The Padres, the reigning NL West champs, had lost three straight games and were sinking toward the division cellar when Jake Peavy stepped onto the mound on this date — May 22 — in 2006.
The homegrown ace led the majors with a 2.27 ERA two years earlier. He threw three shutouts the previous year. He averaged nearly a strikeout an inning.
The 24-year-old Peavy was their stopper.
As such, he did everything he could to right San Diego’s ship, setting a franchise record with 16 strikeouts in a 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves, the Padres’ fourth straight defeat and their sixth in seven games in claiming last place all to themselves.