Monday looked like an obvious spot for Ryan O'Hearn’s first start as a Padre against a left-handed pitcher. Jackson Merrill remains hobbled by a balky left ankle, and O’Hearn had registered a clutch RBI double against Dodgers lefty Anthony Banda on Sunday.

The Padres' de facto captain left the job of explaining a three-game series sweep in Los Angeles to his younger, less experienced teammates on Sunday.

One of their most impressive wins during that franchise-record 14-game win streak came on Friday night. The Brewers faced an 8-1 deficit after two innings against the Reds and clawed their way back on the strength of two homers and five RBI from Christian Yelich — doing so while using his customized Bob Uecker bat for player’s weekend.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres as Padres Fans React to Ryan O’Hearn Being On the Bench Yet Again. The San Diego Padres have once again dropped Ryan O'Hearn from the lineup, leading fans to wonder why the recently acquired hitter is not getting many opportunities.

The Padres are coming off being swept by the Dodgers after having a chance to take the NL West lead. After winning five straight, including a three-game sweep over the Giants, the three losses to Los Angeles is a small setback for San Diego.

Right-hander Michael King is going back on the injured list after just one start, a blow to the Padres rotation ahead of perhaps San Diego’s biggest series of the season. King, who was scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles,

The Dodgers, leaning on contributions from those who had been struggling, including the bullpen, completed a three-game sweep of the rival Padres on Sunday to regain control of the NL West.

After a stellar rookie season that almost saw him take home NL Rookie of the Year honors, San Diego Padres star Jackson Merrill has had a bit of a sophomore slump his second time around in the majors.