Padres Made 2 Big Decisions That Cost Them Series Win vs Tigers

The San Diego Padres salvaged their season opening series against the Detroit Tigers this weekend, winning the final game on Saturday to move to 1-2 on the season.

However, they were so close to being 2-1 and feeling much better heading into their off day on Sunday.

After being dominated on Opening Day, the Padres bounced back and were in prime position to win Friday's game. The Padres led 2-1 in the eighth inning, and needed just three outs to set up Mason Miller to take the ninth inning.

They didn't have their usual eighth inning option, though.

Jason Adam, who pitched over 60% of his innings in the eighth inning last year, opened the 2026 season on the injured list as he recovers from last year's ruptured quad tendon.

Adam looked ready to break camp with the team, pitching two perfect innings in Cactus League play. However, the Padres decided to slow-play him, instead having him start the year on a rehab assignment.

Adam had been adamant about being ready for Opening Day. The decision appeared to be out of his hands.

So, instead of Adam, it was Jeremiah Estrada, who's no slouch, coming off a 2025 season in which he had a 3.45 ERA across 77 appearances. However, he struggled mightily in his 2026 debut, walking the bases loaded and allowing a game-tying hit before being removed with two outs in the inning for Wandy Peralta.

Peralta allowed three runs to score — all charged to Estrada — and the Padres lost a game that they likely win nine times out of 10 last season.

The Adam decision was just one of the costly ones, though.

The other decision the Padres made before Friday's game was that Mason Miller would not be available for more than three outs.

Miller was named the team's closer this season after the departure of Robert Suarez. The former Athletic acquired at last year's trade deadline pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. The quicker ramp-up likely factored into the team's decision to keep him only for a three-out save opportunity this early in the season.

“It will be an option at some point in the season,” Stammen said. “Just not game two.”

It's likely another reason the team couldn't finish out Friday's game, though.

After Estrada walked the bases loaded with one out, the Padres could have gone to Miller to get a five-out save. Instead, they allowed Estrada to face another batter, Riley Greene, who hit a game-tying single. Estrada then faced yet another batter, getting Spencer Torkelson to strikeout. Then Peralta came in to face rookie Kevin McGonigle, who hit a two-run single on the 10th pitch of an incredible at-bat.

It's, of course, early in the season, and the Padres are focused on a long 162-game season in which they'll need both Adam and Miller for the long haul.

However, the Padres are likely to be in the wild-card race all year long as the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to run away with the National League West division. These are the types of games that could come back to haunt San Diego later in the year.