tatis and Jackson Merrill also contributed, going 4-for-9 from the top two spots in the order. With Manny Machado getting a rest day, it was refreshing to see the lineup deliver without their slugger. The batting order lined up as: Fernando Tatis Jr., RF; Jackson Merrill, C/1B; Manny Machado, 3B; Luis Campusano, C; Miguel Andujar, DH. The Padres totaled 10 runs, a notable double-digit scoring effort that underscores the potential for a sustained offensive surge if they can keep producing at this pace.
San Diego’s offense piled up a convincing 10-spot against Arizona last night, marking only the third time this season they’ve reached double digits. If the lineup can sustain that level of production, the pitching staff will benefit from reduced stress and more manageable workloads. With Michael King delivering six innings of one-run ball and the offense providing a solid lead, the bullpen could work more efficiently. Ron Marinaccio and Kyle Hart finished the last three innings, allowing a combined three runs but not altering the game’s outcome.
Jhony Brito has been working out of the bullpen since being called up earlier this week and will be available along with Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wander Peralta, and Bradgley Rodrigue. The Padres’ bullpen depth could prove valuable as they push to keep this momentum going. Overall, San Diego is showing signs of progress, and if they keep up the approach seen in recent games, they’ll continue to push toward a stronger second half.