The San Diego Padres are breaking franchise records as they continue an impressive heater. The team has won 16 of their last 18 games for the first time as a franchise, per The Athletic. The team is also 17-4 in their last 21 road games, another record.
San Diego is currently 66-52 on the season, due to this string of victories. The club has won nine of their last 10 games. San Diego is also applying pressure to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have a narrow lead in the National League West division. The Padres are just two and a half games back of L.A. heading into Sunday's action.
Padres fans have to be pleasantly surprised with the team's recent success, especially since the club parted ways this past offseason with slugger Juan Soto.
Why the Padres are having success
San Diego has a fraction of the payroll money that the Dodgers do, but the club is keeping up with Los Angeles for a chance to take the NL West division this season. The Padres are winning games because they are playing excellent offensive baseball.
The team is in the top 10 in Major League Baseball in runs batted in, per league stats. The club has batted in a total of 541 runs this year, good for ninth in MLB. The Padres are also just outside the top ten in home runs, with 135 on the season.
Left-fielder Jurickson Profar is leading the charge for the club. He leads the club in batting average, home runs, runs batted in, hits and on-base percentage. His numbers are quite remarkable, considering he is only third on the team in total at-bats.
The club is also finding ways to claw back and come from behind to win games. The team did that on Friday, in a victory over the Miami Marlins. Rookie Jackson Merrill hit a home run that tied the game in the ninth inning. The Padres then found a way to win it in extras.
“We know we’re not out of it,” Merrill said after the game, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Doesn’t matter who it is — if it’s the Dodgers or these guys, it doesn’t matter. The game is always available for you to come back and win in any way possible.”
The Padres are in action Sunday against the Miami Marlins, with a chance to continue the hot streak. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:40 Eastern.
Follow Us
Subscribe