Overturned call halts struggling Padres' bid for rally

SAN DIEGO -- A week ago, as the Trade Deadline ticked closer, the Padres found themselves in dire need of some offensive help. Their lineup was middling, and they were seriously lacking in the power department.

So, in the hours before Tuesday’s Deadline, they did precisely what they needed to do, swinging multiple deals to land three very good hitters. A week later, somewhat inexplicably, that offense has looked worse than it did before.

That’s bound to change. You don’t acquire Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury and get worse offensively. But baseball, when taken in small samples, can be cruel. For the San Diego offense to go through a stretch like this at a time like this? Cruel, indeed.

With their 1-0 loss to the Giants on Monday night at Petco Park, the Padres ran their losing streak to five games and their scoreless streak to 23 innings. Even when it appeared they finally scored a run on what was initially ruled a game-tying double from Ha-Seong Kim, that run was taken off the board on a controversial replay ruling in which Drury was ruled out at the plate.

Lately, that’s just how it’s gone. Since their nine-run outburst against the Rockies in the first game of the Juan Soto era, the Padres’ bats have gone ice cold in unison.

“Baseball’s a grinder of a game,” Drury said. “It’s a long season. With the guys we’ve got here, we’re going to turn it around real soon. It’s just been a little rut these past few days, and it’s going to turn soon.”

The sooner the better. With their five-game skid, the Padres have fallen into the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. Their lead on the Brewers for the last playoff spot is down to a single game.

“You go through stretches like this,” said manager Bob Melvin. “It’s frustrating for everybody right now. There was really good energy in the dugout the whole game. … We had the one opportunity that gets overturned, and we end up losing again.

“It’s not going to be like this forever, but I think everybody’s frustrated.”

That frustration reached its peak in the bottom of the seventh. With Drury on first base and one out, Kim laced a double into the left-field corner. Third-base coach Matt Williams waved Drury home -- and justifiably so.

“Look, we haven’t scored,” Melvin said. “It’s our first opportunity to score. It takes a great relay, a perfect throw and a great pick on a short hop to get him. I’m absolutely OK with that send.”

The Giants got all of those things -- a perfect throw from left fielder Luis González, a perfect relay from shortstop Brandon Crawford and a perfect tag from catcher Joey Bart. And even still, the Padres aren’t convinced Drury was out.

“I thought I got my fingertips in there,” Drury said. “… It was a close play, no doubt. But the call on the field was safe, and I can’t believe they overturned that from what I saw.”

Added Melvin: “I'm done with replay. I don't know. Clear and convincing? I'm not sure. But it certainly just didn't go our way.”

Padres left-hander Blake Snell was excellent again, pitching 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball while striking out eight Giants. He wasn’t at his dominant best, but Snell worked his way out of trouble on multiple occasions. When he needed an out pitch, he dialed one up.

“Feels good,” Snell said of his ability to work out of trouble on Monday night. “I just need to do a better job of not getting in those situations. … I feel like I’m doing a good job. Can definitely be better.”

Snell has developed something of a habit of pitching better in the second half of seasons than the first. That seems to be true again this year. He entered July with a 5.60 ERA. After Monday’s performance, Snell lowered his ERA to 3.96 -- below 4 for the first time this season. The Giants’ only run of the game came on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly by Thairo Estrada.

“He pitched a great game,” Melvin said. “We should be talking about him getting a win today, if we can do something offensively.”