As the Padres kicked off a big series against the Rockies on Monday creeping slowly towards the .500 mark, they were met with a rain delay to start things off. After the game eventually began, both Seth Lugo and Austin Gomber both showed strong performances as the game was 3-2 Rockies through 7 innings. Both bullpens would also do their job, as the score remained 3-2 heading into the top of the ninth inning. With the Padres down to their last out and everyone ready to go home, Trent Grisham delivered a clutch solo shot to tie the game at 3 and force extra innings. The Padres offense, however, would sputter in the 10th and Ryan McMahon would play hero as the Rockies took a wild 4-3 victory.

Here are three takeaways from what was a very winnable game for the Padres:

Seth Lugo goes 7 strong

Coming out of a lengthy rain delay to begin the evening for the Padres in Colorado, Seth Lugo performed extremely well. Lugo was able to labor his way through 7 innings while allowing only 2 ER (3 total) and keeping the Padres within striking distance. With his showing, he extended his streak to 8 games in a row in which he has thrown at least 5 innings. He was able to strike out 9 Rockies along the way and bring his ERA on the season to 3.54. Lugo, who signed with the Padres back in the winter because of the opportunity to be a starter, has provided San Diego with some valuable innings all season and should be a key piece for their rotation down the stretch of the season if they wish to climb their way back into the playoffs. His ability to hold down games in hitter-friendly ballparks such as Coors Field will prove valuable when it matters most. Lugo will look to stay rolling at some point in the Padres’ next series versus the division rival Dodgers.

Grisham keeps the game alive in the ninth

Up until the last out in the top of the ninth inning, the Rockies bullpen had done quite an impressive job holding things down for Austin Gomber, who had started the game for Colorado. Pitchers Jake Bird, Daniel Bard, and Justin Lawrence each worked scoreless jobs during their time in the game. That was, at least, until Trent Grisham stepped up to the plate with 2 outs and nobody on base and blasted a solo home run into right field to tie the game. Grisham evened the score up at 3 and helped the Padres in their effort to force extra innings. His clutch showing helped to drag what seemed like a never-ending day even longer as San Diego looked to stun the Rockies and take the first game of the series.

Unfortunately, the Padres would end up losers on Monday evening after failing to put up a run in the top half of the tenth inning. While Grisham and the rest of the team showed some nice resilience, they most definitely feel disappointed with the outcome of what was an important game for them as they fight to get back over the .500 mark.

Padre’s offense blanks in the tenth

With all of the momentum on their side heading into extra innings, the Padres got things off to a great start. They loaded the bases with nobody out courtesy of singles from Juan Soto and Manny Machado. However, things rolled downhill shortly after as Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and Gary Sánchez each failed to come up with a productive at-bat. The Padres managed to walk away without scoring a run, and effectively spoiled all of their momentum from Trent Grisham’s late game heroics. In the bottom of the inning, the Rockies would follow suit and load the bases with nobody out before Ryan McMahon walked the game off with a sacrifice fly. The bottom line for the Padres going forward will be that they absolutely need to capitalize late in games with runners on base. As the season progresses their margin for error will only grow smaller, and games such as Monday’s contest will prove even more critical.

The Padres will have an opportunity to even the series tomorrow as they square off with Colorado in the second game of the series. Perhaps the roster will look different after tomorrow, as August 1st represents the trade deadline for all 30 teams across major league baseball. With rumors surrounding players such as Josh Hader and Juan Soto, Padre fans can only wait in anticipation to see which direction the team goes in as the deadline approaches.

First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. PT.