Padres relief pitcher Mason Miller has been stellar as the closer for the team this season. Photo courtesy San Diego Padres Facebook page
East County News Service
May 14, 2026 (San Diego) — The San Diego Padres closed out a rocky three-game road trip in Milwaukee on a rough note Thursday, falling 7-1 to the Brewers in the series finale at American Family Field.
Despite a 1-2 record on the trip, the Padres remain in a tight battle for the National League West, trailing the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by just one game entering what could be the most consequential stretch of their 2026 season.
The Padres are about to take on the Dodgers in a three-game series next week at Petco Park in what already feels like the most important series of the season. With the teams separated by only a single game, the winner could seize a meaningful psychological and statistical edge in the NL West race.
Recent happenings with the Friars
The Padres dropped Tuesday’s opener in Milwaukee 6-4, then bounced back Wednesday with a 3-1 comeback win, before Thursday’s loss.
The series finale was effectively over early as Padres starter Griffin Canning struggled from the beginning, lasting just 1⅔ innings, during which he surrendered six earned runs on five hits and four walks. The Brewers scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second before Canning was pulled. Milwaukee starter Kyle Harrison was dominant with five scoreless innings and seven strikeouts.
Just one day earlier, the Padres were riding high after launching a major comeback. Down 1-0 heading into the ninth against Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski (who had been masterful through seven innings, striking out 10 without allowing an earned run) first baseman Gavin Sheets launched a go-ahead three-run homer off Brewers reliever Abner Uribe.
San Diego fireballing closer Mason Miller locked it down in the bottom of the inning for the save, with Jason Adam earning the win.
Following Thursday’s action, the Dodgers took sole possession of first place at 26-18 after defeating the Giants 5-2 in Los Angeles. The Padres now sit in second at 25-18, followed by Arizona at 20-22, San Francisco at 18-26, and Colorado at 17-27.
So far this season, the Padres’ offense is struggling, with left fielder Ramón Laureano one of the leaders in hitting with a .263 batting average. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is hitting just .237 and third baseman Manny Machado is struggling offensively at .208.
San Diego’s Fernando Tatís Jr. also remains a work in progress at the plate, hitting just .238 with zero home runs. While the superstar outfielder has shown flashes, including a 2-for-4 performance on Wednesday, he has been mired in a prolonged power drought all season long.
Infielder Jake Cronenworth, currently on the 10-day injured list, remains a key depth piece whose return will be key.
On the mound, starter Michael King (3-2, 2.76 earned run average) anchors the rotation and has been one of San Diego’s most reliable arms. Miller has been nearly untouchable as the team’s closer, posting a stingy 0.96 ERA while racking up 38 strikeouts in high-leverage situations. Randy Vásquez is 5-1 to round out a largely effective pitching staff.
Off the field, the Padres are moving in a new direction after being recently sold to a group led by José Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones for a record $3.9 billion.
Next, the Padres head to Seattle for a three-game series against the Mariners (22-23) of the American League beginning Friday, May 15, with games Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 to follow.
Then it’s the Dodgers in town Monday, May 18; Tuesday, May 19 and Wednesday, May 20. The Tuesday game is a Theme Game called “Taco Tuesday” that includes a limited-edition Padres “taco hat.”