Gary Sanchez Padres Debut- So How’s It Going?
San Diego is currently struggling at that the catcher position. The guy who is thought to be the answer is currently hurt (Luis Campusano); and the guy most Padres pitchers love (Austin Nola) is just not playing well enough. Therefore, seeing AJ Preller make a move to grab up a former Mets catcher is not surprising. So how did the Padres Gary Sanchez debut go?
In all honesty, so-so. No grandiose sparks or Top Plays of the Day worthy of mention. However, Sanchez didn’t do anything to lose the game either; which is of note. Gary’s defensive skills have come into play over the years, so of course, that is an area anyone would be watching closely and carefully.
During the 7th inning against the Miami Marlins is when most got their first look at Gary doing real catcher duties. The Marlins’ Yuli Gurriel steals second base, while Sanchez’s throw to 2nd finds itself in the outfield. Then a few Steven Wilson pitches later, Sanchez finds himself unable to snuff a wild pitch.
Nevertheless, even with all of that, the score does not change. The Padres are able to get the final 2 outs and move onto the 8th inning. Crisis diverted.
Furthermore, if anyone in San Diego had fears about Gary, they were eased during the 8th. Sanchez is up to bat, down by 2 strikes and then smokes a ball hard towards 3rd and beats out a throw to first. A catcher who gets on base? Music to the ears of any Padres fan!
Moreover, tack on a win for the night and it’s a celebration. Will Sanchez be the answer the Padres are needing? Not likely, but it’s a darn good band aid for the time being. Also, it’s not hitting the budget hard, so why not?
Gary Sanchez Padres Debut- So How’s It Going?
This debut by Gary Sanchez comes on the heels of a losing series against the New York Yankees, in which Austin Nola was unable to successfully pinch hit towards the end of game 3 of the matchup. The Padres need a catcher, but more specifically, they need one who can bat. San Diego is too top heavy with the bottom half of the roster grossly underperforming. A bad break since the team’s stars are also not quite up to par currently.
However, this trend will not continue. Eventually, the big four— Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Xander Boegaerts and Manny Machado will start hitting consistently. For instance, Soto’s hard work to improve his swing is already paying off with some bombs into the upper decks. Additionally, Tatis since his return has been very solid; with multiple homeruns (9), 20 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. Not bad for just a little over a month’s work.
The Padres are not dead. Things are just a bit rough right now. However, many of their key players that are injured look to be making good progress in order to get back in the game. So very good news.
Winning the division seems like a mission to the moon at this point. However, a WC is not out the question at all. The Phillies were a team with a similar win record last season; became a WC and made it all the way to the World Series. Therefore, don’t count the Padres out yet, still a lot of baseball left to play. Keep the faith.
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