After his last game versus the Seattle Mariners in which he lasted only 4 innings and surrendered 4 runs, veteran Japanese pitcher Darvish Yu seemed unable to regain his rhythm today (3rd) against the Baltimore Orioles, pitching just 4 innings and allowing 3 runs before exiting early. The San Diego Padres ended up losing 2-6, extending their losing streak to three games.

Darvish was hit for a home run by the Orioles’ second hitter Jeremiah Jackson right at the beginning. He then faced four batters, issuing two hit-by-pitches and one walk, but managed to escape further damage by striking out the last batter. In the third inning, with one out, Darvish gave up two consecutive hits, then after recording the second out, Emmanuel Rivera delivered another hit, resulting in two more runs. The Padres responded in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer by Luis Arraez, narrowing the gap to 2-3.

After throwing 87 pitches through 4 innings, Darvish was pulled from the game. Over those innings, he allowed 6 hits and 3 runs, struck out 6, but also issued 3 walks or hit batters. In his last two starts combined, Darvish has pitched only 8 innings, given up 7 runs, suffered his fifth loss of the season, and his ERA has risen to 5.75.

The Padres’ best chance to rally came in the seventh inning when they loaded the bases with one out thanks to three walks from the Orioles’ bullpen. However, Luis Arraez, who had earlier hit a home run, struck out, and Manny Machado also failed to deliver, causing a significant blow to the team’s momentum.

The Padres’ offense managed just 6 hits in the entire game, producing only one hit in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position. Their performance was lackluster, with only Luis Arraez contributing a two-run homer, his seventh of the season. After the loss, the Padres trail the Dodgers by 2.5 games in the National League West. In the NL Wild Card race, they sit second, 4 games behind the Cubs in first place and just one game ahead of the Mets in third. The only positive is that they maintain a 6-game lead over the Reds in fourth place.

For the Orioles, Tyler Wells returned to the majors after 508 days following surgery in mid-April 2024 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. In his season debut, he pitched 5 innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs, earning his first career MLB win. Offensively, Emmanuel Rivera led with two hits and 4 RBIs, while rookie Jeremiah Jackson also had 2 hits, including his fourth home run of the season with two RBIs. Since being called up in early August, Jackson has posted an impressive .333 batting average, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs over his first 28 games.

The Padres are currently facing an injury crisis. Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts was placed on the injured list at the end of August due to a left foot fracture caused by being hit by a ball, and bullpen mainstay Jason Adam has been ruled out for the season after tearing his left quadriceps tendon. With 23 regular-season games remaining, the team faces a tough challenge ahead.