Padres Star: Series Sweep to Angels 'Will Come and Haunt Us'

After the San Diego Padres impressively defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 in their series, they looked like they had another three wins practically guaranteed as they got ready to face the struggling Los Angeles Angels.

Not so fast, though.

The Padres failed to capitalize and instead got swept by the Angels. Yep, the Angels. Through three games, the Padres could not manage more than two runs, while the Angels' starters each pitched six innings and allowed just one earned run. The Padres now leave the series at 32-33 after coming in at 32-30.

This is far from the first time the Padres have floundered games against a bad team this season. For a team that has won series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, they have fallen flat against the teams they are supposed to beat. They were swept by the Colorado Rockies in the middle of May, blown out by the Miami Marlins 9-1, and have now been swept by the Angels.

The Padres are well aware these games could end up costing them later on. “These games are probably going to come and haunt us," third baseman Manny Machado said, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“I can’t ignore it,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “I won’t ignore, and I won’t excuse it. ... I don’t want to make it a thing. But trust me, I think about it. It’s something we’re aware of.”

These losses could truly end up being the difference between the Padres making or missing the playoffs. For a team that has hovered around .500 for much of the season, these games are the chance to separate themselves from the pack. Instead, the Padres have come out of these games needing big wins over the top teams in MLB.