SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres didn’t clinch an inevitable playoff berth Sunday. However they secured their first 90-win season since 2010. And earlier than a go to to Chavez Ravine, they remained three video games behind the Nationwide League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
“If you happen to’re asking to win seven in a row in opposition to the first-place workforce within the division and one other actually good workforce, it’s asking rather a lot. Doable, for positive,” Joe Musgrove stated earlier than Sunday’s victory over the Chicago White Sox. “If we do win each sport, it shores up the division for us. However there’s a number of methods we are able to get in (the postseason) and loads of ways in which it might occur with out profitable seven in a row. I don’t assume we’re placing the stress of feeling like we’ve to win seven in a row, however yeah, we’re undoubtedly going out making an attempt to win all seven.”
Listed below are a few takeaways forward of the largest sequence of the yr.
Beginning pitching edge
The Padres already maintain an vital tiebreaker in opposition to the Dodgers, having clinched the season sequence in late July. It won’t find yourself taking this a lot, however the Padres can assure themselves a Nationwide League West title by profitable their last six regular-season video games. And, for now, their beginning pitching benefit over the Dodgers appears vital.
Padres-Dodgers pitching probables:
Tuesday: Michael King vs. Landon Knack
Wednesday: Dylan Stop vs. Jack Flaherty
Thursday: Joe Musgrove vs. Walker Buehler— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) September 22, 2024
The Dodgers, due to accidents and regardless of a franchise-record luxurious tax payroll, have resorted to patching collectively their rotation. The Padres, in the meantime, have pitched particularly nicely as they close to the postseason: Prior to now 9 video games, San Diego starters have mixed to throw 56 innings whereas permitting solely six earned runs.
It wasn’t that way back that this group represented the largest query mark on the roster. Then, Musgrove returned from the injured listing in August. Yu Darvish got here again from his prolonged absence early this month. Martín Pérez has exceeded all expectations since he arrived on the commerce deadline.
“I feel getting constant outings and myself and seeing Yu’s (pitch) depend rise up to a traditional spot and seeing pitching nicely, it sort of reinforces the rotation,” Musgrove stated. “I feel we’re fairly good with (Michael) King and (Dylan) Stop, and Martín’s throwing rather well. However, clearly, three just isn’t sufficient. So having 5 stable choices would actually assist.”
In Sunday’s win, Darvish allowed two solo homers for the extent of the injury in opposition to him. He additionally grew to become the primary Japanese-born pitcher to achieve 2,000 profession strikeouts within the majors, and he matched Hiroki Kuroda for probably the most mixed wins (203) by a Japanese-born pitcher between the majors and Nippon Skilled Baseball.
Additionally vital: He labored into the seventh inning and acquired as much as 87 pitches, his highest whole since his return.
“My physique feels nice,” Darvish, who has had a number of IL stints this season, stated by means of interpreter Shingo Horie. “Good vitality, good stamina. It feels good.”
As a result of they’ll spend the approaching week chasing a division title, the Padres won’t have the luxurious of lining up their first-round playoff rotation precisely how they’d prefer it. However their present order already appears near perfect.
Stop is scheduled to make his last regular-season begin Wednesday, which might give him ample time to arrange for a possible Recreation 1 outing Oct. 1. Musgrove will comply with him on the mound Thursday — and presumably in a postseason Recreation 2. Darvish doubtless will pitch Friday or Saturday in Arizona. Both approach, he ought to then have sufficient relaxation earlier than beginning a Recreation 3, if wanted. And if the Padres don’t find yourself asking King to pitch the regular-season finale, he may very well be another choice for the second or third begin of the playoffs.
Shortstop returns
Beginning shortstop Ha-Seong Kim may return from shoulder irritation in some unspecified time in the future in October, relying on how far the Padres advance. The workforce doesn’t look like banking on that final result.
Xander Bogaerts, after spending a number of months acclimating to a brand new place at second base, has began the previous 11 video games at his outdated place. The Padres on Sunday chosen the contract of veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed, who signed a minor-league deal Aug. 31 hours earlier than a deadline to retain postseason eligibility. (Gamers acquired in September or later are ineligible.)
Ahmed is a two-time Gold Glove winner and, at this stage in his profession, a restricted choice on offense; in 69 mixed video games this season with the San Francisco Giants and the Dodgers, the Nationwide League West fixture logged a .571 OPS. He has not appeared in a big-league sport since Aug. 18, the identical day Kim injured his proper shoulder. He’s anticipated to function insurance coverage behind Bogaerts, who demonstrated some rust with errors in consecutive innings between Wednesday and Friday.
The primary error got here close to the tip of a 4-0 shutout of the Houston Astros. The second got here close to the beginning of a one-run, 10-inning win in opposition to the White Sox. Bogaerts is aware of the margin for extra errors may successfully vanish subsequent month. He adopted Friday’s sport with a pair of sturdy defensive performances over the weekend.
“It’s one of many hardest positions to not have the ability to play for a very long time within the massive leagues (earlier than returning there), and it’s just about the toughest place on the sector,” Bogaerts stated. “And I feel the extra video games, the extra reps you get, it’s gonna be useful. You’ll be able to’t simply put anybody and everybody over there, particularly in a playoff race, and have them execute. You would most likely do that in a dropping season and make somebody be taught from it. However I’m not put in that scenario proper now the place I acquired to, like, be taught from it. I acquired to go on the market and enhance and make performs.”
(Photograph of Michael King: Denis Poroy / Getty Pictures)
