Padres Fail to Set Franchise Record With Another Loss to Rockies

The Padres will fall short of this record.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres fell short of setting a new franchise record on Sunday as they lost 3-2 to the Colorado Rockies on the road. The struggling 46-79 Rockies, who have proven to be an unusual kryptonite for the Padres this season, secured the series win over the Padres Sunday after also defeating them Friday.

Before their series loss to the Rockies, the Padres had won their last eight series, highlighted by series wins over the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers. They had won every series since returning from the All-Star break and were on the verge of a franchise record.

The Padres tied their record of winning eight straight series, but could have set a new record with nine had they gotten the win on Sunday, per MLB.com's AJ Cassavell.

Final: Rockies 3, Padres 2

The good news for the Padres: they won't need to worry about a return trip to Colorado come October. Their franchise-record-tying streak of eight series victories comes to an end -- as does their vexing season series against the last-place Rockies.

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) August 18, 2024

While the loss drops them to 70-55, the Padres remain the top wildcard team in the National League. They are just three games back from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the current NL West division leader.

The Padres are still overall on a hot streak since coming out of the All-Star break. San Diego has won 20 of their 26 games since the break, with two separate seven-game winning streaks during this span.

They even earned multiple sweeps, sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates, Dodgers, and Washington Nationals. They missed out on this franchise record but recently broke a record by winning 16 of 18 games, the first time they had won that many games in an 18-game span.

During this span, the Padres' lineup has come through in the clutch to help propel the team to win. The team has won multiple games with game-winning home runs and hits in the ninth inning or extra innings.

Rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill and third baseman Manny Machado have been pivotal to the lineup's production over this time, with each hitting above .300 to start August. They've each also recorded multiple home runs and 12 RBIs through this month, while also coming through when needed in those clutch moments.

Following their disappointing series against the Rockies, the Padres return home for a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, and a four-game series against the New York Mets. The Padres will look to pile up as many wins and series wins as they can over the final 43 days of the season, and ideally into the playoffs.