Padres Superstars overthrow Shuhei Ohtani

SAN DIEGO — The Padres didn’t have an All-Star player in 2023, which is weird, they’ll tell you, because they feel Ha-Seong Kim deserves a lot more.

And maybe it was. (More on Kim later.) But the real reason he’s weird? The Padres employ Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronworth on their turf. All three were All-Stars in 2021 and ’22. Then all three had good paychecks ahead of the ’23 season.

The first half of the ’23 season was, of course, quite underwhelming in San Diego. And regardless of an 8-5 victory over the Angels on Tuesday, the Padres will have an All-Star break under .500. Each of these three perennial stars has posted numbers well below their career averages.

It’s not perfect. But at the very least, it makes the Padres’ path to a second-half turnaround crystal clear. If this trio can mash like their track records, she says they can…

“It will mean good things for us,” said Padres manager Bob Melvin.

It sure was possible on a sunny Fourth of July afternoon at packed Petco Park, as the Padres beat Shuhei Ohtani. Cronworth doubled on each of his first two batters, before running back with the Bogaerts in the sixth. It was the first time any of Ortani’s team had gone deep in a row in the Majors, and the Angels star walked out shortly after with a blister on his finger.

Bogart’s homer was his second in as many games, and he ended up walking 2-for-3. Neither of those two hit base as many times as Machado, who went 3-for-3 in a walk. It was a display of offensive power against one of the best shooters in the game.

“It’s always fun to have a challenge and take on a guy who is as good as he is, arguably the best player ever,” Cronworth said. “Getting a chance to take on a guy like that, it’s always a fun competition.”

Cronworth, who had never faced Ohtani before Tuesday, became the first player to record three extra hits against him in a major league game. Once a two-way player himself in the Rays system, Cronworth had a unique appreciation for Ohtani’s talents.

“Yes–but it’s not good,” Cronworth said with a laugh. “He’s one of the best hitters in baseball, and he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball. Nobody can say that.”

As such, Tuesday might have just been the breakthrough Cronworth was looking for.

“From a good throw… you could see the confidence go up a little bit,” said Melvin. “He’s running back a little bit better, bats in the area a little bit longer. I hope this is a really good game for him to help out.”

The same goes for Bogaerts and Machado, who both handled their share of injuries during the first half. Both have shown signs of hacking recently. Then Tuesday marked the first time they both hit three hits in the same game as their teammates.

“Obviously, that’s the level he and I want to play at,” Bogaerts said. “We know we are capable of this – and we can do more.”

There was plenty of support for Joe Musgrove, who held the Angels to one run on a dominant seven innings while striking out 11. Josh Hader.

Hader had performed on Monday as well, leaving his status for Wednesday’s series finale. Hader hadn’t had three consecutive games as a Padre, and it was clear that Melvin was trying to avoid using Hader unless he had to.

“you know what?” Melvin will say later. “It’s better than losing a match.”

Hader wasn’t the sharpest either, walking a pair to bring the go-ahead to the plate with the bases loaded. Then Taylor Ward launched an awkward spinning drive over the mound. Kim charged it at second base and made a great play to end the game.

Kim entered play Tuesday leading all National League defense by 11 points above average. Five innings earlier, he had pitched a similar excellent play on a ball that broke Cronworth’s glove at first base. He calmly pulled it down, picked it up and shot Cronworth out.

“I think he’s the best defender in the game,” said Melvin. “I think a lot of his numbers indicate that. … That’s a huge play out there to finish that game, and not a lot of guys can do that.”