As of Tuesday morning, the San Diego Padres are still very much fighting to secure their ticket to the postseason.
They are 74-62, occupying the third and final Wild Card berth with an eye in October.
The Milwaukee Brewers, however, are just two games behind the Padres in the quest for the playoffs.
That means any slips would likely result in a catastrophe for the Friars.
Right now, they are slipping, so they need to be careful.
They have lost three straight games.
Fans are starting to get impatient, seeing how the team just can’t measure up with the National League powerhouses.
The recently-acquired Juan Soto has been one of the recent scapegoats.
“Juan Soto skies a ball to center field to end the sixth inning. He slams the bat into the grass. Some boos accompany his jog to first base,” Padres reporter Kevin Acee tweeted.
Juan Soto skies a ball to center field to end the sixth inning.
He slams the bat into the grass. Some boos accompany his jog to first base.— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) September 6, 2022
Soto Has Been Struggling Of Late
Soto’s acquisition was met with much fanfare by fans and media, and with good reason: he is one of the game’s top young stars.
However, he hasn’t been able to play to the top of his abilities in San Diego.
Over his last seven games, Soto is 2-for-23 with a poor .087/.323/.087 line.
He will always get on base thanks to his elite plate discipline, but the Padres also need his usual share of contact and power to get to the playoffs and possibly beyond.
His stint with San Diego hasn’t been bad by any means, as he has a .408 OBP and a .802 OPS.
But a .394 slugging percentage isn’t what you would expect from a former MVP candidate that is usually surpassing .900 OPS and regularly over .500 slugging points.
If San Diego wants to hold off the Brewers, they will need vintage Soto.
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