Padres News: Juan Soto Acknowledges the Path to the Postseason is Likely Insurmountable
After getting punched in the mouth in their first game against the San Francisco Giants in a four-game home series, the Padres got back up with a vengeance.
The Friars lost 7-2 Thursday night but won their following three games comfortably, gaining some ground in the NL Wild Card standings as a result.
At the time of this writing, the Padres sit 5.5 games back in the race for a spot in the playoffs. However, with only 24 games remaining, the Padres need nothing short of a miracle if they are to avoid becoming one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory.
While the Padres are certainly still giving their all to win each game, Padres slugger Juan Soto knows that the chances of a playoff appearance are low.
“We’re just trying to finish the season strong and see what happens,” Soto said. “That’s our mindset right now. I think it’s a little late. But still, we have (24) games to go. We’re gonna play as hard as we can and see how far we can end up.”
(Via
The San Diego Union-Tribune
)
Soto has been less than impressive in the last month or so of baseball. In August, he batted .219/.322/.390 and 5 home runs. He hit just .154 in the Padres' 18 losses in August.
However, while only three days into September, Soto is making his presence felt at the plate. He only had one hit in each of the Padres' three wins over the Giants, but they were all home runs.
Soto won't be able to hit a home run every game in September — at least, he probably won't — but if he is able to break out of his August slump and get back to his proper form, the Padres' chances of pulling off a miracle would be that much better.