Padres News: Bob Melvin Trying to Keep Things Simple as Friars Look to Get Back to .500

Sometimes keeping things simple is the best solution!

As we enter the All-Star break, the San Diego Padres sit six games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League. It's a place that nobody around baseball believed they would be when the year started as they entered 2023 as one of the World Series favorites.

But the Padres quickly saw that just because you win the offseason, doesn't always mean that it translates to wins on the field. 

As the team tries to get back to contention, manager Bob Melvin just wants his guys to focus on the little things. He wants to keep it simple and he hopes that it helps his team get back on track. 

“It’s a challenge, but I try not to look at these things mathematically — like, you have to win so many games to get to ‘X,’” manager Bob Melvin said. “Because we have the ability to go on a run, and if you make a run, you’re right there. So I think, more than anything, that’s something that should resonate with us. … And then that will give us more and more momentum going forward. But it’s easier said than done because we haven’t done it this year to this point.”

Per The Athletic

San Diego just hasn't been able to find any sort of consistency this year. They look good for a week and then the team falls back into their old habits. It's been a frustrating year for the Friars but one that they can still salvage. 

They have 72 games left to change the trajectory of their season and despite the struggles that they have seen, the players haven't lost hope. Star third baseman Manny Machado is one of the more veteran guys on the team and he has been the rally cry all year long. 

“We can step up. We just got to do it for a consistent time, do it for 50, 60 more games that we have left,” said Machado, who collected his second multi-homer game this month and his first at Petco Park since September. “It’s gonna be huge for us, and I know we can do it and it’s gonna be a possibility at the end of the year.”



Per The Athletic

It won't be easy for the Padres but they have the talent to get back on track. The journey back starts right as the All-Star break concludes since the clock is ticking. Don't count out the Padres just yet as they may still have something up their sleeves for this year.