Struggles on the road have played a key role in the San Diego Padres’ disappointing season.
They’ll look to rebound from a heartbreaking defeat at Kansas City by trying to even a three-game set with the Royals on Saturday afternoon.
San Diego entered this week’s All-Star break at 48-48 but had won five of eight games. Back in action Friday, the Padres forced extra innings with Ty France’s tying solo homer in the ninth inning, then scored three times in the 10th to lead 6-3.
However, the Royals scored four times in the bottom of the frame, capped by Carter Jensen’s two-run, walk-off single to snap their five-game losing streak with a 7-6 win.
San Diego owned a 16-8 road record on May 29 but is 5-17 away from home since then. The Padres’ only winning road series during that stretch came when the team took two of three at Baltimore from June 12-14.
“The sun comes out tomorrow,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “We get to play in the major leagues. … Hopefully, (the loss Friday night) will make us tougher. It’s about bouncing back.”
Despite the result Friday, San Diego’s Miguel Andujar and Fernando Tatis Jr. each had three hits. Meanwhile, France is batting .347 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in his past 15 games.
He’s also hit .367 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 40 career games against the Royals.
San Diego’s Griffin Canning (1-7, 6.47 ERA) is scheduled to make his second straight start after bouncing between the rotation and a bulk-inning option since the middle of June. The right-hander has not completed five innings since June 12 but owns a 3.46 ERA in his last three outings.
Most recently, on July 9 against Arizona, Canning yielded seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, but only two runs without a walk, in a 3-1 loss.
Canning, 30, who spent his first five major league seasons in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels, has gone 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA in five career starts against the Royals.
Kansas City is last in the AL Central and has won just five times in its past 18 games. However, the Royals have won three straight games at home and feel confident following their resilient victory Friday.
“It’s big; obviously, we want to get some momentum here,” said Kansas City second baseman Michael Massey, who had three hits with two RBIs in the series opener. “The first half (of the season) didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. No better way to get it started than the first game (out of the All-Star break).”
Massey is batting .385 with six RBIs in his last eight games, and Jensen is hitting .310 with 10 RBIs in his past 14 contests.
Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr. is coming off his All-Star Game start, but he is 0-for-6 vs. Canning.
The Royals’ Randy Dobnak (0-0, 1.86 ERA) is scheduled to make his first start since 2021 on Saturday. Since being acquired from Seattle last month, the right-hander has been used as a bulk-inning option while logging 9 2/3 in two appearances for the Royals.
This will be his first career appearance against the Padres.
–Field Level Media
