Arizona Diamondbacks beat San Diego Padres 11-4 as Padres lose home-field advantage
- The San Diego Padres dropped to a 72-65 record and slipped outside the National League postseason picture following an 11-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks and a subsequent...
- Arizona capitalized on early command struggles from Padres pitcher Casey Mize on August 28, 2026, scoring three runs in the first inning.
- Mize surrendered a home run to Lars Nootbaar on the game's very first pitch, followed by a second-inning solo shot to Jordan Lawlar and a two-run blast to...
The San Diego Padres dropped to a 72-65 record and slipped outside the National League postseason picture following an 11-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks and a subsequent three-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays concluding on August 30, 2026. The weekend collapse cost San Diego home-field advantage in the Wild Card series and left the team struggling to secure a playoff spot in the final month of the regular season.
Wild Card Hopes Falter After Brutal Stretch
Mize Struggles as Arizona Takes Command
Arizona capitalized on early command struggles from Padres pitcher Casey Mize on August 28, 2026, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Mize surrendered a home run to Lars Nootbaar on the game’s very first pitch, followed by a second-inning solo shot to Jordan Lawlar and a two-run blast to Nolan Arenado in the third. Mize yielded seven runs across 4.0 innings of work, placing his status on the postseason roster in question. The Diamondbacks put the game out of reach in the sixth frame when reliever Kyle Hart loaded the bases with two outs before Geraldo Perdomo drove a sharp liner to deep center field. Jackson Merrill nearly made a running catch, but the ball glanced off his glove as he collided with the wall, clearing the bases on a double.
Costly Defensively in St. Petersburg
Holding a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning with Mason Miller on the mound, San Diego surrendered a game-tying two-run home run when outfielder Samad Taylor tracked down a fly ball hit by Jonny DeLuca, caught it against the Tropicana Field corner wall, and dropped it.
Late-Inning Miscues Complete Tampa Bay Sweep
In the 11th inning of that same contest, the Padres reclaimed a 4-3 lead before defensive miscues sealed the sweep. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts failed to handle a routine ground ball from DeLuca at home plate that would have recorded a crucial out, allowing the tying run to score. Jorge Mateo immediately followed with a walk-off single to left field to complete the sweep for Tampa Bay.
The late-inning sequence overshadowed an otherwise strong August for San Diego, which had gone 16-8 and received offensive sparks from Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ty France alongside trade additions Mize and Robbie Ray.