Opportunities Slip Away as Athletics Fall to Padres

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay in a discussion with umpire Laz Diaz during his team's loss to the Padres

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

May 23, 2026

Padres 2, Athletics 0

Saturday night at Petco Park in San Diego, one team scored without hitting, and the other team hit without scoring. In a strange game, the San Diego Padres eked out a 2–0 win over the Athletics thanks to a series of walks, a fatefully-timed hit batsman, and a groundout with first base empty.

Padres starting pitcher Lucas Giolito scattered four hits across five scoreless innings, walking five and striking out two. Athletics starter J.T. Ginn took 73 pitches to retire seven batters. The man who took a no-hitter into the ninth against the Angels Monday night did not allow any hits Saturday. He did, however, allow two runs on six walks and a hit batsman.

Athletics – Padres Game Summary

The Padres scored the first run in the bottom of the second inning. Jackson Merrill drew a leadoff walk. Freddy Fermin and Sung-Mun Song drew back-to-back one out walks, loading the bases for Fernando Tatis Jr. Ginn hit Tatis in the elbow pad with a 94-mph sinker, giving him a painful RBI.

In the third, the Padres scored their other run. Nick Castellanos drew a one-out walk, bringing in Jose Suarez to replace the wild Ginn. A Jackson Merrill double advanced Castellanos to third, and a Ty France grounder to short plated him.

Scoreless relief from Suarez, Joel Kuhnel, and Scott Barlow from the fourth through ninth innings kept the Athletics within two runs. However, the vaunted Padres relief quartet of Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Mason Miller combined to only allow two baserunners. One came in the sixth, when Zack Gelof drew a two-out walk off Estrada. The other came in the eighth, when Shea Langeliers smashed a one-out double off Adam.

What Went Right for the Athletics

Shut Down Padres Offense

Despite all the walks, the Athletics limited the Padres to two hits.

Defense

One batter after hitting Tatis, Ginn made a nice play to get the force at home. Miguel Andujar had hit a slow bouncer between the mound and the third base line. Ginn hustled to barehand the ball and, in one fluid motion, threw home in time to retire the hustling Song. With one out in the fourth and the bases empty, second baseman Jeff McNeil made a sliding play to his left to gather a sharp one-hopper by Andujar and retire him at first. In the eighth, third baseman Zack Gelof made a fine backhand on a hot grounder near the line. His grab, followed by the strong throw, robbed Castellanos of not only a hit but of a possible double.

Scoreless Relief

Suarez did allow an inherited runner to score, yes, but it was not on a base hit. As mentioned earlier, from the fourth to the ninth, Athletics pitchers put up one zero after another. Suarez lasted 2 2/3 innings, Kuhnel tossed two, and Barlow tossed one.

What Went Wrong for the Athletics

Runners Left in Scoring Position

The Athletics left eight runners on base. Four were in scoring position. As a team, with runners in scoring position, the Athletics were 0-for-7.

Killer Double Plays

Two of those runners left in scoring position came in the fourth. With one out and the bases loaded, McNeil grounded into a side-retiring 3-6-3 double play. This was one of three double plays for the Padres, all involving first baseman Ty France, oddly enough. With nobody out in the third, Nick Kurtz hit a two-hopper off the knuckles. France scooped it up, tagged the retreating Carlos Cortes, and stepped on the bag at first for an unassisted twin-killing.

France victimized Cortes again in the fifth, when he snagged a line drive out of the air above the bag. In one fluid motion, he caught the ball and stepped on first to double up Darell Hernaiz, who had no way of getting back. This cleared the bases immediately before Kurtz stroked a single to right.

No Slug

Only one of the five Athletics hits went for extra bases — the eighth-inning double by Langeliers. And it came with the bases empty.

Looking Ahead

Giolito (2–0) earned the win for the Padres as Ginn (2–3) took the loss for the Athletics. Miller, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth, notched his 16th save.

The Athletics (26–26) and Padres (31–20) will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon. In a battle of righties, Luis Medina (first start of season) will start for the Athletics against Michael King (4–2, 2.31 ERA) of the Padres. First pitch will be at 1:10 pm Pacific.