With a little more than three weeks left until the trade deadline, General Manager A.J. Preller is sure to be shopping for pitching this month.
His two most expensive starters are on the injured list and without a definitive timetable.
The guy expected to be the ace is slumping.
Another key arm has already thrown more innings than he ever has in the majors.
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Which makes every turn that Randy Vásquez takes in the rotation a critical data point as Preller decides just how to play the chips he has left.
Just what can the Padres expect from the 25-year-old right-hander?
Starts like Friday’s would be just fine, but clearly at least one leverage bullpen arm needs to be on Preller’s list, too, even if Jurickson Profar and Machado managed to save the day again.
A half-inning after the bullpen coughed up six runs, Profar hit a game-tying homer and Manny Machado hit a walk-off, two-run homer for a 10-8 win over the Diamondbacks in front of a Petco Park-record crowd of 47,171.
“We’re making it normal, right?” Profar said. “We’re showing who we are as a team. We’re going to do it over and over again. We’ve got guys in here. I’ve been telling you guys since Day 1, we don’t quit. We keep giving it.”
Especially of late.
The Padres had won four straight series entering the final homestand before the All-Star break. Including Friday’s dramatics, they’ve won 12 of their last 15 games and a 7-2 lead in the ninth inning looked like it would afford Padres manager Mike Shildt his primary goal after Vásquez’s quality start:
Stay away from the leverage arms that had worked the previous two wins.
“Almost at all cost,” Shildt admitted afterward.
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Jurickson Profar (10) rounds the bases after a ninth-inning home run. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Relievers Adrián Morejón and Jeremiah Estrada were both down. Closer Robert Suarez gave the team a thumbs up after throwing Friday afternoon if a save situation arrived and it did, unbelievably.
Shoot, Enyel De Los Santos even recorded the first out of the ninth before back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases, forcing Shildt to push Suarez into the game.
His first pitch to Alek Thomas: A grand slam to right to cut the Padres’ lead to a single run.
Suarez fetched another out on a groundball, but Corbin Carroll followed with a double and Randall Grichuk — pinch-hitting for All-Star Ketel Marte (back tightness) — blasted the go-ahead home run into the Western Metal Supply Co. building.
Fine.
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No big deal around here.
“We’re built that way,” Machado said. “We’re going to fight until the 27th out is made.”
Manny Machado (13) celebrates after his walk-off home run. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
It never was.
Down 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Profar battled back from 0-2 against closer Paul Sewald to launch a game-tying homer to right. After Jake Cronenworth worked a walk, Machado pulled an 0-2 sweeper over the wall in left, setting off a raucous celebration that included a fan managing to get onto the field in front of the dugout with a cellphone in Machados’ face before he was taken to the ground by six security guards.
“I thought it was one of our guys in here celebrating with me,” Machado said after his fourth hit of the game delivered his 10th career walk-off homer. “I looked around and when I turned around he was getting tackled, man. I felt bad. I felt bad.
“Obviously it’s not a good situation for him, but he got some good footage there, for sure.”
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A fan is held by security after running onto the field during the Padres postgame celebration. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
What should have been a winning formula without all the late-inning dramatics was small ball early, rookie Jackson Merrill tripling and tying a career-high with three RBIs and Kyle Higashioka adding on in the sixth with a two-run homer.
More and more, Vásquez is contributing to that formula as 6⅓ innings of two-run ball positioned the Padres to win a third straight game that began with him on the mound.
He struck out six batters, including two after Joc Pederson led off the sixth inning with a leadoff single and one more to boot to start the seventh as Shildt asked the bullpen to protect a five-run lead.
It was Pederson who tagged Vásquez for a first-inning homer after Carroll’s leadoff double. The Diamondbacks threatened to add on in the first inning after Lourdes Gurriel’s two-out double, but Vásquez punched out Gabriel Moreno for the start of nine straight outs to settle into the game.
Including Friday’s quality start, Vásquez has a 1.76 ERA over his last three starts, all wins for the Padres.
“It’s really a combination of working on my mechanics and also working on sequencing each pitch,” Vásquez, speaking through interpreter Danny Sanchez, said of his last three starts. “Luckily I’ve been able to have good results with a combination of those two things.”
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Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (98) gestures to right fielder David Peralta (24) after Peralta’s catch. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Given all the support he had in Boston, Vásquez was on his way to a win for himself in his last start when a comebacker off his right elbow knocked him from the game after four innings of one-run ball.
X-rays came back negative.
Just a lot of pain and swelling at first, enough for the Padres to push his start back a day to Friday.
But Vásquez did not have any limitations as he returned to the mound and pitched into the seventh inning for the second time in his career, both this season. He walked off the mound to a warm ovation from the record crowd.
Small ball had everything to do with Vásquez leaving with a lead.
First, Machado led off the second with a double, moved to third on a groundball from Donovan Solano and scored on another groundball from Merrill.
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Two innings later, back-to-back seeing-eye singles from Cronenworth and Machado set up a four-run rally to give the Padres the lead. Both runners advanced a base on Solano’s fly ball to right-center and scored easily on the triple that Merrill pulled into the right-field corner.
David Peralta followed with a run-scoring double, Higashioka added a run-scoring single to open a 5-2 lead and the Padres catcher went deep in the sixth for his 10th homer of the season.
Nine of Higashioka’s blasts have come since June 1, tied with Merril for the most on the team over that stretch.
Shares of Gossamer Bio, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOSS) have received a consensus ‘Hold’ rating from the 10 research firms currently covering the company, according to a report from MarketBeat. The average 12-month price target among analysts is $5.43.
Why it matters
Gossamer Bio is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing therapies for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, as well as oncology. The ‘Hold’ rating and mixed analyst views could impact investor sentiment and the company’s ability to raise capital for further drug development.
The details
The analyst ratings for Gossamer Bio include two ‘Sell’ recommendations, four ‘Hold’ ratings, and four ‘Buy’ recommendations. Some firms have lowered their price targets on the stock, with HC Wainwright decreasing its target from $10 to $5.
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Gossamer Bio released its latest quarterly earnings report on March 17, 2026.
The players
Gossamer Bio, Inc.
A clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, California that is focused on developing oral, once-daily therapies for immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases, as well as oncology.
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The takeaway
The mixed analyst views on Gossamer Bio highlight the challenges facing the company as it seeks to advance its pipeline of drug candidates through clinical trials and regulatory approvals. The ‘Hold’ rating could make it more difficult for the company to raise capital and fund its operations.
Oceanside Harbor Beach. (File photo courtesy of @CityofOceanside via X)
A man apparent drowned in the waters near the Oceanside Pier Saturday morning, despite efforts by lifeguards and paramedics to revive him.
The Oceanside Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division and the Oceanside Police Department responded to a report of a missing man at about 4:30 a.m.. Officials said the man was last seen swimming in the ocean about a half-hour earlier.
Lifeguards and police immediately initiated a coordinated search effort using pier vantage points, surveillance cameras and watercraft, but the search was suspended at approximately 5:30 a.m. after no one was found, fire officials said.
“At approximately 10:50 a.m., lifeguards discovered an unresponsive adult male, matching the earlier description, in the water near Lifeguard Tower 12, at Oceanside Harbor Beach,” Division Chief Blake Dorse said in a statement. “The individual was removed from the water, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately initiated.”
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Fire and rescue personnel continued efforts to resuscitate the man on the way to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He is believed to be the one who was reported missing near the pier.
Authorities did not release the man’s name.
“The Oceanside Lifeguard Division reminds the public to exercise caution when entering the ocean, especially during early morning hours or when lifeguards are not actively monitoring the water,” Dorse said. “Always swim near an open lifeguard tower and avoid entering the water alone.”
A decade of unforgettable meals calls for a proper celebration. This April, Herb & Wood marks its 10-year anniversary, honoring ten years of shaping San Diego’s culinary identity from its stylish home in Little Italy.
Since opening in 2016, the restaurant has played a defining role in modern San Diego dining, ushering in a more ingredient-driven, chef-forward era while setting the standard for design, hospitality, and overall experience.
A Month of Throwback Favorites and Celebratory Surprises
To commemorate the milestone, Herb & Wood is celebrating all month long by bringing back a selection of OG favorites alongside the signature dishes that have remained staples over the years.
Order from the anniversary lineup and receive a scratcher ticket for a chance to win prizes like a whole Jamón Ibérico ham leg, a custom Johnny Lane painting, and a coveted “lifetime” branzino card. It’s a fun and fitting way to toast one of San Diego’s most influential restaurants.
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A Collaborative Anniversary Dinner
The celebration concludes with a special four-course anniversary dinner featuring standout chefs from the Puffer Malarkey Collective. Brian Malarkey, Aidan Owens, Tara Monsod, and Kylie Cablayan will come together for an unforgettable evening that highlights their creativity and culinary artistry.
The celebratory menu includes:
Course One
Parker House Rolls with honey herb butter
Oyster & Beef Tartare with smoked oyster mayo, caramelized onion, and beef fat snow
Course Two
Lechon Kawali with grilled strawberries, pickled mustard seeds, pickled Tokyo negi, mustard frill, and strawberry sarsa
Course Three
Woodfired Tenderloin & Charred Prawns with garlic and chili, fennel oil, celery root, and whipped tallow butter
Course Four
Funfetti Cake with blueberry jam, lemon curd, and Swiss meringue buttercream
This one-night-only collaboration is a delicious tribute to Herb & Wood’s legacy and a memorable way to toast ten remarkable years in Little Italy.
A Defining Force in San Diego Dining
Over the past decade, Herb & Wood has become a cornerstone of Little Italy’s vibrant dining scene. Known for its warm ambiance and thoughtfully crafted menu, it continues to set the tone for modern dining in San Diego.
Whether revisiting longtime favorites or discovering something new, this anniversary celebration is the perfect excuse to gather around the table and raise a glass to ten remarkable years.
See you there!
We’ll be celebrating in Little Italy with throwback bites, celebratory pours, and plenty of toasts to ten iconic years at Herb & Wood.
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📆 April 3 – 29, 2026 | Culmination celebration April 30 📍 2210 Kettner Blvd, San Diego 🎟️ Book your table here ℹ️ Click here for updates
