Mike Shildt expressed his anticipation for Dylan Cease’s performance, stating, “I love his arm and love his arsenal,” ahead of his start against the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, that excitement did not translate into successful results on the field as Cease struggled during the Padres’ 8-2 loss on Wednesday at Petco Park.
Once seen as a cornerstone of the Padres’ rotation, Cease has encountered a rough patch this season, displaying bewildering inconsistencies. His start featured three consecutive innings where he surrendered a home run, totaling six runs on five hits and three walks over six innings. Despite striking out eight batters and achieving 16 misses on 48 swings against his premier pitches, Cease’s performance fell short. “Stuff felt pretty good,” he commented, though he acknowledged that he needed to execute better.
Cease’s struggles seem to have become a predictable aspect of the season, paralleling the Padres’ offense, which also appears to be faltering. The team failed to capitalize against Diamondbacks’ starter Brandon Pfaadt, who came into the game with a 5.42 ERA and managed to pitch eight innings, his first quality start of the season. The Padres only managed two runs and four hits in the game, continuing a concerning trend of ineffective performance with runners in scoring positions. They were 0-for-5 in this outing and are batting .165 in such situations over their last 14 games.
After Fernando Tatis Jr. set the stage with a double, the Padres once again stumbled, failing to convert chances into runs. Cease’s first inning hinted at promise, but that quickly dissipated as the game wore on. Following a series of home runs—including a grand slam from Geraldo Perdomo—the Padres found themselves in a deep hole.
Despite the disheartening statistics, Cease maintains a hopeful outlook, expressing that he believes he is close to turning his season around. “I just need to kind of weather the storm and just keep moving forward,” he said. He sees potential in the work he’s been putting in, which suggests that a turnaround could be on the horizon if he can find consistency and the team can revitalize its offensive strategy.
There’s still time for Cease to reclaim his form, and with the potential he showcased last season, fans will be eager to see if he can translate those past successes into upcoming games. If the Padres can rally around their pitching, finding ways to support their starters with a more robust offense, they may still turn their season around.