SNELL DOES BETTER BUT FALTERS VS. BREWERS

Homer by Brewers’ Taylor spoils effort in sixth inning

As far as Blake Snell is concerned, the training wheels might be just about off. The Padres bullpen, however, could use a few more safeguards.

Tyrone Taylor’s three-run homer off Craig Stammen spoiled what began as a strong second start off the injured list for Snell, a back-breaking blow in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers to snap the Padres’ five-game winning streak on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

Snell had gone toeto-toe with reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes for five innings before walking Andrew McCutchen to start the sixth inning. Christian Yelich’s oneout single to left ultimately chased Snell on his 104th pitch, a significant step forward after the 2018 AL Cy Young winner who lasted just 32⁄3 innings in his first start returning from his adductor strain.

Snell walked just two and struck out seven but was tagged with three earned runs when Taylor greeted Stammen with a high drive that carried over the wall in left to break a 1-1 tie.

Taylor’s blast marked the first time that Stammen had allowed an inherited run to score since serving up a walk-off home run on opening day in Arizona.

The Padres feature the majors’ saves leader in Taylor Rogers, but the bullpen as a whole ranks 15th in the majors in ERA, remains without Drew Pomeranz, Austin Adams and Pierce Johnson and has only three active arms with ERAs under 3.50.

Snell opened the game with four shutout innings before former Rays teammate Mike Brosseau hit a ball into the third deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building to lead off the fifth, snapping a string of eight consecutive outs for Snell.

That Burnes allowed just the one run after allowing back-to-back singles to Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado is one reason he’s emerged as one of the best pitchers in the game.

Burnes traded two outs for a run on a ground ball off the bat of Jurickson Profar, allowed a broken bat single to Eric Hosmer and then got one more ground ball to get out of the first inning with just a 1-0 deficit.

It was the first run he’d given up before the third inning all season.