In a major turn of events, Major League Baseball (MLB) will be taking over the production of San Diego Padres games after the team’s regional sports network (RSN), Bally Sports San Diego, owned by Diamond Sports, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MLB had set up a local media department to prepare for this eventuality, and it is expected that the games will now be aired locally via MLB Network or MLB.TV. While the terms of any distribution agreement for the Padres’ games have not yet been announced, it is expected that announcers will remain the same, as they are employed by the Padres.
Bally Sports San Diego’s parent company was forced to file for bankruptcy in March due to its debt, which was cited as being caused by the costs of regional sports rights payments to the Padres and the small market area compared to other regional networks. Diamond group owned 80% of Bally Sports San Diego, with the Padres having the remaining share.
The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres in a weekend series, continuing their dominance over their National League West rivals in the regular season. The Dodgers have now won their past 11 regular-season series against the Padres, a streak that dates back to August 2021, and have not lost a season series against them since 2010.
Meanwhile, the Padres have struggled to live up to expectations this season, with a 19-22 record. Despite the return of superstar Fernando Tatís Jr., the Padres have struggled offensively, with one of the lowest OPS in baseball. On the other hand, the Dodgers have won 13 of their past 15 games and are currently leading the NL West by three games.
The San Diego Padres have had a slow start to the season, despite adding MVP candidate Fernando Tatis Jr. to their lineup. However, the team’s offense exploded during a record-setting series in Mexico City over the weekend, even flying past projected totals in the power-happy environment. The team now faces a favorable matchup against Reds starter Luke Weaver.
Looking ahead, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, two of the National League West’s strongest teams, will play six times in the coming 10 days. Each team has seen mixed results so far this season, but ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez, and David Schoenfield offered some insights into what has defined the season so far for each team.
For the Dodgers, Doolittle notes that James Outman’s AXE rating of 125 shows the Dodgers are having a banner year for rookies and “have a chance to lap the field in rookie value.” Gonzalez points out that despite Mookie Betts’s solid play at shortstop, it is telling that the Dodgers are “highlighting the uncertainty throughout the Dodgers’ roster.” Schoenfield notes that Clayton Kershaw’s stats are as strong as ever with a minuscule ERA of 1.89.
For the Padres, Doolittle points out that there is a lot of star-level production missing from the Padres’ ledgers but believes they still boast “overwhelming” immediate talent that will carry them forward. Gonzalez observes that the Padres have a winning record despite having less than 40% of games with Fernando Tatis Jr in their lineup and receiving a combined ERA of 6.51 from pitchers Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove, who have thus far underperformed. Schoenfield cites the Padres’ 4.47 rotation ERA as an area of concern.
While all three experts see strengths in both teams, Gonzalez appears to give the Padres the edge due to their roster’s potential, while Doolittle and Schoenfield still put their faith in the currently stronger and deeper Los Angeles Dodgers.
In a separate game, San Diego Padres pitcher Michael Wacha came within one out of a no-hitter on Monday night in a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Wacha, who signed with the Padres as a free agent in February, struck out a career-high 11 batters over 7.2 innings before giving up a single to Michael Massey in the eighth inning. Manager Bob Melvin quickly removed Wacha from the game to a standing ovation from the crowd of over 43,000. Nick Martinez came in to complete the two-hitter. The win snapped the Padres’ five-game losing streak and helped to fix their recent offensive issues. Fernando Tatis Jr. scored a run and drove in another, taking advantage of Kansas City’s wild start.
As of Tuesday, the Padres sit in third place in the National League West with a record of 27-24, while the Royals have fallen to fourth in the American League Central with a record of 23-27. Overall, the Padres are hoping to bounce back from their recent struggles and make it back to the playoffs this season, while fans of Bally Sports San Diego are waiting to hear more about how MLB will be airing their games.
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