Craig Stammen Admits Walker Buehler Mistake After Padres Win

MLB rules require a pitcher to be removed when a team makes a second mound visit to the same pitcher in the same inning. That left Stammen with no choice but to take Buehler out after the manager had initially walked away from the mound.

Buehler had struck out the side in the first inning but ran into trouble in the third. He allowed a leadoff home run before issuing two walks and working into a bases-loaded situation.

The right-hander finished with 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while walking two and striking out four on 60 pitches.

Kyle Hart stepped in after the unusual sequence and gave San Diego exactly what it needed. The left-hander threw 2.1 scoreless innings to help stabilize the game.

The Padres’ offense then turned the afternoon into a comfortable victory. Jackson Merrill hit two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs as San Diego completed the sweep.

Buehler is now 8-6 with a 4.61 ERA through 29 starts this season. Despite the strange circumstances surrounding his exit, the Padres had no trouble protecting their lead.

San Diego improved to 78-68 with the victory and remained ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card race. Stammen’s mistake ultimately became an amusing footnote to a dominant Padres afternoon rather than a costly managerial decision.