October 13, 2026
October 13, 2026
In a National League West division that was otherwise weak and below .500, the 2005 San Diego Padres were the only team to finish above the .500 mark, though they barely managed to secure a winning season. This would mark the first time that a San Diego Padres team without star right fielder Tony Gwynn, who retired after the 2001 season, made the playoffs. The Padres went 82-80 in 2005, winning the National League West by 5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks and 7 games over the San Francisco Giants. Like every other National League West team, the Padres took their lumps within the division, going 9-10 against the Diamondbacks in head-to-head play, but they did go 12-6 against the Giants. The Padres went 46-35 at home but 36-45 on the road.
Right fielder Brian Giles batted .301 with 15 home runs and 83 RBIs on 164 hits, 38 doubles, 8 triples and 13 stolen bases. Catcher Ramon Hernandez batted .290 with 12 home runs, 107 hits and 19 doubles. Second baseman Mark Loretta batted .280 with 113 hits, 16 doubles and 8 stolen bases. Center fielder Dave Roberts batted .275 with 113 hits, 19 doubles, 10 triples and 23 stolen bases.
Reserve first baseman Mark Sweeney batted .294 with 65 hits and 12 doubles in 135 games. First baseman Phil Nevin had 72 hits and 11 doubles in 73 games. Left fielder Ryan Klesko had 18 home runs, 110 hits and 19 doubles. Middle infielder Damian Jackson had 70 hits, 9 doubles and 15 stolen bases in 118 games. Third baseman Sean Burroughs had 71 hits and 7 doubles in 93 games. Utility player Xavier Nady had 13 home runs, 85 hits and 12 doubles in 124 games.
The pitcher who stood out in the starting rotation was 24-year-old Jake Peavy, who went 13-7 with 216 strikeouts and a 2.88 ERA, recording 3 complete games and 3 shutouts. Adam Eaton went 11-5 with 100 strikeouts. Brian Lawrence had 109 strikeouts and 1 complete game despite going 7-15. Woody Williams had 106 strikeouts despite going 9-12.
Closer Trevor Hoffman was still one of the best closers in baseball, recording 43 saves and a 2.97 ERA. Relief pitcher Scott Linebrink went 8-1 with 1 save and a 1.83 ERA. Akinori Otsuka had 1 save and a 3.59 ERA. Rudy Seanez went 7-1 with a 2.69 ERA. Chris Hammond went 5-1 with a 3.84 ERA. Pedro Astacio went 4-2 with a 3.17 ERA. Chan Ho Park went 4-3. Dennys Reyes went 3-2.
The three best months of the regular season for the Padres were May, August and September, as they went 22-6, 15-12 and 15-13, respectively. On July 8 at Coors Field, the Padres dismantled the Colorado Rockies 12-2. Tim Stauffer pitched a good game for the Padres, going 7 innings and giving up 5 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs while recording 5 strikeouts. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Rockies center fielder Preston Wilson put his team on the board first with a 2-run home run, but that would be all the offense for Colorado.
San Diego took over beginning in the top of the 3rd, when Brian Giles hit a 2-run double and Mark Sweeney followed with a solo home run. In the top of the 4th, Dave Roberts had a sacrifice fly. In the top of the 6th, Khalil Greene had an RBI single, Damian Jackson had an RBI double, and then Ryan Klesko demolished a grand slam. In the top of the 8th, Sean Burroughs drew a bases-loaded walk to score Giles, and then Greene was hit by a pitch to score Klesko.
Another convincing victory came on August 3, when the Padres crushed the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-3 at PNC Park. Jake Peavy pitched 7 innings and gave up 7 hits and 3 runs, but he also recorded 9 strikeouts. In the top of the 2nd inning, Greene had a 2-run single. In the top of the 4th, first baseman Robert Fick had a sacrifice fly, and both Peavy and Roberts had RBI doubles. In the bottom of the 4th, Pirates left fielder Jason Bay hit a solo home run. In the top of the 5th, Mark Loretta had an RBI single. In the bottom of the 5th, center fielder Chris Duffy had an RBI double and third baseman Rob Mackowiak followed with an RBI groundout, but Pittsburgh wouldn’t have enough to keep up. In the top of the 8th, third baseman Joe Randa and Damian Jackson both had RBI singles, Sweeney had a 2-run single, and Loretta capped things off with an RBI single.
Unfortunately for the 2005 San Diego Padres, they were swept 3 games to none by the St. Louis Cardinals in an uneventful National League Division Series, but the Padres wouldn’t have to wait long for another chance at postseason success.
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