LOS ANGELES — Before the San Diego Padres lost an eighth consecutive game for the first time in 13 years, they gathered for a brief celebration. Mason Miller, the most dominant closer in baseball, had officially become the team’s lone All-Star. After manager Craig Stammen lauded him in front of the visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium, Miller stood and said a few words. It was a nice moment, if a bit subdued.“Most years, it’s not one guy, but this year, I’m going to represent us well, and I’m excited to get back here for the second half with you guys, too,” Miller told his colleagues. “Obviously, not been the best stretch for us, but we know what’s in this room, we know what lies ahead, and that’s better baseball. So, let’s go.”
Mason’s moment 🥹 pic.twitter.com/aZXSwFZc8w
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 5, 2026Hours later, Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers reinforced a weeks-long development: This Padres season has turned disastrous.The offense, despite a recent upswing, has been the most disappointing in club history. The starting pitching, suspect since spring training, has begun to debilitate the roster. For more than a month now, the sport’s best bullpen arm has often gone unused, pointing to a misallocation of resources.The nation’s 250th birthday left the Padres with little to celebrate. They finished with four hits in their ninth shutout defeat of the year. They lost both of their ABS challenges in the top of the fourth, making it even easier for Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to tie a career high in strikeouts. They wasted a bulk-relief appearance that qualified as one of Griffin Canning’s better outings. They watched Miller, pitching with a deficit because he had not pitched in the previous four games, allow a rare run.Afterward, Stammen turned to the latest variation of a familiar message.“I think you keep showing up every day knowing that you’ve got games to play yet, and this little stretch does not define our season,” he said.
