Overview
- San Diego opened the second half with two losses to the Kansas City Royals, including an extra-innings defeat that many blamed on a late bullpen choice.
- Stammen kept closer Mason Miller out of the 10th inning and summoned Kyle Hart, who allowed four runs and took the walk-off loss, a move that provoked widespread criticism.
- Fans and former insiders loudly called for a managerial change and a Fan/SB Nation survey showed growing doubt that the Padres will make the postseason.
- The club answered with a 19-2 rout on July 19 that featured multi-hit, multi-RBI games from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill and two homers from Ty France, but that win eased concerns only temporarily.
- Pressure is rising on the front office as offensive inconsistency (.226 team batting average), uneven pitching and several veteran slumps collide with a rookie manager’s controversial game management ahead of the trade deadline.