SAN DIEGO — Half an inning after he took a 93 mph fastball off his left arm, Fernando Tatis Jr. was again out in proper subject, chasing after Willy Adames’ fly ball down the road. Favoring the sore proper quad he’s been enjoying on for weeks, Tatis couldn’t fairly make the play, and the ball kicked into the stands for a double. An inning later, he exited with a left triceps contusion, the staff mentioned.
One All-Star-caliber outfielder on the sideline.
Within the backside of the seventh, Jurickson Profar sparked the decisive rally within the Padres’ 9-5 victory over the Brewers at Petco Park. He shot an opposite-field double to proper, then half-jogged, half-limped into second base, clearly nonetheless coping with the patellar tendinitis in his left knee, which has bothered him for many of the season. He was pulled for a pinch-runner.
One other All-Star-caliber outfielder on the sideline.
Ultimately, the Padres discovered a manner. Jake Cronenworth went 5-for-5 with a homer, Manny Machado tacked on 4 hits, and Luis Arraez launched his second house run of the season.
“We are saying it internally,” mentioned supervisor Mike Shildt. “Winners discover options.”
The Padres have received three straight, an admirable response to their current five-game dropping streak. With Saturday set to mark the official midway level of their season, San Diego sits 40-40.
And therein lies the Padres’ precarious plight. Clearly, they’re crushed up. They’re additionally a .500 staff within the midst of a topsy-turvy Nationwide League Wild Card race that options 9 groups doubtlessly vying for the ultimate two locations. They want their greatest gamers within the lineup as usually as doable.
Afterward, Shildt famous that neither damage appeared too severe. Tatis was unavailable for remark whereas receiving remedy. Profar spoke briefly and famous that he felt OK. He anticipates a day without work on Saturday, however expects to return Sunday.
Profar and Tatis have been the Padres’ two greatest hitters this season. They rank first and second amongst NL outfielders in wins above alternative, in keeping with FanGraphs.
They’re additionally enjoying damage, which presents a conundrum: Profar and Tatis may most likely use some relaxation. However can the Padres afford to relaxation them?
“It’s only a fixed balancing act, with our medical staff and with them,” Shildt mentioned. “It’s an consciousness of what’s occurring and communication of what’s occurring. Each of them are very convicted about having the ability to play.”
They aren’t the one ones coping with accidents. Catcher Luis Campusano was scratched with a bruised left thumb on Friday. Machado not too long ago performed by a proper hip flexor pressure. Within the rotation, Joe Musgrove stays sidelined with proper elbow irritation, whereas Yu Darvish (left groin pressure) is anticipated to return from his second stint on the IL early subsequent week.
By all of it, the Padres have managed. As they’re fast to level out, they aren’t the one ballclub beset by accidents. Twenty-nine different groups try to strike that delicate stability between their long-term targets and their short-term bumps and bruises.
“We’ve received some proficient guys which can be hurting,” mentioned right-hander Dylan Stop. “However I believe each staff goes by that. We’re not going to carry our heads down or something. We’re going to maintain displaying up and doing our greatest.”
Stop’s outing on Friday was an odd one. He struck out 10 Brewers, however along with his pitch depend at 106, he was eliminated after simply 4 2/3 innings. That makes him one among solely two starters within the Majors this yr — alongside former White Sox teammate Garrett Crochet — to strike out 10 hitters with out making it by the fifth.
After the newly recalled Tom Cosgrove cleaned up Stop’s mess within the fifth, the Padres trailed by three. They stormed again, scoring twice on Arraez’s homer within the backside of the inning, then tying the sport on Cronenworth’s blast.
With hits within the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, Cronenworth set a profession excessive and have become the primary Padres second baseman with a five-hit night time since Alexi Amarista did so in 2012. He’s the primary Padres second baseman ever to take action whereas recording a house run as a type of hits.
After the Padres grabbed a sixth-inning lead, the Brewers briefly tied the sport within the seventh, earlier than Profar’s double sparked the game-winning rally — even when he wouldn’t stay on the sector to see it.
“It’s what we’ve performed all yr,” Cronenworth mentioned. “Unbelievable job. They soar out to that 4-1 lead, and it appeared like we simply stored having good at-bats.”