The Padres have faced two teams on streaks this month. The one that had lost nine in a row got well against them, and the one that had won five in a row quickly added three more to the win column.
That would be the Milwaukee Brewers, who completed a sweep of the Friars Sunday with a 10-6 victory.
Things began well Sunday, with Michael Wacha on the mound. He left the game in the sixth inning with a lead, due in part to a two-run homer by Gary Sánchez in the second when the Padres put three on the scoreboard.
But he would end up giving up a total of four runs on the day, two of them in the decisive sixth. The Brewers would score seven runs in the frame to go up 9-4, with Steven Wilson, who came out of the bullpen and only got one out, taking the loss.
“We’ve got to be able to come in and shut it down,” manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com. “We didn’t do that.”
Thanks to their streak, the Brewers also have taken charge in the National League Central, gaining ground on the Chicago Cubs. The teams had been slipping back and forth between holding the division lead and a wild-card spot.
The Padres, though, have dropped back in their pursuit of the three NL wild-card slots, with Cincinnati, San Francisco and Miami far closer to overtaking Philadelphia, Chicago and Arizona – which has righted itself after a nine-game losing streak to begin August. They broke it when the Friars visited Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Jake Cronenworth will be out of action for several weeks. He has been placed on the injured list due to the broken wrist he suffered Friday when he was hit by a pitch.
The Padres move on for three games in St. Louis, where Blake Snell, Seth Lugo and Yu Darvish are set to start.
