Former Padres Star Who Left San Diego Loses New Team’s Season

Maren Angus-Coombs | Oct 3, 2024

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

When the Houston Astros signed closer Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason, he was supposed to slam the door on every opponent racking up saves and doing whatever it took to get the Astros back to the promised land.

He crashed and burned on Wednesday making the San Diego Padres look like geniuses for not retaining him.

Hader gave up a crucial bases-clearing double to pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 5-2 Wild Card loss to the Tigers, sealing Detroit's sweep in the two-game Wild Card Series.

“The one pitch got me. I made a mistake, and he took advantage of it,”Hader said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “It’s easy to say I could have thrown a different pitch, but if I execute that pitch, he swings and misses, so you just tip your cap to him. He did his job, and I did not do my job. It’s always one or the other.”

ANDY IBANEZ WOW pic.twitter.com/weg5sqKBgE

— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) October 2, 2024

In 1.1 innings, Hader allowed one run on three hits and two walks, while also letting both inherited runners score, marking the end of his first season in his five-year deal.

“Obviously, start of the season, the end goal is World Series, right? ,” Hader said as one of the last players remaining in the clubhouse nearly 90 minutes after the game. “Just proud of this team the way they went through this season, had a lot of downs and a lot of ups. It’s tough to lose, we’re competitors and when you don’t win, that’s what hurts the most. At the end of the day, we can say that every single guy on this team did their best and put us in the best possible situation to win.”

Ibañez was ready for Hader when former Detroit manager A.J. Hinch tapped him to pinch hint against Hader.

“So, he’s just sort of waiting. He’s literally pacing in the dugout,” Hinch said. “And as soon as the lefty as much as picked up a ball, Andy’s got his helmet on and he’s ready, and he’s looking at the iPad and being ready.”

After three Tigers crossed the plate, Hader slowly returned to the mound as Ibáñez, having advanced to third on a throw home, pumped up the small group of Tigers fans behind the visitors' dugout.

“That was the plan all along,” Astros manager Joe Espada said of having Pressly and Hader shut things down at the end of games. “You got to give credit to those guys. They put some good (at-bats) together, and they’ve been playing pretty good baseball since mid-August. Credit to them. They played well and they executed well.”