Padres Bench Coach Gave Craig Stammen Lineup Change That Led to Win

San Diego Padres bench coach Randy Knorr gave manager Craig Stammen a lineup tweak that led to the team's 7-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The Padres manager was frustrated with figuring out a lineup that could break the team out of their early offensive slump. Thankfully, Knorr already had a lineup ready for the series finale against the Giants.

“I said, ‘I’m tired. I’m not working very well on this,’” Stammen said after the game. “[Knorr] goes, ‘Craigger, that’s good, because I had one already written up for you.’ So, we’re riding with Randy right now.”

The difference in the lineup?

Fernando Tatis Jr. was back in the leadoff spot, which was perhaps the most notable move. The Padres star was projected to hit leadoff in a majority of lineup projections this offseason, but Stammen experimented with other players atop the order.

This spring, Stammen deployed Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth in the leadoff spots. Bogaerts has since shifted down in the lineup.

Tatis led off against left-handed pitchers early this year. Cronenworth earned the right to man the spot against right-handed pitchers.

However, Knorr's lineup had Tatis leading off against Giants right-handed starter Adrian Houser, and it paid off.

Knorr also put Ramòn Laureano in the fifth spot, which put him higher in the order than he'd previously hit this season. Cronenworth and Gavin Sheets batted back-to-back at sixth and seventh, respectively.

Knorr explained why he opted to tweak the order of the lefties.

“I was just saying that instead of staggering our lefties in the middle, we put them together,” Knorr said. “And we put Laureano in a place where he could drive runs in. It just worked out."

The Padres recorded a season-high in runs and hits with the new look lineup. Moreover, the Friars scored more than three runs for the first time in 2026. The Padres hadn't begun a season with six games of three runs or fewer since their inaugural 1969 campaign.

After a sluggish start offensively, it appears the Padres lineup has finally broken through.

“Today was an example of what we could be, the type of team that we expected — and have,” Stammen said.

While Knorr's lineup was a success, the Padres remain flexible with the batting order as the season brings highs and lows for hitters.

“I doubt that we’ll have one lineup for the rest of the season,” Stammen said. “Guys will get hot, guys will get cold, and we’ve got to adjust accordingly.”