Jun 20, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) breaks his bat as he hits a fly ball during the eighth inning against the against the Kansas City Royals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – After a bruising, emotional series against the Dodgers that left tempers flaring and suspensions handed down, the Padres returned home Friday hoping to reset against a Kansas City Royals team that shares no such history. Instead, they were greeted with more frustration — and another loss.
In front of 43,574 fans at Petco Park, many dressed in Jedi robes and Mandalorian armor for the kickoff of Star Wars Weekend, the Padres erased a 4-0 deficit only to see the Royals pull away late and hold on for a 6-5 win. It was San Diego’s eighth loss in their last eleven games.
Starter Nick Pivetta continued his rocky stretch, giving up two home runs — a solo shot to Bobby Witt Jr. in the first and a three-run blast to Jonathan India in the fifth. The right-hander lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing four runs while striking out three. After giving up six homers over his first 11 starts, he’s now surrendered five in his last four.
The Royals, riding a wave of momentum after sweeping Texas, built an early lead behind Michael Lorenzen, who cruised through the first four innings, surrendering just a single to Xander Bogaerts. The Padres didn’t get on the board until the fifth, when local product Trenton Brooks — a Granite Hills High School alum — roped a double to right field, his first hit at Petco. He scored on a Luis Arraez single, sparking a slow but steady San Diego comeback.
Jose Iglesias chipped in with an RBI single in the sixth, and Gavin Sheets delivered a two-run knock in the seventh to tie it at four. But the Royals punched back immediately. Padres reliever Jason Adam gave up a single and a walk to start the eighth, and veteran catcher Salvador Perez — whose Hall of Fame case keeps growing — singled home the go-ahead run. Drew Waters added another RBI hit to make it 6–4.
Manny Machado, who’s found his power stroke again, launched a solo homer to right in the ninth — his 12th of the season — off Royals closer Carlos Estévez, but it was too little, too late. Sheets, Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth all popped out to end it.
San Diego was without manager Mike Shildt, who served a one-game suspension for Thursday’s benches-clearing incident in Los Angeles. Robert Suarez, ejected for hitting Shohei Ohtani with a 100-mph fastball in that same game, is appealing his three-game suspension and was available out of the bullpen.
The Friars will try to even the series Saturday night, sending Dylan Cease to the mound against Royals rookie lefty Noah Cameron.
