LOS ANGELES — On Aug. 22, 2021, then-reliever Craig Stammen made his third start in 13 days for the San Diego Padres.Typically, a bullpen game means something has gone awry. Frequent bullpen games are often an indicator of collective catastrophe. Still, after pitching the first two innings of the Padres’ ninth loss in 11 games, Stammen attempted to project optimism as he spoke on a video call with reporters during the COVID-19 pandemic.“We’re in a slump at what seems like the worst time imaginable,” Stammen said. “But you never know. This could turn into one of the greatest San Diego comebacks in history. And that’s what I’ve got planned for the future, and I hope the rest of my teammates feel the same way.”The next day, the Padres fired veteran pitching coach Larry Rothschild. A month later, as the big-league club continued a drastic collapse, they fired farm director Sam Geaney. That October, after losing 34 of their final 46 games, they fired second-year manager Jayce Tingler.Now, as a rookie manager navigating San Diego’s latest pitching crisis, Stammen faces the challenge of inspiring what would be one of the greater midseason comebacks in recent memory. This is what it has come to.