Padres Can Make History By Sweeping Hapless Opponent

Valentina Martinez | Sep 20, 2024

Sep 8, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) puts his arm around left fielder Jurickson Profar (10) before the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Chadd Cady-Imagn Images / Chadd Cady-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres face off with a lowly opponent for their next three-game series. A sweep of the Chicago White Sox would mean the struggling club would tie the 1962 Mets' record of 120 losses in a single season.

San Diego has more than a good chance of sweeping the White Sox. Since early June, the Padres are 30-9 against teams that have a losing record.

The turning point preceded the Padres being swept by the Los Angeles Angels, a team that hasn't reached the postseason since 2014.

“I think it was like a switch for us,” Jurickson Profar told Kevin Acee of The San Diego-Union Tribune.

Since then, San Diego has honed its craft and fine-tuned a strong identity for the season.

“It takes time,” Profar said this week. “We build it. You build stuff like that. This is the big leagues. Even if you have a team full of superstars, you still need to build it. It’s not a robot game.”

The White Sox have sort of been on an upward trajectory in the sense that the club won three consecutive game before losing its last two. It was the first time since June that Chicago won consecutive games.

The Padres and White Sox are on opposite ends of the spectrum. One team has everything to play for, while the other's season has been over for a while.

Five is the magic number for San Diego. The Padres can secure a playoff spot with any combination of wins and Atlanta Braves losses that add up to five.

San Diego has a two-game lead over National League opponents, the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Maintaining the lead would mean clinching the top wild-card spot for a home series to kick off the postseason.

A three-game sweep over the White Sox would get the Padres that much closer to their final destination. San Diego certainly has the motivation it needs to roll over Chicago.

The postseason push is what's fueling most winning teams at this point of the season.

San Diego isn't taking the series with the White Sox less seriously than the upcoming showdowns with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Diamondbacks. Padres general manager Mike Shildt summed up the team's mentality best.

“We’re going to prepare for everybody just like it’s Game 7 of the World Series,” Shildt said. “That takes care of everything.”