Gleyber Torres' error opens a path to a Padres' win: Five takeaways as the Yankees' four-game winning streak ends

SAN DIEGO – Always ready with a pulse-of-the-team line, Alex Verdugo said of the Yankees starting rotation’s run: “We’ve just been riding their high.’’

Clarke Schmidt carried the staff’s shutout streak into Sunday’s sixth inning, before things unraveled – beginning with Gleyber Torres’ fielding error – in a 5-2 San Diego Padres’ win at Petco Park.

“I’m still mad,’’ Torres said of failing to come up with Jake Cronenworth’s hot grounder, leading to a four-run sixth. “That play was one hundred percent catchable.’’

As the Yankees (37-18) move on to Anaheim for a series beginning Tuesday, here are the takeaways from Sunday’s series finale against the Padres (28-28):

Clarke Schmidt's effort and the Yankees' scoreless streak

Matching zeroes through five innings with Padres starter Joe Musgrove, Schmidt rode the Yankees starters’ consecutive shutout streak to 30.2 innings – the third longest franchise stretch since 1961.

But the right-hander suggested he was battling through some fatigue.

“If this was one of my grinder outings, I’m very happy with how it ends up,’’ said Schmidt, calling it “one of those outings where you don’t feel like your best.’’

Schmidt’s 101-pitch outing ended after Torres’ error and a walk to Manny Machado, and he was ultimately charged with one earned run.

“He’s been a stud. You knew he was going to be able to string a bunch (of good starts) together,’’ ex-Yankee Michael King said of Schmidt, who has yielded just three earned runs over his last four starts – a 1.09 ERA.

Gleyber Torres' error opens the door to four Padres runs

Schmidt was nursing a 1-0 lead when things came apart in the sixth.

Torres called his miscue “a stupid error,’’ failing to backhand Cronenworth’s grounder. Manager Aaron Boone termed it “one of those things that happens…just didn’t’ make the play.’’

It was Torres’ team-leading seventh error of the year, and he’s been prone to concentration lapses at times, though Boone felt Sunday’s misplay was “not from a lack of work and focus.’’

“Just be better,’’ Torres said of moving on.

The Padres wound up batting around, with Ha-Seong Kim’s bunt hit scoring the go-ahead run from third base.

“Do or die. Very frustrating,’’ first baseman Anthony Rizzo said of mishandling a barehanded attempt at fielding Kim’s push bunt, denying him a chance at throwing home for the second out.

Missing the likes of Wandy Peralta

If there’s an area to nitpick on the Yankees, owners of the AL’s best record, it might be their lefty relief.

Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson haven’t made up for the loss of Wandy Peralta, now with the Padres.

In relief of Schmidt, Gonzalez immediately issued a walk and later yielded an RBI single by the terrific lefty-hitting Luis Arraez.

Ferguson opened the seventh by yielding back-to-back doubles to Cronenworth and Machado, and his 5.71 ERA is the highest on the Yanks’ current staff.

In turn, the Yankees got a strong sample of Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada’s talent, striking out all five batters he faced through the seventh inning – starting with Aaron Judge.

“First time seeing him in person,’’ said Boone. “Really good life at the top of the zone.’’

Aaron Judge's homer streak ends, Anthony Volpe's consecutive hitting streak continues

On a sharp, sixth-inning single to right, Anthony Volpe extended MLB’s longest active hitting streak.

Volpe’s 19-game consecutive hit streak matches Derek Jeter’s 19-gamer in 2012 as the longest in recent franchise history, and this weekend he kept it alive against Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease and Musgrove.

Before the game, Boone suggested that Volpe would remain in the leadoff spot with DJ LeMahieu due to return to the lineup Tuesday night against the Angels at Anaheim.

LeMahieu has yet to play this year, due to a fractured right foot suffered in spring training.

“What Volpe’s been doing in the leadoff spot has been incredible. It’s fun to watch,’’ Judge said this weekend. “And he’s still improving, he’s still getting better.’’

Judge saw his streak of four straight games with a homer end one shy of his career best (in 2020), though he gave it a shot – lining a 346-foot, first-inning single off the left field wall.

Juan Soto excites another full house at Petco Park

All the excitement of the first-place Yankees arrival, and Juan Soto’s return to San Diego, was reflected at the turnstiles.

Three straight sellout crowds witnessed the Yankees’ series win at Petco Park, setting a three-game series record at the 20-year-old stadium with 134,081 fans total.

Soto’s RBI double followed Volpe’s sixth-inning single and stolen base, chasing Musgrove as the crowd alternately serenaded Soto with boos and cheers.

Scott Boras, the agent for MLB’s most interesting free agent walk year player, was in the stands here Saturday night, when Soto went 0-for-4.

For the series against his old team from 2022-23, Soto went 3-for-11 with a homer, two doubles, three RBI, two walks and three strikeouts.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Gleyber Torres' error opens a path to a Padres' win: Five takeaways as the Yankees' four-game winning streak ends