SAN DIEGO -- Jalen Beeks’ recent struggles continued as the Rays were unable to complete the three-game sweep of the Padres, dropping the series finale, 7-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park.

Beeks, who got his third start of the season, will be one of the pitchers whom Tampa Bay relies on over the next couple of weeks, until Blake Snell, Yonny Chirinos and Tyler Glasnow get closer to returning from the injured list.

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After needing 85 pitches to get through just 3 2/3 innings in his last start against the Mariners, Beeks was able to provide some more length on Wednesday, but he continued to struggle, allowing five runs over five innings.

“We have to find a way to get him back in the strike zone and trusting his stuff a little bit,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “At times it looks like he’s searching out on the mound. He’s still a young pitcher, but certainly we need him to press the gas pedal a little bit here for us going forward.”

Beeks retired the first five batters but then ran into some trouble. After back-to-back two-out walks, the left-hander allowed RBI hits to Greg Garcia and opposing pitcher Cal Quantrill to even the game at 2.

“Just kind of lost it for two batters right there, just can’t let that happen,” Beeks said. “I just put myself in a bad situation. I don’t think they hit it that hard after that, but you can’t walk two guys.”

In the fourth inning, Luis Urias delivered a big two-run double off Beeks to give the Padres a 4-2 lead. Beeks was able to escape a jam in that inning to hold the deficit to two runs, but he allowed a solo home run to Eric Hosmer in the fifth to cap the tough afternoon.

Tommy Pham provided all the offense for the Rays, launching a two-run home run in the first inning that traveled a projected 408 feet. Quantrill settled down, and it was San Diego’s offense that flexed its muscles off Beeks.

“It was encouraging to see Tommy back in the lineup, encouraging to see his at-bats,” Cash said. “His swings looked crisp all day. Obviously, the home run he smoked.”

Finding success hasn’t been easy for Beeks since he returned to the big league club on July 16. In his past six appearances, Beeks has allowed 19 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings, resulting in a 7.23 ERA. Wednesday’s start marked his longest outing since his return, but it was the third time he allowed three runs or more.

“I’m frustrated in general with the outing, just falling behind,” Beeks said. “It’s better than what I did last time, going 3 2/3 [innings], but at the same time, I know what I’m capable of and I know I have a lot more in me. I want to give the team some quality outings and give us a chance to win.”

José De León, who was recalled on Wednesday, made his season debut and his first outing in the Majors since May 29, 2017. De Leon, who officially completed his comeback from Tommy John surgery, said it was a day that he’ll never forget.

“It’s a really meaningful day for me,” De Leon said. “Just a few people know everything I’ve gone through in this process, and to finally get back on a big league mound, it’s something I was really looking forward to, and I was able to accomplish that today.”

De Leon allowed one run over two innings but flashed 94 mph a couple of times with the fastball. The Rays will option De Leon back to Triple-A Durham, but he’ll serve as another depth piece moving forward.

Despite the loss, the Rays closed out a very successful West Coast road trip. Tampa Bay finished 5-1, and it had won nine consecutive road games before Wednesday. The Rays now head home for a six-game homestand against the Tigers and Mariners.

“Five and one, you can’t be mad at that,” Pham said. “We’ve been playing great. Now we have to take it home and play great there.”