SAN DIEGO -- When MacKenzie Gore reported to Spring Training this year, the Padres were uncertain just what kind of pitcher they had in camp.

Was he the high-ceiling left-hander who enjoyed a long run high on the prospect rankings? Or was he the pitcher who lost the feel for his fastball and was bedeviled by walks and waning confidence?

The mere fact that Gore now has 13 big league starts under his belt before the All-Star break answers those questions. He’s the high-ceiling guy. But the fact his latest start ended with a third baseman on the mound brings a new set of questions.

Gore matched a career high with eight runs allowed as the Padres were steamrolled, 12-0, by the Giants on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park to complete a 2-4 homestand. It’s the second time in his past four starts that Gore has allowed eight runs in an outing.

“I got hit hard,” Gore said. “Not good today.”

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The questions prompted by Gore’s latest stumble center around his workload and a slight drop in fastball velocity. Gore has topped out at 101 innings in any season as a professional. After lasting 3 1/3 frames on Sunday, he’s at 73 1/3 this year, including five in Triple-A.

From 2020-21, Gore threw a total of 61 2/3 innings, including Arizona Fall League action. So does Gore need a breather from the big league workload?

“That’s a tough question,” Gore said. “I’m doing everything I can to feel good, to do what I do and recover. I’m never going to say I need rest. But I do need to be a little better and be crisp when I go out there.”

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Padres manager Bob Melvin acknowledged the workload question isn’t merely external.

“They were on his fastball today,” Melvin said. “It was apparent in innings two, three, four that they were sitting on his fastball, and he wasn’t locating as well as he normally does. He had a tough day.

“We always try to discuss where he’s at. We’re going to have that discussion -- whether we need to give him a break, put him in the bullpen for a game. His velo’s down a little bit.”

In his three April starts, Gore’s four-seam fastball had an average velocity of 95.6, 95.2 and 95.1 mph. His past three starts have an average fastball velo of 93.3, 93.5 and 93.5 mph.

On Sunday, Gore yielded a pair of two-run home runs on four-seamers. Thairo Estrada yanked a 93.5 mph offering on the inside edge of the plate in the second inning, and Wilmer Flores pulled a 92.3 mph offering that was on the outside edge in the third.

Flores, for what it’s worth, showed he’s good with the soft stuff, too. He hit a ninth-inning homer on a 46.2 mph “slider” from utility player Matthew Batten, who started the game at third base.

The Padres know they’d like to give Batten a long, long time between mound appearances. Gore, they’ll circle back on.

“All along, we’re going to be cognizant of the innings from the previous year,” Melvin said. “Physically, [Gore] feels good. I still see a crisp slider. I still see a good breaking ball.”