The move to bring top closer Josh Hader into the game was obvious to all, including Bob Melvin. Just four outs separated the San Diego Padres from a crucial win over San Francisco in the National League postseason chase. And the skipper had a chance to deploy his bullpen weapon against left-handed pinch-hitter Michael Conforto.

But a usage quirk for the long-time Brewer turned Padre prevented the move. He has not pitched more than three outs in a regular-season game since 2020 and has been in charge of his usage — or lack of — in his final year before entering free agency. Many wondered what games the rest of the season could be more important with the club hanging onto playoff hopes by a thread despite underperforming. Pending free agency was the first assumption.

“It has nothing to do with the offseason,” Hader told local reporters. “It’s the now, it’s the health, it’s the making it through the entire season — 162 games is not an easy task to do. You see guys work overloads. They get injured.”

Melvin was asked after the game if Hader’s rules warranted consideration in the tight game. The manager was left to explain a rule he did not make. He said they spoke about it, but left his comments short of confirming the closer said ‘no.’

Games like the eventual 3-2 loss Tuesday are what Hader was brought in for. San Diego acquired him from Milwaukee Aug. 2022 for Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, Esteury Ruiz and prospect Robert Gasser. It was part of the club’s playoff push that included a trade for Washington Nationals’ outfielder Juan Soto — their run ended in the NL Championship Series in five games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Conforto’s two-run single off Robert Saurez, who was tasked to cover in Hader’s absence, cost the Padres the game and moved them further away from passing the Chicago Cubs for the final NL wild card spot.

In his career, Hader has allowed left-handed hitters to hit just .146. For Saurez, it jumps to .162 but the biggest difference between the two is their overall production — Hader carries a 1.16 earned run average this year to Saurez’s 4.05.

When pressed about his absence, Hader was sarcastic.

“Are we in a playoff race?” Hader asked reporters — at the time of the question, his team was on the heels of an eight-game win streak, though their playoff probability was still hovering around one percent.

The exchange was indicative of both the Padres’ collapse this year, and the public problems Hader has faced in the majors. During his first All-star Game in 2018, racially insensitive and homophobic tweets surfaced from his account. They were from his years in high school in Maryland.

Reports also came to light this year of a toxic clubhouse culture in San Diego. Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin published a story on The Athletic on Sept. 19 detailing problems within the organization. Communication, differing motives and “a lack of feel” from general manager A.J. Preller were all cited as reasons for their collapse.

“It’s the most toxic,” a former Padres’ staffer told Rosenthal.

The Padres entered the season with the sixth-best odds to win the World Series after last year’s blockbuster trade for Juan Soto and the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. from a, 80-game, performance-enhancing drug suspension.

Instead, the top-heavy club has been below .500 for much of the year and was rumored to be looking for Soto trades at one point. They were also expected to sell off both NL Cy Young favorite Blake Snell and Hader before deciding to hold onto the pair of impending free agents.

San Diego’s place in the chase for a playoff spot was dwindling already, and even its eight-game winning streak could only do so much.

Hader’s reluctance to enter one of the season’s most important games, in a vacuum, likely won’t be the culprit of the Padres missing out. But the me-first attitude of the closer likely speaks to the culture of the team, and why it sank it so far.