This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
It’s now-or-never time for the 2023 Padres.
And never merely as a result of their present four-game dropping streak has pushed them perilously near falling from the Nationwide League Wild Card race fully.
The following 4 weeks will provide the Padres each likelihood to combat their means again into that race. However, properly, they’re going to need to play quite a bit higher than they’ve been enjoying these days.
“Pay attention, that is it,” stated shortstop Xander Bogaerts after the Padres’ 6-1 loss in Seattle on Wednesday. “We’ve nonetheless acquired an opportunity. We don’t management our future; we’re not in first place. However we do management it a little bit bit, as a result of we’re enjoying the groups which can be proper above us.
“That’s at the least a luxurious we’ve got, though it’s been unhealthy.”
And, what? He’s not incorrect.
Not solely are the Padres ready within the standings the place they should begin reeling off victories. They’re additionally at a spot of their schedule the place these victories can be immensely beneficial.
Over the subsequent 4 weeks, the Padres will play 26 video games. A whopping 20 of these come towards fellow NL Wild Card contenders, starting Friday with a three-game sequence towards the equally struggling D-backs.
“We’ve acquired Arizona developing now — we have to win, doesn’t matter who it’s,” Manny Machado stated. “We’ve acquired to play good baseball, play the baseball we are able to play. Clearly the previous couple of days we haven’t. We’ve acquired to show the web page … and are available to play, as a result of we all know they’re going to deliver it.”
Think about the present Wild Card image. Seven groups are within the combine for 4 spots (considered one of which matches to the NL Central winner). Amongst these seven groups, over the subsequent 4 weeks, the Padres play the D-backs six instances, the Giants 4, and the Marlins, Brewers and Phillies thrice.
“We’re enjoying the fellows which can be in entrance of us,” Bogaerts stated. “We all know what’s forward of us. We all know the duty may not be straightforward. However this can be a workforce that talent-wise, we’ve got every little thing that we would like.”
Lately, the playoff image has gained some readability. Positive, the Padres solely misplaced half a sport within the standings over the previous week, regardless of their 1-5 report. That’s a product of another contenders struggling.
But it surely’s little comfort, as a result of the Phillies and Giants have pulled forward, gaining a agency maintain on the primary two Wild Card spots. If one different contender will get red-hot — and keep in mind the 2021 Cardinals toppled the Padres with a 17-game September profitable streak — it’ll be a steep uphill climb. No, amongst that group, it wants to be the Padres who get sizzling.
“We’ve acquired to go on the market and hopefully pull some strings collectively, win greater than a pair video games in a row,” Machado stated. “We’ve acquired to get sizzling. But when any workforce can do it, I feel that is the workforce in right here.”