May 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Anthony Santander (25) gets the water bucket poured on him by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) following a game against the San Diego Padres at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Toronto, Ontario – The San Diego Padres are officially in a rut. Their fourth consecutive loss—a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night—matched their longest losing streak of the season and highlighted a troubling trend: when the offense goes cold, it goes ice cold.
Despite a strong outing from Dylan Cease, the Padres couldn’t muster any run support, failing to score for the third time this year. Cease allowed just three hits over seven innings—including home runs to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first and Anthony Santander in the fifth—but it was enough to saddle him with his third loss. His record now stands at 1-3, with no wins in his last eight starts, despite allowing three or fewer runs in seven of those outings.
“He pitched well enough to win,” manager Mike Shildt said postgame. “We’ve got to give him something to work with.”
That something never came. San Diego went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, marking the fourth straight game they’ve gone hitless in those crucial moments. The offensive drought has become a defining issue during this skid, and even when the starting pitching holds strong—as it did Tuesday—the lack of production at the plate continues to haunt the Friars.
“It’s frustrating,” said Fernando Tatis Jr., who finished 0-for-4. “We’re getting guys on, but we’re not cashing in. That’s on all of us.”
The shutout was the first suffered by the Padres since April and snapped a perfect 5-0 record in games when their starter worked at least seven innings. Cease did his job. The bullpen wasn’t needed. But the bats were nowhere to be found.
Chris Bassitt, meanwhile, stymied the Padres over six innings, scattering four hits and striking out six. Three Blue Jays relievers—Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez, and Jeff Hoffman—combined to seal Toronto’s first shutout of the season. Hoffman earned his 10th save in 12 chances.
The tone was set early. Guerrero Jr. launched a one-out homer in the first to give Toronto a quick 1-0 lead, and Santander added a two-run shot in the fifth—his first since May 6 and his first since being moved to fifth in the order.
“We’re in a bit of a valley,” Shildt said. “But it’s a long season. We’ve got to grind through it.”
San Diego has now gone 0-for-17 with runners in scoring position during its four-game losing streak. The Padres haven’t scored more than three runs in a game since May 16. Cease has struck out 20 batters over his last three starts, but the offense hasn’t given him much to work with.
The Padres, now 23-26, will try to snap the skid in Wednesday’s series finale. Randy Vásquez (3-3, 3.45 ERA) gets the ball against Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (3-4, 4.59 ERA), with San Diego hoping to avoid falling further behind in a crowded NL West race.
