Do or Die

The Padres limped home from Milwaukee in an 0-2 hole following back-to-back gut wrenching losses. Sounds bad. Might be bad. But is there room for optimism? MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell joined the showy to unpack two agonizing losses to the Brewers, from the bizarre “backyard rules” ending in Game 1 to Mason Miller’s blown save in Game 2. We looked at what actually went wrong, what went right, and whether the Padres can realistically pull themselves out of this hole. One thing is clear: Petco Park matters now more than ever. The Padres have fed off their home crowd all season, and with their season on the line, they’re going to need that energy to find a way back into this series. We also dug deeper into the Mason Miller storyline. Was he tipping pitches? Was it simply a matter of command? Miller and the Padres are taking a close look at everything, while trying not to let a suddenly noisy storyline become another distraction at the worst possible time. How did the team handle this situation, given the terrible timing and what will Craig Stammen do in a similar situation, should the Padres need six outs from Mason Miller? Can this team really win three straight? Padres in FIVE? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com