MILWAUKEE -- Padres manager Mike Shildt juggled the batting order for Saturday night’s game against the Brewers, and it paid off in a game-tying rally in the top of the ninth before Milwaukee won it, 4-3, at American Family Field on Caleb Durbin’s walk-off home run in bottom of the inning.
Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres usual leadoff hitter, who has been struggling for the past month at the plate, wasn’t in the lineup. Tatis also was bypassed for a key pinch-hitting opportunity in the ninth with the Padres trailing by two runs and a runner on base.
Xander Bogaerts and Luis Arraez occupied the top two spots in the revamped lineup.
“He’s getting a day off. It just made some sense relative to the number of games he has played,” Shildt said prior to the game about Tatis’ absence. “There’s not a day that is optimal for a guy of his caliber to get off, but at some point, he needs an off-day.”
When asked whether the move could also be helpful in getting Tatis going again at the plate, the Padres’ skipper didn’t dismiss the idea.
“Anybody that gets a day off after working a lot, it’s beneficial for him,” Shildt said. “It’s hard not to take that pen and write [Tatis] in there, but give him a little bit of a break. Thought that made sense.”
Shildt expressed confidence in having Bogaerts and Arraez at the top.
“Five Silver Sluggers and three batting titles -- that’s a good start,” Shildt said. “[Bogaerts] was excited about [leading off] when I mentioned it to him. Very competent quality hitters.”
After the Brewers scored twice in the eighth to take a 3-1 lead, the Padres got a one-out single from Elias Díaz in the ninth. Shildt then chose to have Tyler Wade, not Tatis, pinch-hit for Brandon Lockridge against hard-throwing right-hander Trevor Megill. Wade grounded into a force play for the second out of the inning.
Asked if Tatis, who was unavailable for comment after the game, was considered as a pinch-hitter in that spot, Shildt responded: “No. On a day off, sometimes you don’t get called in for work.”
Bogaerts and Arraez had one hit between them in eight at-bats coming into the ninth, but they came through big. Bogaerts drew a walk before a double steal put runners on second and third for Arraez, who doubled down the left-field line to tie it at 3.
“What a gritty game. Guys fought their tails off,” Shildt said. “We have some guys who are giving us every single fiber they’ve got.”
The good feelings were short-lived, however, after Durbin took the first pitch he saw from David Morgan, a 97.8 mph four-seamer, and crushed it over the center-field fence.
“You have to go into that situation and throw strikes. You’ve got to get ahead,” Morgan said. “My fastball’s a good pitch. He was sitting on it and ambushed me.”
Kolek shines on the road again
Padres second-year pitcher Stephen Kolek turned in another solid performance away from home, pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings while giving up just three hits. Kolek walked four and struck out two in the 88-pitch outing.
Kolek has pitched at least five innings in all seven of his starts this season. In four of those outings, all on the road, he hasn’t allowed a run. Excluding openers, the only other pitcher to have four scoreless starts within his first seven career starts for the Padres was Ryan Weathers, in 2021.
“Whenever I’m in the zone and attacking, I always give myself a chance,” Kolek said. “I get a lot of ground balls, and I have a great defense behind me.”
Kolek’s ERA on the road dipped to 0.85. In his two home starts, he has a 9.58 ERA.
“I think it was some unfortunate stuff at home,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting back home and having a good outing there.”
Kolek, who pitched exclusively in relief as a rookie last year, said he enjoys the challenge of pitching on the road.
“It’s always exciting to see a new stadium and feel the environment,” he said. “Last year, I got to pitch here, but it’s a little different as a starter and work your way through a game a bit longer.”