​In Los Angeles, California, on July 2, Randy Vásquez #98 of the San Diego Padres delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The Padres are mired in a slump, dropping six straight and sitting at .500 for the first time since April 8. The skid has been magnified by the team’s struggles in clutch moments, going 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and failing to pressure the Dodgers, resulting in a 12-7 defeat. The Padres jumped ahead early, tagging Roki Sasaki for six runs on three homers by the second inning, but then offense cooled off as L.A. surged, scoring 12 unanswered runs over the next eight frames before San Diego finally plated a run in the ninth. The comeback was no match for the early deficit.
On the mound, Shohei Ohtani (LAD) opposes Michael King (SD). Ohtani has been a frontrunner in NL Cy Young discussions, owning a 1.58 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP across 79 2/3 innings, though he’s allowed more runs in his recent starts, giving up nine over his last 18 2/3 innings. He faced the Padres in the opening series of the season, delivering five scoreless innings. The Padres’ lineup will need to provide more sustained resistance to halt the losing streak, with King stepping in as San Diego’s stopper. Despite recent struggles, he remains the high-upside arm in the rotation, posting a 5.45 ERA over his last seven starts (3.55 on the year). His last outing against the Dodgers saw four runs cross in 4 1/3 innings, with four walks signaling control issues. King will need to command his pitches more effectively to give the Padres a chance.
Offensively, San Diego showed signs of life in the previous game, scoring seven runs. Jake Cronenworth has been a bright spot since returning from the IL, hitting .400 with a home run and three RBIs, providing exactly what the team needed. Notably, Cronenworth is 1.000 lifetime against Ohtani. Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets, Ty France, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts anchored the order, with Rodolfo Durán and Samad Taylor contributing from the back end. However, aside from Cronenworth, the rest of the lineup has had limited success against the Dodgers’ two-way star, an area the Padres will need to address to improve their odds.