Xander Bogaerts Has Depressing Comment After Padres' Loss to Dodgers

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts tied Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at three with a one-out double, pulling the Padres back into the game after they began the ninth inning trailing by two.

The Dodgers came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth, and pinch-hitter Will Smith hit a walk-off homer, giving the Padres their 10th loss in 17 games this month.

“One of the few positive things I do, it don’t even last a couple minutes,” said Bogaerts after the game. “Will Smith comes in right there and homers right away — it’s brutal.”

The Dodgers have run rampant against the Padres this season, taking five out of six games against the Friars, the exception being a blowout during which the Dodgers brought in a position player to pitch in the sixth inning.

Bogaerts has especially struggled at the plate for the Friars this season, but this month has been especially rough for the four-time All-Star. He is batting .188 in June and has an OPS of .482. He has just one multi-hit game in June and hasn't hit a home run in over a month.

On the season, Bogaerts is batting .227 and has a .617 OPS. He has three homers and 27 RBIs through 72 games. Both figures are career lows, and his OPS+ of 74 is also the lowest it has ever been.

Bogaerts will likely finish the season below league average at this rate, which will mark the first time in over 10 years he has finished back-to-back seasons with an OPS+ below 100.

The 32-year-old is in the third year of an 11-year, $280 million contract, and is making the second-most money among all Padres.

While he may not be performing to his standards this season, Bogaerts has taken steps in the right direction as is evident by his clutch performance last night. He has a hit in three of his last four, and all six of his runs batted in this month have come in the last 10 days.

The Padres will hope Bogaerts continues to build on these performances, as he is a key player in the lineup. His next chance to prove himself is against the Dodgers in the final game of a four-game series Thursday, where the Friars will look to avoid a sweep. The game begins at 7:10 p.m. PT.

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