San Diego Padres’ presumptive new owners, José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, witnessed a stunning late collapse as their team fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a high-altitude showdown at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City.
Arriving just an hour before the game, Feliciano and Jones saw the Padres build an early lead that quickly unraveled in the final innings, plunging the team into a tough loss despite a standout pitching effort from Michael King. King dazzled over six innings, striking out eight, walking just one, and allowing only three hits—two of which were solo home runs affected by the challenging altitude.
King explained the pitching difficulties, saying,
“The altitude is not fun to pitch in. It’s fun to see our hitters hit in it, but I don’t like it. I don’t feel as comfortable on the mound as I normally would.”
His performance, however, shines amidst adversity, lowering his ERA to 2.48 and ranking seventh in the National League while the Padres cope with injuries sidelining starters Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove.
Padres shortstop Manny Machado welcomed the fresh ownership with optimism:
“Oh, man. Nice, awesome. I mean, I wish we would have brought them a ‘W.’ This is their team now. So, I love the support. Hopefully we see them more often and see them around San Diego.”
Feliciano and Jones are set to finalize their acquisition of roughly 40% of the franchise, jointly valued at $3.9 billion. Meanwhile, majority owner John Fisher will maintain his 15% stake.
The Padres’ bullpen faltered late, allowing the Diamondbacks to overturn the deficit and steal the victory. Manager Craig Stammen emphasized cautious player management amid ongoing health concerns for infielder Miguel Andújar, who is dealing with hamstring tightness but remains a steady bat with a .311 average.
Stammen said,
“We’re just trying to manage that. The same thing we have talked about with all the guys about managing their workload and things like that.”
The injured roster forces careful planning as the team looks ahead.
Despite Sunday’s setback, the Padres remain focused on immediate recovery. Their next test comes quickly in an upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park. The new ownership duo’s debut game exposed both promise and challenges, setting the stage for a crucial stretch in the season.
The latest loss spotlights how critical resilience and depth will be as the Padres aim to establish themselves as a powerhouse under new leadership while contending with the rigors of a demanding MLB season.
