San Diego Padres
· 2026-07-11
The San Diego Padres lost 5-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 11, 2026, dropping to 46-48 on the season. That puts them 11th in the National League, on a two-game losing streak.
It was a tight game through six innings. Then the Blue Jays broke it open with a three-run seventh. The Padres couldn't claw back.
Right-hander Michael King started for San Diego. He went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five but walked three.
The bullpen couldn't hold the line. Reliever Yuki Matsui gave up a two-run double in the seventh. That made it 5-2.
San Diego's offense managed just five hits. Manny Machado drove in a run with a groundout in the first. Luis Arraez singled and scored in the third. But they left seven men on base.
Xander Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a single. He's hitting .278 on the year. But his history says he gets hotter as summer wears on.
Over the last three seasons, Bogaerts has posted an OPS above .850 in August and September. The Padres need that version of him badly. Their lineup has been inconsistent all year.
Bogaerts, the shortstop, is making $25.5 million this season. He hasn't carried the team yet. If he catches fire in the second half, it could change the whole feel of this club.
Jake Cronenworth has been out since late June with a hamstring strain. The team initially called it a 10-day injury. It's now been over two weeks.
Manager Mike Shildt said Cronenworth is "close" but not ready for a rehab assignment. The Padres are being cautious. They don't want him to re-injure it and lose him for a longer stretch.
Cronenworth was hitting .261 with eight home runs before the injury. His versatility at first base and second base gives Shildt flexibility. Without him, the infield defense has been shaky.
The Padres continue their homestand against Toronto on July 12. Right-hander Dylan Cease gets the ball. He's 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA.
San Diego sits 7.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. The trade deadline is July 31. General manager A.J. Preller has decisions to make.
Do they buy? Sell? Stand pat? The next two weeks will tell. A losing streak now could force a fire sale. A winning streak could make them buyers.
Either way, the Padres need to start winning. 46-48 isn't a death sentence. But it's getting close.