San Diego Padres
Starter
Dylan Cease continues to struggle, Padres lose
Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/9/24464942/dylan-cease-continues-to-struggle-padres-lose
Dylan Cease | Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
San Diego shutdown by Brandon Pfaadt, finishes with four hits
The San Diego Padres needed their de facto ace Dylan Cease to deliver a performance similar to the one provided by rotation mate Nick Pivetta on Tuesday night. Cease failed to even come close to matching the performance and surrendered six runs to the Arizona Diamondbacks and watched them cruise to an 8-2 win at Petco Park, Wednesday.
Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove started the 2025 season on the IL and Cease and Michael King were expected to become 1A and 1B in the Padres rotation. Then King made his way to the IL and Cease was expected to be the top pitcher in the San Diego rotation.
To this point in the season, based on his performances, Cease has not assumed the role of “Ace” of the Padres staff. A good performance against the Diamondbacks would have gone a long way on multiple fronts to show he was ready to take that title.
Cease, however, allowed solo home runs in the third and fourth innings, giving Arizona a 2-0 lead, heading into the top of the fifth. That’s the inning when the night went from bad to worse as the Diamondbacks added for runs to their total on the strength of a Geraldo Perdomo grand slam to make the score, 6-0.
Cease allowed a one-out walk to James McCann and a single to Alek Thomas before he got Corbin Carroll to strikeout to give him two outs in the frame. With McCann and Thomas on, Cease walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Perdomo delivered the difference-making swing.
San Diego was able to get a run on a Bryce Johnson RBI-groundout in the bottom of the fifth to score Xander Bogaerts and make the score, 6-1. The Padres added a second run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Gavin Sheets led off with a solo home run to cut the deficit to, 6-2.
That was all the scoring for San Diego and the Padres watched as the Diamondbacks added a run on an RBI-groundout in the top of the eighth and a solo home run by Carroll in the top of the ninth to put Arizona up, 8-2.
Cease finished the night with six innings pitched. He allowed six runs on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. He allowed three home runs on the night.
Pfaadt, meanwhile, completed eight innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He allowed one home run on the solo shot by Sheets in the seventh.
The San Diego offense did not provide much support for Cease and the rest of the Padres pitching staff. San Diego managed just four hits in 31 at-bats and the hits were spread over four different Padres.
San Diego finishes the series with Arizona, Thursday at 6:40 p.m.
Source: https://www.gaslampball.com/2025/7/9/24464942/dylan-cease-continues-to-struggle-padres-lose