"Hader is having another meltdown right now" "He might actually be broken" - Padres Josh Hader walks in winning run, team slumps to 6-9 since blockbuster Juan Soto trade

The crowd at Petco Park turned their anger toward Josh Hader as the boos rained down in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals. Thursday night was another frustrating evening for the San Diego Padres and their highly rated closer. The Padres lost 3-1 after conceding two runs in the top of the ninth inning.

Josh Hader was one of the big-name acquistions during the trade deadline along with Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury. The team had high hopes for Hader, but after another abysmal performance, fans are starting to lose faith. The four-time All-Star walked Nelson Cruz on four pitches to gift the game to the Nationals last night.

The boos and jeers came down immediately as this was just the latest meltdown for Hader since his arrival in San Diego.

The game was tied at 1-1 entering the ninth inning. Yu Darvish and Anibal Sanchez both had solid outings on the night. Darvish in particular was impressive, completing 8.1 innings, giving up five hits, and striking out six hitters.

Hader entered the game with men on first and second with one out. He proceeded to hit Luke Voit with a wild pitch to load the bases. Things went from bad to worse for Hader as he seemed to lose control and walked Nelson Cruz on four pitches.

A sacrifice fly from Keibert Ruiz and a single by C.J. Abrams completed another miserable outing for the Padres closer.

4x All-Star Josh Hader has failed to live up to expectations since his big move to the Padres

Josh Hader leaves the game after allowing three runs in a game against the San Francisco Giants.

Hader last pitched nine days ago, which you would think would be a positive. Entering last night's game, Hader had pitched 2.2 innings in three outings for the Padres. He had given up two hits and three earned runs in those three games. He has a 8.10 ERA since his arrival in Southern California.

Perhaps the game he would want to forget most was his nightmare outing against San Francisco on August 9. Hader had three walks and three earned runs, in only 0.2 innings.

The Hader deal was a heavily publicized trade for the Padres and Milwaukee Brewers. Fans in Wisconsin were disappointed to lose an elite closer. Padres fans felt this was the missing piece to help them win their first World Series. The trade has not materialized as planned for the Padres.

The Nationals currently have the worst record in the majors. The star-studded Padres expected to win this game. Fans are frustrated with the lack of progress.

The San Diego Padres are now 6-9 since the the blockbuster deadline deals. With Fernando Tatis Jr. now out for the season, players like Manny Machado, Soto, and Hader need to step up if the Padres hope to compete in November.