The San Diego Padres posted an atrocious .171 batting average during June, setting a live-ball era record for the worst team batting average in a calendar month, per ESPN Stats & Info.
It was truly an awful month for the San Diego offense, as the team struggled to a 10-17 record despite posting a 3.39 ERA. The only Padres with a batting average above .245 in June were outfielder Jake Goebbert and starting pitcher Tyson Ross. Goebbert registered four hits (all singles) in 13 at-bats for a .308 average, while Ross managed a pair of singles in seven at-bats for a .286 mark.
Among the team's regular and semi-regular batters, Tommy Medica led the way with 13 hits in 53 at-bats, good for a .245 batting average. There was a significant gap between Medica and second-place Alexi Amarista, who recorded just 14 hits in 62 at-bats for a .226 average.
In terms of dragging the team average down, the worst offenders were veterans Carlos Quentin and Everth Cabrera, both of whom were expected to play key roles in the Friars' attack this season. Quentin posted a hideous .085 June batting average by registering just five hits in 59 at-bats, while Cabrera was a bit better at .133, with just 13 hits in a team-leading 90 June at-bats.
The Padres finished the month in a fitting manner Monday against the Cincinnati Reds, coming away with a 1-0 victory despite having just one hit in 24 at-bats. Luckily for the San Diego faithful, rookie sensation Jessie Hahn spun yet another gem, striking out nine batters over five scoreless innings.
The Padres' stable of young arms may inspire jealousy in other organizations, but it looks like the team will need a complete overhaul on offense in order to emerge as a serious contender in future years.
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