Nationals Swept by the Padres…Lose Seventh in a Row

For the third game of the three-game series, the Nationals had a lead. But this time that lead came early and only lasted half an inning. No late-inning meltdown. Still a disappointing loss, but not as heartbreaking.

The Nationals jumped out to that lead in the top of the third. Keibert Ruiz led off with a home run to right field, his 10th of the year. Nasim Nunez drew a base on balls and advanced to third when Jacob Young singled to center. James Wood walked, loading the bases. Dylan Crews then singled to right, scoring Nunez. That left the bases loaded with no one out, but the Nats couldn’t push across any additional runs. 2-0 Washington.

The Padres took the lead in the bottom of the third. With one out Fernando Tatis singled to right. With two outs Manny Machado walked. Ty France then singled to left scoring Tatis. Jackson Merrill followed with a triple to centerfield, scoring Machado and France. 3-2 San Diego.

The Padres tacked on a couple more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Austin Hays led off with a single and came all the way around to score when Samad Taylor ran out a bunt, and both runners advanced an extra base on a throwing error by Jackson Kent. Fernando Tatis then singled to left, scoring Taylor. 5-2 San Diego.

And the runs continued for the Padres in the bottom of the fifth. Ty France doubled to lead off the inning. Jackson Merrill followed with a two-run homer to left field, his 23rd of the season. 7-2 San Diego.

Jackson Kent started for the Nationals, going three innings and giving up five runs on eight hits. Brad Lord followed Kent and lasted two innings, giving up four hits and two runs.

Former all-star Walker Buehler started for the Padres, going 2 1/3 innings and surrendering two runs on three hits while striking out four Nationals. A string of relievers, five in all, followed Buehler to the mound and kept the Nats in check.

The Padres made it 8 to 2 in the bottom of the seventh as Jackson Merril hit his second home run of the game, and 24th of the year, to center field.

San Diego picked up another run in the bottom of the eighth. Xander Bogaerts ran out an infield single. With two outs, Ty France singled to right field. Jackson Merrill then followed with another single, scoring Bogaerts.

Jackson Merrill had quite a game for the Padres. He went 4 for 5 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Keibert Ruiz joined nine other Nationals with double-digit homers when he smacked his 10th of the year in the second inning. The Nats are tied with the Yankees for number of players having at least ten round-trippers.

The Nationals have now lost seven games in a row and dropped to last place in the NL East.

The Padres are now tied with the Diamondbacks for the third wild card spot.

Washington has a well-needed day off tomorrow before starting a three-game series against the L.A. Angels back in Washington DC.

Dave’s Dime…Top Fifteen MLB Stadiums…

Let’s finish up our country-wide tour of all thirty Major League Stadiums.

15. Yankee Stadium…I saw a couple games in the old Yankee Stadium back in 1979. What a magnificent venue. The history was palpable. The main complaints about the new Yankee Stadium include the organ or other music playing between almost every pitch; the short porch in right field’s novelty has worn off, 314 feet should not count as a home run; and there’s so much advertising all around the stadium, it’s kind of nauseating.

14. Citi Field…This is the home of the Mets. I witnessed a couple of games in the old Shea Stadium, also in 1979. I loved it. Their new venue, Citi Field, is home to the largest scoreboard in the major leagues. It’s a whopping 24,000 square feet. There’s a possible $8.1 billion Metropolitan Park coming in the near future. It would include a Hard Rock casino, a hotel with indoor seating for 5,000 in its music venue, and 25 acres of green space. So where does that leave the baseball stadium? I’m hoping the 25 acres of green space.

13. T-Mobile Park…Home of the Seattle Mariners. The coolest thing about this stadium is its umbrella style roof. It keeps the fans from getting wet during Seattle’s frequent rain showers but still lets in enough fresh air and natural light to keep things real. You dig?

12. Progressive Field…The Cleveland Guardians stadium is known for its “intimate settings.” The stadium has a modest capacity of 34,820 fans, but that leads to a venue without any bad seats and a feeling of being right on top of what’s happening on the field.

11. Citizens Bank Park. The home of the Philadelphia Phillies now sports a new digital scoreboard installed in 2024 that I’m sure looks good, but it’s actually filled with more advertising that anything else. The management is getting some backlash from the fans for

replacing some of the older parts of the stadium that honored past Philly baseball heroes with even more ads. The Phillies also sold the naming rights to the left-field pavilion. Why does a left-field pavilion need a name? Ghost Energy deck? That just too much. Sorry…

10. Busch Stadium…The first thing most newcomers to the home of the St. Louis Cardinals notice while taking their seats is the magnificent presence of the Gateway Arch looming over the outfield. The team has only been in Busch Stadium since 2006, but management is already looking for some state funding for upgrades. It seems to me that most of these “upgrades” just lead to more advertising, but that’s the name of the game. When the average salary of a major league player is $5.34 million, you have to use every monetary source you can think of. Like selling the naming rights to the left-field pavilion.

9. Truist Park…This has been the home of the Atlanta Braves since 2017. The experience inside Truist Park is excellent, according to those who have been there. The “tomahawk chop” is still a polarizing topic, but with the stadium lights turned down, and everyone’s phone lighting up the field as the visiting team’s relief pitcher starts walking out of the bullpen and to the mound…well, I guess you just have to be there. I hope I can experience that someday.

8. UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium…Now that’s an acronym for you. It actually stands for “unique clothing warehouse”, a clothing brand that opened its first store in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1984. The company shares its naming rights with the Dodgers. Evidently, they support local programs for middle school students and sponsor clothing donation drives. This stadium has the largest capacity in the major leagues at 56,000. Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks, is a distant second at 48,330. The building is huge and doesn’t have all the amenities that some newer stadiums offer. The Dodgers have called this place home since 1962. The media complains that the press box is too small. With all the great players on the team, including superstars like Shohei Ohtani and the Japanese media hanging on his every word, you’d think the Dodgers could do something to alleviate that shortfall.

7. Coors Field…Home of the Colorado Rockies and Coors Beer, of course. I’ve been to this stadium at least thirty times. I grew up about sixty miles south of the stadium. It’s a great place to watch a game. Some people think the Rockies should add a dome because of the high altitude, and the fact pitchers don’t want to play for Colorado because that mountain air messes with their curve ball. But there’s no way that will ever happen because the scenery and ambiance are majestic. What’s kind of sad is the Rockies are headed for their fourth season in a row with at least 100 losses. They still finished 15th in attendance last year even though they ended the season with a franchise record 119 losses. So why would the owner, who’s a jerk, put a pile of money into the team? It just proves how much the fans enjoy the Coors Field experience

even when their team is constantly struggling.

6. Wrigley Field…The iconic home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. I was here in 1988 and it’s a great place to see a game. I was fortunate enough to hear the great Harry Carey sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I was able to check that off my bucket list. I also saw Hall of Famer Goose Gossage throw a couple innings for the Cubbies. He grew up in my home town of Colorado Springs. My younger brother played a year with Goose in Little League. Wrigley Field is what baseball is all about. Nothing else needs to be said.

5. Fenway Park…I’m sure even the casual fan knows this is the home stadium of the Boston Red Sox. Another iconic baseball field. This has been Boston’s home since 1912. The Green Monster…the history…coming here just feels like going back in time…to simpler days. The field is always immaculate and it’s just a feel-good experience. Age is just a number, even when it comes to baseball stadiums.

4. Petco Park…The home of the San Diego Padres. It’s been the Padres home park since 2004. It’s a place that celebrates the working class with its Western Metal Supply Co. building, stretching down the left-field line. It’s been compared to Baltimore’s Camden Yard in that respect. It also has a party atmosphere going for it. A place for every type of fan. And that perfect San Diego weather doesn’t hurt either.

3. PNC Park…Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it’s been the Pirates home since 2001 and has been called one of the most popular stadiums in MLB history. What makes it so inviting is the 21-foot-high wall in right field that honors the great Roberto Clemente. Another feature would be that 410-foot left-center field power alley. That’s a long way to hit a baseball. And the view from behind home plate…the yellow Roberto Clemente Bridge spanning the Allegheny River…it doesn’t get any better than that.

2. Oriole Park at Camden Yards. There’s supposedly something special about walking into this stadium and seeing the B&O Warehouse looming behind the right field stands. The Orioles have updated their stadium dimensions over the past few years in an attempt to make it more hitter-friendly. There’s also a new video board in center field. I’m assuming it’s just one of those places you have to see in person in order to truly appreciate it.

1. Oracle Park…Yes, this is number one. Home of the San Francisco Giants since 2000. This is the place where Barry Bonds showcased his immense talents for the last seven years of his career. Watching him hit a blast into McCovey Cove and all the fans in kayaks racing to grab that floating baseball. This is the one stadium that actually celebrates advertising. At least the giant Coke bottle that seems as if it’s pouring its contents into a giant baseball glove. How can you beat that?

So, there you go. All thirty stadiums ranked based on their food choices, scenic views, and historic charm by those in the know. I’ve heard of diehard baseball fans who have travelled

to all the MLB parks. I’d love to do that as well. That’s why I purchase at least a couple Mega Millions tickets on a weekly basis.

How many stadiums have you visited? And did this trip around the country give you any ideas about visiting a few more? I hope so.

Have a great weekend,