The Padres found themselves in a familiar place Sunday after a 2-1 loss to the Phillies. They had not gained ground. They had not lost any.

They've also been linked to starting pitching this season, but after a new report from Dennis Lin in The Athletic, it seems likely that the Padres will not spend assets on starters this trade deadline.

Jackson Merrill broke out of a slump with two home runs off All-Star Zack Wheeler, and Manny Machado hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning for the San Diego Padres, who won their second straight game against the Philadelphia Phillies,

Expert recap and game analysis of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres MLB game from July 13, 2025 on ESPN.

For the first two games of the series, the Phillies could not figure out the Padres bullpen. The six runs they’d scored across Friday and Saturday’s losses had all come against San Diego’s starters. But after Sunday starter Nick Pivetta walked off the mound with two outs in the seventh,