(Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
This is pretty much the worst time possible for the San Diego Padres to kick off a four-game set against the hottest team in baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The offense is in tatters right now. On paper, this lineup is among the best in baseball. But we’re yet to see that play out on the diamond. San Diego ranks dead-last in the National League in team slugging percentage (.357) and have really kept things afloat offensively thanks to a strong on-base presence (fourth-best in the NL).
Manny Machado, who was visibly frustrated after the Padres dropped their third-straight game to the surging Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, acknowledged the obvious: this is far from an ideal scenario and the team has no choice but to put their early struggles behind them.