Late innings remain a Padres bugaboo

A five-game losing streak always stings, and it’s particularly painful in a shortened 60-game season.

The Padres are reeling, but there is reason for hope.

Only five days ago, the Padres were on a three-game win streak. But they then dropped two games against the Dodgers and all three games against the D-backs at Chase Field, including a 5-4 loss Sunday afternoon in the series finale.

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“It can definitely work both ways,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “That's what we've been waiting to get on, and we just haven't been able to get on a run yet. We have it in us to get on a really good stretch, and we need to start doing that.”

Back on July 31, the Padres (11-12) were in first-place in the National League West. Now, they are 11-12 and looking up at three clubs.

What went wrong and how do they make it right? These are three keys to the Padres turning their season around during the final 37 games:

1. Patience at the plate, a healthy lineup
Through the first 18 games, the Padres ranked first in the NL in slugging percentage (.466) and home runs with 32. They ranked third in runs with 94 and runs batted in at 94. In their past five games, the team has a batting average of .194, a .293 OBP and a .327 slugging average with 13 runs scored.

The Padres have also hit .162 (6-for-37) with runners in scoring position during the last five games. They were hitting .291 (39-for-134) previously.

What happened?

The Padres appear to be pressing and swinging at more pitches out of the zone. The stats back up what the eyes are seeing. In fact, the club’s chase rate – the percentage of pitches swung at out of the strike zone – has increased from 21.8 to 24.2. The increase appears marginal, but add the lack of discipline at the plate with the inconsistent production up and down the lineup, especially from Manny Machado and Tommy Pham, and it explains, at least partly, why the club’s offensive production has decreased. Padres batters did walk nine times Sunday.

Pham also needs to stay healthy. He was removed Saturday’s game because of cramps in both calves. On Sunday, he was taken out of the game because of a hand injury during an at-bat with two outs in the ninth inning and the potential tying run on third base. Greg Garcia replaced Pham and struck out on the next pitch to end the game.

“He took the swing and said his hand went numb,” Tingler said of Pham. “He’s getting checked out with the doctor.”

Right fielder Wil Myers was held out of Sunday’s game because of neck and back tightness, Tingler said after the game.

2. Much-needed relief
The Padres’ bullpen posted a 4.92 ERA through Aug. 11. The bullpen has given up at least four earned runs in four of its last five games and its ERA is 14.95 during that stretch. On Sunday, Emilio Pagán yielded a three-run homer in the eighth inning by Eduardo Escobar to push the D-backs ahead, 5-4, and spoil a fantastic seven-inning start by Garrett Richards (two runs, six hits).

What has changed?

The loss of closer Kirby Yates (bone chips in right elbow) has forced the club to mix and match at the end of games. It also has kept relievers from finding a consistent rhythm or settling into a role. The workload could be taking a toll. Padres starters came into Sunday having pitched only 3 2/3 innings twice in the last five games. Padres starters pitched 3 2/3 innings or fewer only three times in the first 18 games.

A healthy and rested bullpen is the first step to returning to form. The relievers also have to execute their pitches.

3. Hosmer heating up, not grounding out
Eric Hosmer hit his second home run in two games Sunday and has hit a home run in three of his last four games. His two-run home run, a sky-high 422-foot home run in the sixth, tied the game at 2. Josh Naylor’s single later in the inning scored Pham to push the Padres ahead, 3-2.

What’s the difference?

Hosmer’s launch angle this season is 15.9 degrees. It was 2.1 degrees in 2019. It’s also worth noting that he never had a launch angle above 6 degrees in any season since Statcast started tracking it in 2015. Hosmer’s ground-ball rate is 32 percent. It was in the 50-percent range or above in each of the last five seasons. The Padres will need Hosmer to keep producing to get back into the win column and postseason contention.

“I think some guys are going through some stuff, and they're going to figure it out,” Richards said. “But I definitely think that there's good things to come. We're way better team than we’re showing right now.”