Silver Lining to Padre Loss – Three More Friars Headed to All-Star Game in Texas

Five Padres are set to represent San Diego at the All-Star Game in Texas, including rookie Jackson Merrill, after baseball officials named the reserves Sunday.

Merrill, Luis Arraez and Robert Suarez will join Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. – who each prevailed in the fan vote to determine the All-Star starters – in Arlington, Texas July 16.

Merrill, 21, had nine home runs, 20 RBIs, seven doubles and 17 runs in June, enough to garner him the the National League’s Rookie of the Month Award. On the year, he’s hitting .288 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs.

Arraez, the winner of last year’s NL batting title who was acquired from the Marlins in May, is hitting .312 with 118 hits and 50 runs.

Suarez took over the closer role with Josh Hader’s departure and has 22 saves, third in the league, along with a 1.77 ERA and a 4-1 record in 36 appearances.

Merrill holds the honor of being only Padre rookie to ever make the All-Star Team. In addition, only the Phillies and the Dodgers will have more representatives set to take part in the game.

“Full excitement,” Merrill told MLB.com of the honor, which manager Mike Shildt teasingly communicated to the team as an afterthought, after he’d already announced that Arraez and Suarez were All Stars.

The Padres ending up dropping two of three to the Diamondbacks with Sunday’s 9-1 loss, in which the bullpen again got rocked. Dylan Cease, who went seven innings and struck out eight, took the loss to fall to 7-8.

After an off day Monday, the Friars welcome Seattle to Petco Park for two games. Adam Mazur is set to start.