Padres Collapse in Eighth, Fall Short | San Diego Padres News

The Padres’ playoff hopes took a brutal hit after a 7-6 loss to the Braves, undone by a disastrous eighth inning that saw six runs pour in against the bullpen. Despite Michael King’s gritty five-inning effort—seven strikeouts, seven hits, four walks—the offense stalled, leaving runners stranded and going hitless with men in scoring position. A late rally in the ninth, sparked by Jackson Merrill’s clutch seventh-inning homer, brought five runs and cut the deficit to one, but it wasn’t enough. Now three games back in the wild card race, the Padres’ inconsistency—flashes of brilliance followed by prolonged offensive droughts—is proving costly as the season winds down. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ffd8ef11396fc17d