SAN DIEGO — Fernando Tatis Jr. sat in entrance of his locker late Monday evening, assessing his San Diego Padres within the wake of an extra-inning loss to the Dodgers. He didn’t have a lot to say, however he didn’t should say a lot.
“We can still play better,” he mentioned. “It’s that simple.”
Tatis reached base thrice Monday, however his OPS is 78 factors under his profession common. The Padres dropped the extremely anticipated opener of the season sequence of baseball’s greatest rivalry by one run, however their best and wholesome beginning pitcher bought hit exhausting, one in all their relievers threw away a comebacker, one in all their outfielders misinterpret a line drive, and their shortstop misplaced a pop fly within the twilight.
But, in spite of everything that, the Padres (37-28) awoke Tuesday 9 video games over .500 and two video games out of first place within the Nationwide League West. At this level final season, the Padres have been one recreation below .500 and eight video games out of first place.
The Padres rallied to clinch a postseason spot and got here inside one recreation of eliminating the Dodgers within the first spherical of the playoffs. Then got here winter, with the Padres going into hibernation because the Dodgers signed many of the free world.
The Padres didn’t win the winter, by selection. That didn’t endear them to their followers, significantly not after the Dodgers took residence a championship trophy as a result of nobody might beat L.A. in October.
There was a preseason fan fest in San Diego. It was decidedly not festive.
“I don’t think we were ever bad,” Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove mentioned. “People see the additions of big name players for a lot of money and think that directly correlates to the ability to win.”
That’s true for followers, and more true nonetheless for main league homeowners working in markets far smaller than San Diego, refusing to spend after which pointing fingers on the Dodgers. The Padres earned a playoff payoff final season, they usually have offered out 27 of 31 residence dates up to now this season.
San Diego’s Jackson Merrill celebrates after hitting an run-scoring double in opposition to the Dodgers within the tenth inning Monday.
(Orlando Ramirez / Related Press)
“I don’t think the fans are wrong for feeling how they felt,” Musgrove mentioned. “That’s just a natural, knee-jerk reaction to seeing everyone move and you not move.”
The Padres misplaced Tanner Scott, Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim over the winter. They misplaced Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Josh Hader the earlier winter.
That might frighten any fan base.
The Padres traded Soto and bought two New York Yankees relievers — Michael King and Randy Vasquez — that now begin in San Diego. The Padres changed Soto within the outfield with a minor league shortstop, Jackson Merrill, who ought to have been the NL rookie of the 12 months.
They didn’t use Scott as a better after they traded for him; Robert Suarez closed then and closes now. Gavin Sheets, signed to a minor league contract, has 11 residence runs, greater than anybody on the staff moreover Tatis.
The highest 4 batters within the San Diego lineup — Tatis, Luis Arraez, Manny Machado and Merrill — can maintain their very own in opposition to the Dodgers’ quartet of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández.
Utilityman Tyler Wade scoffed on the winter notion that the Padres may not fare as nicely this season.
“Look around our room, man,” Wade mentioned. “We’ve got a super-talented bunch. We basically have the same team as last year — minus a couple of key pieces, obviously.”
The Padres’ catchers have a damaging WAR. So do their left fielders, and their .248 on-base share is the bottom amongst any staff’s left fielders.
The Angels’ Taylor Ward can be a pleasant match right here. A.J. Preller, the Padres’ president of baseball operations, is the uncommon government who trades precise prospects. He’ll make the Padres higher within the seven weeks between now and the buying and selling deadline.
Stated Musgrove: “The people in this room felt extremely confident in the staff, and in the belief that we have in A.J. to put a good product on the field and make adjustments as necessary throughout the year.”
What may distinguish the Padres from the Dodgers this season — and vice versa — is what number of beginning pitchers return from the injured record, and the way efficient they are often.
The Dodgers have Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow and Tony Gonsolin on the injured record. The Padres have King, Musgrove and Yu Darvish on the injured record.
Darvish has but to pitch this season however has resumed throwing bullpen classes. King is predicted to overlook a number of weeks due to a pinched nerve. Musgrove, who had Tommy John surgical procedure final October, will not be anticipated to rejoin the rotation this season however is hopeful he can pitch in reduction within the postseason, if the Padres get there.
The Dodgers’ relievers have thrown essentially the most innings within the league. Each the Dodgers and Padres’ starters rank among the many high 5 in innings pitched. The relievers for each groups are pitching very nicely, however too typically.
In the end, lest the bullpen arms develop into injured and/or ineffective, the supervisor mentioned, “We’re going to need some depth out of some starters.” (The supervisor was the Padres’ Mike Shildt, however it might simply as simply have been the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts.)
And, amid all of the hype and evaluation surrounding the Dodgers and Padres, there’s one little wrinkle: The Dodgers lead the NL West, however the staff in second place will not be the Padres. It’s the San Francisco Giants. Did somebody say rivalry?
