The Padres fell 2-1 to the Dodgers in a 10-inning thriller on June 16, 2025. Despite a strong start, Tatis Jr. and the offense were silenced. Recap the loss.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was the kind of game that gets your heart pounding and your palms sweating. A classic, tense, low-scoring affair between bitter rivals. But unfortunately for the Friar Faithful, Monday night in Los Angeles ended in heartbreak. The San Diego Padres dropped a 2-1 nail-biter to the Dodgers in 10 innings, a walk-off loss that stung just a little bit more coming at the hands of their rivals up the I-5.
Despite the loss, the Padres still boast a stellar 13-3 record and sit firmly in first place in the NL West.
This was baseball at its most tense. For nine innings, both pitching staffs were absolutely dominant, refusing to yield. The Padres' lone run felt like it might be enough, but the offense, which has been scorching hot, just couldn't find the big hit. Superstars like Fernando Tatis Jr. (who came in hitting .351) and rookie sensation Jackson Merrill (.378) were kept in check by a relentless Dodger pitching staff. The game was a chess match from the first pitch, but the Dodgers made the final move, walking it off in the 10th and snapping the Padres' impressive four-game winning streak.
Losing to the Dodgers always hurts, but let's take a deep breath and look at the big picture. The Padres are still 13-3. That's a .813 winning percentage, folks. They remain perched atop the NL West, holding a 1.5-game lead over the Giants and a 2.5-game lead over these very same Dodgers. A single extra-inning loss on the road doesn't erase the incredible start to the season. This team has proven it can hang with anyone, and this series is far from over.
While the big-league club battles, the future of the organization continues to develop. The latest farm system update shows the pipeline is still flowing, with right-hander Ryan Bergert recently making his MLB debut. The team sees him as a potential back-end starter or multi-inning weapon out of the 'pen. His arrival is a reminder of the system's depth, though it also highlights the difficulty of sticking in the Show, as fellow graduate Alek Jacob has struggled, surrendering six homers in his first 23 innings. While the system is top-heavy with elite prospects like Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas, developing solid role players like Bergert is crucial for long-term success.
Monday was a tough pill to swallow, but it was just one battle in a long war. This Padres team is resilient, talented, and still in the driver's seat. They'll have a chance to bounce back immediately and take the series from the Dodgers. Let's see how they respond tomorrow. This is what rivalries are all about.
