The Padres surged past Colorado with Cease in command and a hot offense, while Manny Machado’s workload is being managed to keep him fresh. Bogaerts is rounding into form, and Diaz’s game-calling behind the plate supports the pitching staff. Early scoring and a flexible lineup highlight San Diego’s current momentum as they prep for the next series, with relief work and depth shaping fantasy value.

Schmidt’s Rockies era ends with the franchise’s worst run in modern history: 224-407 since 2021 and a 40-107 pace this season, the worst in club memory. The payroll squeeze and a string of high-profile but underperforming free-agent bets, led by Kris Bryant, defined the era as fans questioned a rebuild that never fully materialized. Outside leadership and listening to ownership about evaluating all operations kept swirling as the franchise lurched toward change.

Drafts and extensions offered mixed results. Freeland and McMahon extensions provided some stability, while others undercut the plan’s credibility. The team’s drafting yielded several hits but also notable misses, and trades like McMahon to the Yankees signaled a shift toward future upside rather than immediate contention. With external candidates discussed and leadership in flux, a true rebuild appears likely to loom in LoDo.

Cease steadies after a rough first inning, then San Diego explodes with four homers to rout Colorado 11-3 at Petco Park. Tatis Jr. and Machado supply the power, Arraez and Diaz pile up multi-hit nights, and Laureano doubles in two as the lineup wakes up around a six-inning start from Cease.

Machado adds a solo HR in the third and an RBI single in the fourth, Merrill and Laureano contribute big hits, and Bryce Johnson caps the late surge with a two-run homer in the eighth. The Padres’ offense snaps out of a late-season lull in a convincing win, setting up a hopeful finish to the series.

Cease works six innings, allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts, while the bullpen yields two in the eighth before Johnson’s blast seals it. Four Padres starters reach safely multiple times as the attack erupts in support of a strong mound night.