Kim the ‘key ingredient’ with grand slam to lift Padres
SAN DIEGO — Mathematically, it is unbelievable. Which, by definition, means it is nonetheless doable.
To be clear, the Padres stay a protracted shot to achieve the postseason. They sit 5 1/2 video games out of the playoff image with 36 video games remaining. They’ll want to leap at the very least 4 groups to place themselves in a playoff place.
In different phrases: They’ve acquired an terrible lot of labor to do — and never all that a lot time to do it. Which makes this week’s collection in opposition to the Marlins, fellow contenders within the National League Wild Card race, considerably crucial.
“As a team, we’re going into every single game as our last game,” Kim stated, by way of interpreter Leo Bae. “Obviously, every game is important. That’s our mentality right now — and tomorrow, as well.”
After what they dubbed “a long, miserable day” on Saturday — during which they dropped each video games of a doubleheader in opposition to the D-backs — the Padres wanted a response this week. Their fading playoff hopes virtually trusted it.
And once they’ve wanted a spark this 12 months, so usually it’s been Kim who has delivered it.
“At times it feels like we’re down,” stated Padres supervisor Bob Melvin. “But it never does in the way he plays. It’s a key ingredient for us at all times. He never takes a pitch off, never doesn’t run a ball out. … There’s just a lot of energy that comes with him.”
To be truthful, Kim has introduced that degree of vitality in all three of his seasons with the Padres. Only just lately has he added energy to his repertoire.
The Padres led, 1-0, within the second inning when Kim got here to the plate with the bases loaded in opposition to former teammate Ryan Weathers. Kim turned on a fastball on the within nook and despatched it to the second row in left area, the primary grand slam of his MLB profession and his seventeenth homer of the season.
“Once hitters get hot, they stay hot,” Kim stated. “… Last two months, I’ve had a hot bat, and I’ve been able to keep it going as much as possible. I’m thinking: Try to stay hot until the end of the season.”
At this level, it’s unattainable to overstate Kim’s worth to those 2023 Padres. (Shudder to suppose the place their season is perhaps with out him.) Kim has a slash line of .280/.370/.449 whereas taking part in excellent protection at three premium infield spots. He has been probably the most invaluable Padre by bWAR and fWAR, a candidate for a top-five MVP end within the National League.
In 2023, Kim is turning into a star, turning maybe the perfect season ever for a Padres second baseman. That would make it particularly onerous to swallow if this crew — with the offensive observe information of the remainder of the hitters on this lineup — had been to let that type of breakout season go to waste.
Of course, the Padres have practically seven weeks to make sure that doesn’t occur. Wacha did his half on Monday. He was glorious, putting out seven, together with six along with his putaway changeup, whereas permitting just one run. In the method, he lowered his ERA to 2.63 on the season — and a 1.15 mark in his final 12 begins.
“Every game down the stretch here is important,” Wacha stated. “I view them all as must-win games heading into this last month and a half. It’s time, for sure.”
Manny Machado tacked on a solo shot within the fifth. Although the Marlins clawed two runs again within the sixth, together with Josh Bell’s homer in opposition to Wacha, they acquired no nearer. San Diego even managed to keep away from utilizing nearer Josh Hader within the ninth, getting a 1-2-3 body from Tom Cosgrove.
Now, the Padres want only one win from the following two video games to safe the season collection in opposition to Miami (and the head-to-head tiebreaker that goes together with it). Then once more, this isn’t the primary time they’ve picked up an encouraging victory, the kind of win you’d suppose would get them headed in the correct course.
“We haven’t been able to string together games,” Melvin stated. “When you have a good game like this, there shouldn’t be a letdown the next day. But for whatever reason, we haven’t been able to follow good games up with more of them. That’s why we’re sitting on the record that we are.”
