Scratch That: The Padres Are Cooked

 

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My apologies for thinking that Cronenworth's game-tying 2 out home run meant anything for the future of the Padres season. That's on me. It has become extremely clear in the days/games after that moment that nothing has changed and that we're an injured seal in the Pacific Ocean. I had the misfortune of committing to attending every game this week versus the Dodgers. Originally when I had committed the Padres were 7-3 against them, including a series sweep in June. Wow how times have changed. The only day that we showed a bit of fight was in the 16 inning 5 hour fiasco. However, even then we simply refused to win the game. We were one sac fly or base hit away from a huge win and getting our season back on track, but no such thing ever occurred. Maddening.

RESULTS from the 3-game series:

08/24- Dodgers 5 Padres 2

08/25- Dodgers 5 Padres 3 F/16

08/26- Dodgers 4 Padres 0

AJ Cassavell ⁦‪@AJCassavell‬⁩ Final: Dodgers 4, Padres 0 Swept by L.A., the Padres are two games out of a playoff position for the first time all season. They batted an inconceivable .090 (10-for-111) against Dodgers pitching this week. They are in freefall.   8/26/21, 9:13 PM

Baseball Reference ⁦‪@baseball_ref‬⁩ Biggest gainers in Postseason odds, last 30 days: Reds: +74.5 (7.8% to 82.3%) Yankees: +73.9 (14.8% to 88.7%) Braves: +60.5 (30.3% to 90.8%) Biggest droppers: Padres: -77.8 (89.6% to 11.8%) Mets: -33.5 (34.3% to 0.8%) Red Sox: -32.7 (96.2% to 63.5%)   8/27/21, 11:05 AM

The excitement that surrounded this team at the first half of the season is gone. As much as I hate to say it, the truth is this team has given up. We have lost 14 of 16 games. What more is there to say? I was watching the game from right behind the Padres dugout last night (courtesy of Doc Downing) and the Padres players have their heads down, walking around, and show no signs of a team doing whatever it takes to win. That's what hurts. This city has been let down a million times and we still come back to support our guys in hopes that they share the same passion we do. I didn't see that throughout the series other than Blake Snell's gutsy pitching performance. The guy allows virtually one hit and still can't get a win, unbelievable.

But again, it's not the wins and losses. It really isn't. It's the dejected body language and lack of leadership that absolutely crushes me and all San Diegans. I get it losing sucks, being in a slump sucks, but you know what? You have millions of people cheering you on and supporting you to get things back on track. So to walk around like "oh no here we go again we're going to lose" during an actual game is disrespectful to the fan base. All we ask is that you give it everything you have and play with passion. If you do that and we still don't make the playoffs I can live with that. But to go out with our tail between our legs and feeling sorry for ourselves that things aren't going right is totally ridiculous. 

What a complete and utter free-fall we are witnessing. I have to say, I'm a very optimistic, big picture kind of guy but I can't say with any bit of confidence that this team is going to turn it around. It's sickening and with one month left to go, I'm not on pins and needles any more. I see our fate and the expectations that were established at the beginning of the year no longer hold any merit. 

Life's not as fun when Fernando looks and sounds like this. 

-Peanut