Xander Bogaerts’ first homer of the year is a welcome glimmer for the Padres

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SAN DIEGO — One notable streak finally ended Saturday when the San Diego Padres scored a run after 30 consecutive innings without scoring. It had been their longest such drought since 1981.

Three days later, in front of the second-largest crowd in Petco Park history, the end finally came for two other streaks that were just as conspicuous.

For the first time in 17 games, Xander Bogaerts drove in a run. Six innings later, and for the first time in 2025, the Padres’ $280 million shortstop homered.

Afterward, he spoke as much about collective satisfaction as he did about individual relief.

“We know how we’ve been playing, and we got off to a nice start at home,” Bogaerts said after supplying resounding insurance in Tuesday’s 7-4 win against the San Francisco Giants. “So many games unbeaten, and Tampa comes in and, I mean, they did their thing against us. And these guys (the Giants) are playing good, too. And … just kind of giving us extra breathing room. I think that was big. That was big.”

As far as the reference to magnitude, it was not entirely clear what Bogaerts was talking about: his seventh-inning, two-run homer or the Padres’ best win in two weeks.

Bogey’s got @PetcoPark boomin’ 💥 pic.twitter.com/y5xQfMy82r

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 30, 2025

The Giants had entered the day tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League West and the second-best record in baseball. The Padres, despite trailing both division rivals by one game, had limped in after losing eight of their previous 11 games. During that grisly stretch, they barely averaged more than two runs per game. Meanwhile, as injuries to other regulars piled up, a five-time Silver Slugger slugged .276.

The last time Bogaerts failed to homer in a 28-game span within a single season, it was the summer of 2017. Bogaerts, then with the Boston Red Sox, was playing through a right-hand injury. Not coincidentally, that summer also was the last time he went 16 games in a row without driving in a run.

Some eight years later, Bogaerts is, at the moment, a severely underperforming star and the owner of a widely maligned contract. Has he heard the criticism?

“Listen, man, just come in here, try to help the team,” Bogaerts said. “The more you can block out those voices, it’s better for you. It definitely does you no good, so why pay much attention? We’re playing really good as a team.

“And I always learn from a young age, from my uncle. … He always says, ‘You can’t keep a good man down for too long.’ So I always wore that in my heart, in my chest, and that’s the way I approach the game of baseball.”

For all of his efforts to deflect attention, Bogaerts’ fate and that of the 2025 Padres figure to be inextricably linked.

The 32-year-old, after learning second base last season, is back to being the team’s chosen starting shortstop. That choice is more out of necessity than organizational preference; Bogaerts’ range has continued to decline, and scouts say he physically does not bear a close resemblance to the player who starred for years with the Boston Red Sox.

His offense, however, has been the greater source of pessimism. Bogaerts is chasing fewer pitches than ever and drawing walks as often as ever, but he went into Tuesday near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage and barrel rate.

With Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Luis Arraez and Jason Heyward on the injured list, the Padres recently needed vintage Bogaerts. Instead, they continued to get the more-recent version.

Then, Tuesday, Bogaerts sent an RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the first to break one streak. Two innings later, he struck out swinging on four pitches, the kind of uncompetitive at-bat that had defined his start to the season. In the fifth, a more promising sign flickered as Bogaerts lined out to first base. And finally, with the Padres clinging to a narrow lead, he got a 2-2 slider over the plate and lined a 106.8 mph drive just over the wall in the left-field corner. As he rounded the bases, he wore a goofy smile.

“I’m surprised (it took this long to homer), but I’ve been through some stuff like this before,” Bogaerts said. “But yeah, I was a little bit surprised. But, I mean, all it takes is one, and hopefully continue from there.”

Got the W 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9hMpd0OEUP

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 30, 2025

Had he tweaked anything at the plate that perhaps led to Tuesday night’s breakthrough?

“I don’t know. Just continue and try to see the ball and swing at good pitches, make good decisions. Yeah, that’s all I got.”

Before and after the game, Padres manager Mike Shildt was asked about Bogaerts’ recent struggles. With trademark optimism, Shildt, both times, chose to point out that Bogaerts was on pace for more than 40 doubles.

“It’s easy to have complete confidence in all our guys, but related to Bogey, absolutely,” Shildt said. “I get the privilege to know how he goes about it, his heart for competition, how he works.

“The other thing that people don’t appreciate or know — and that’s OK — is his baseball IQ that helps move our needle, and what he does as a teammate. He’s a very, very rightfully respected teammate. … I understand maybe if you want to compare numbers (with Bogaerts’ Red Sox tenure), that the representation you don’t feel like is where it has been performance-wise offensively. But I can tell you this: Any day I manage, I’ll have Xander Bogaerts on my team.”

With eight-plus seasons left on Bogaerts’ nine-figure deal, the Padres have little choice but to cling to such optimism. Tuesday, there at least was a little more reason to believe: Arraez, back from a concussion, singled and drove in a run. Heyward, back from knee inflammation, singled, doubled and scored a run. The Padres collectively scored their most runs in more than two weeks, beating a division rival in the biggest NL West clash of the young season.

And, finally in 2025, Bogaerts supplied a familiar glimmer.

“This homer, it definitely helped us win a nice game,” Bogaerts said. “It felt good to be able to contribute. I didn’t feel like many nights I’ve been able to contribute. So one like tonight, I mean, it can go a long way.”

(Photo of Xander Bogaerts and Gavin Sheets: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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