San Diego, CA

Padres still can’t escape struggles against Rockies

Published

2 years ago

August 3, 2024

Press Room

Padres still can’t escape struggles against Rockies

Clearly, the surging Padres aren’t going to win every game.

They do need to win more games against the cellar-dwelling Rockies.

Manny Machado and Donovan Solano both homered, but a souped-up bullpen stumbled on Friday night and the Padres’ bewildering struggles against Colorado continued in a 5-2 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 44,393 at Petco Park.

“Tomorrow, we’ve got to change that,” second baseman Xander Bogaerts said. “These guys probably feel good playing against us. We have to come in here and change that tomorrow.”

The Padres began the weekend with a 29-23 record against teams in playoff position and have clinched their first season series against the Dodgers since 2010.

Lot of good that will do if they’re giving games away against the Rockies, who have won six of the first eight meetings and are a win away from clinching the season series.

Friday’s lead unraveled when it looked like the Padres’ strength was ready to bring it home.

Machado homered off Padres nemesis Austin Gomber to tie the game at 1 in the second inning, Donovan Solano added a solo shot in the fourth and Randy Vásquez got through five innings to hand a one-run lead to the bullpen that A.J. Preller strengthened ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

First out of the gate on Friday: Jeremiah Estrada.

Only he walked the first two batters he faced, gave up an infield single to load the bases and coughed up three runs on Kris Bryant’s one-out single and Jake Cave’s two-out blooper.

“Jeremiah’s been fantastic for us,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “The two walks, that got him. Some softer contact and found a hole and next thing you know they threw up some runs.”

Alek Jacob got the final out of the sixth inning, but he allowed the Rockies an insurance run in the seventh on back-to-back singles and Ryan McMahon’s ensuing sacrifice fly.

It was the first run that Jacob has allowed in six appearances in the majors.

Jacob followed with a scoreless eighth and Yuki Matsui threw a perfect ninth.

The Padres can only hope Friday’s stumble is a one-off for a team that’s still won nine of its first 12 since the All-Star break.

For a team that’s gone through the Guardians, Orioles and Dodgers in stacking that second-half success, there certainly isn’t much logic in such drastic struggles against a team that walked into Petco Park 30 games under .500 and a 16-41 road record.

Except this.

“It’s the big leagues,” first baseman Jake Cronenworth said Friday afternoon as he assessed the challenge of carrying momentum forward after improving to 7-3 on the season against the Dodgers.

As in they are more than aware of the wrench that any team can throw into their plans at any point.

In fact, they’ve already been swept once at home by the Rockies after winning a series against the Dodgers, as was the case in May.

They believe things are different now.

“We’re further along in the season,” Cronenworth said. “We know who we are more than we have all year. I think the way we’ve been playing as well is different.”

It just didn’t materialize on Friday against the Rockies.

Their only runs scored on home runs from Machado, his 17th of the season, and Solano, his fourth.

Jurickson Profar looked like he’d put a charge in their hopes to start the eighth, but center fielder Brenton Doyle leapt against the wall in right-center to rob him of a home run to get his bullpen started on the right foot.

“That’s tough,” Bogaerts said. “The timing of the game, too, right there. If that ball’s gone, a home run? It sucked the air out of the whole ballpark for sure. … Credit to Gomber, he kept us off-balance the whole night. I feel like that ball from Profar would have been a nice game-changer possibility and he made an unbelievable play.”

By the time Gomber exited after seven innings, he’d struck out five and scattered five hits and a walk.

Through three starts against the Padres, Gomber has allowed three earned runs over 18 innings for a 1.50 ERA.

Two of his three wins this season are against the Padres.

Shoot, six of the Rockies’ 41 victories this season are against the Padres.

Rebounding from his worst start of the season (2 IP, 6 ER), Vásquez paid only for the solo homer that Brendan Rodgers pulled to left to start the second inning.

Vásquez struck out four in five innings and allowed just three hits despite walking two batters and hitting another before giving a one-run lead to the new-look relief corps.

“I was confident; I still am confident in that bullpen,” Vásquez said through interpreter Danny Sanchez. “We have a lot of talent in that bullpen, so I’m super confident in those guys.”

Originally Published: August 2, 2024 at 9:17 p.m.

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San Diego, CA

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: May 2026 | San Diego Magazine

When we think of May, we think of Mother’s Day, blooming flowers, sunny skies, and lots of fun, seasonal events in the city. This month, locals can dine on the creations of James Beard Award-Winning Chefs at Rancho Bernardo Inn, or take advantage of berry season at the annual Vista Strawberry Festival. Theatre lovers can enjoy a showing of Kim’s Convenience at The Old Globe, while the San Diego Natural History Museum invites art enthusiasts to view its latest marine-themed exhibit. Grab your tickets and crack open that planner. Here are all the best things to do in San Diego this month:

Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

29

Louisiana legend Juvenile, enhances by the live instrumentation of The 400 Degreez Band, will perform career hits and his newest album, Boiling Point, at House of Blues San Diego.

Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

5/5–6/1

Turning the spotlight on contemporary LGBTQ artists, the inaugural ArtSpectrum 2026 will showcase both the grand and intimate scale of contemporary painters, photographers, and mixed media artists at Village Arts Outreach in Balboa Park.

12–24

The only ordinary element of the San Diego International Fringe Festival is the constant thrill of the extraordinary. Discover a plethora of innovative performances at venues from Pacific Beach to Baja.

5/15–6/14

A Korean-Canadian family balances tradition and assimilation from their Toronto storefront in Ins Choi’s comforting satire Kim’s Convenience, making its local premier at The Old Globe.

5/22–2/2027

Ocean debris will receive a new beginning at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Using repurposed pollution, Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea depicts creatively sculpted marine life.

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

4/30–5/3

Enjoy fine dining at its finest from a lineup of gastronomic titans during 54 Hours with James Beard Award-Winning Chefs. Savor elegant meals, masterclasses, tastings, and more at Rancho Bernardo Inn.

2

Unlimited bites, regional craft beers, and animal observations are on the menu for San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew (with live music), a culinary evening in support of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance.

7

Spend An Evening with David Sedaris, humorist, essayist, and best-selling author. Never afraid to point the pen at himself, Sedaris will share old favorites and works in progress in the classic satirical style he’s known for at Jacobs Music Center.

15–17

Say cheese! And toast to the Cheese & Libation Expo. Explore three days of all-you-can eat and drink fare at BRICK, along with boutique shopping and bountiful pairings.

PARTNER CONTENT

10 Years In, Puffer and Malarkey Are Just Getting Started

Elevating an Icon: Inside the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Clu…

16

Stroll the private grounds of several luxurious homes, accompanied by live music, tabletop designs, and outdoor artistry, during the Secret Garden Tour, La Jolla Historical Society‘s flora and fauna fundraiser.

24

Vista recalls its days as a strawberry-producing superpower through its free Strawberry Festival. Wear your berry best fit, watch film screenings, and enter contests for shortcake, pie, and sundae indulging.

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San Diego, CA

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Published

19 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness

Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.

Located on 17^th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.

“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.

Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.

“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.

Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.

But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.

“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.

In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”

Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.

However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.

“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.

Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.

He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.

“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.

The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.

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