SAN DIEGO – After an April marked by the sixth-highest slugging rate and fourth-most home runs in the month in Padres history, San Diego couldn’t manage an extra base hit in a 4-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night at Petco Park.
It was just the second time that the Padres (19-13) managed only singles, dating back to the third game of the season, while the White Sox (16-17) were able to execute in the later innings. It extended the Brown and Gold’s losing streak to four games and five of the last six.
San Diego had their best offensive opportunity of the evening in the ninth inning as they loaded the bases against reliever Grant Taylor, with Jackson Merrill leading off with his second single then Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts drawing walks.
But Gavin Sheets struck out when Edgar Quero challenged a 2-2 backdoor curveball that was originally called a ball and changed to a strikeout. That brought closer Seranthony Domínguez in, who got Miguel Andujar to fly to shallow right and struck out Luis Campusano, again aided by an ABS challenge win by Quero that set up an 0-2 count for the save.
The Padres had a pair of men on first and second opportunities with just one out through the first five innings, but each time Chicago starter Sean Burke was able to wriggle off the hook.
First in the second Gavin Sheets drew a one-out walk that Andujar followed up with a single, but a Campusano strikeout and Jake Cronenworth groundout ended the threat. Then in the fifth Andujar led off with a single and Cronenworth collected a one-out knock, but Ramón Laureano flew out to center and, after a mound visit, Burke got Fernando Tatis Jr. to strike out through high heat.
King cruised through the White Sox lineup his first two times, not allowing a runner to reach safely beyond first base through the first five innings. Campusano caught Colson Montgomery stealing in the second, and then got double plays to get out of the third and fifth innings.
Chicago scored their first runs of the game an inning later when Tristan Peters drew a one-out walk and Andrew Benintendi popped a bunt perfectly down the third base line to beat a shift. King was able to get Munetaka Murakami to ground to first, but Miguel Vargas dumped a low sweeper off the end of the bat for a two-RBI single to shallow right field to open the scoring.
King would not survive the seventh as Chase Meidroth opened with a single and Sam Antonacci doubled, then Quero singled through the right side to end the San Diego starter’s night. Bradgley Rodriguez came on in relief and allowed a one-out safety squeeze sacrifice bunt pushed down the first base line by Peters that closed King’s scoreline.
Five of the seven hits came in the sixth and seventh innings, with King finishing with six innings pitched and allowing four runs with five strikeouts and three walks.
Jeremiah Estrada made his first appearance since being reinstated from the 15-day IL due to right elbow tendinitis on Friday. After scoreless outings with Lake Elsinore and El Paso, his first outing in the Majors since April 9 saw him strike out the side in the ninth, getting a pair of swinging K’s before freezing Quero with a splitter.
Burke finished with six innings pitched, allowing four hits with eight strikeouts and a walk to improve to 2-2 on the season. All four of the primary pitches used by Burke went for strikes better than 68% (four-seam fastball) of the time, with his slider in the zone 82% of the time.
The Padres will look to put an end to the losing spell with a getaway game on Sunday afternoon.