We’re approaching the midway point of the season, and San Diego is mired in subpar results. If they don’t win, they’re out of autumn baseball. It’s becoming one of those seasons where you spend over a trillion dollars and can’t even find a home game.온라인카지노

San Diego came from behind to lose 4-0 to 4-5 against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the 30th. The loss snapped a five-game losing streak for San Diego, which is now 37-44 on the season with a .457 winning percentage.

Kim went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and one run scored on the day, driving in two of the team’s four runs. He opened the scoring in the second inning with a sacrifice fly to left field to put runners on first and third. In the top of the fourth, he hit a solo shot to left (his ninth of the season) for a 3-0 lead. However, the bullpen struggled and the Dodgers fell behind 4-5.

San Diego’s performance pales in comparison to the ambition they showed last winter when they invested heavily. In free agency, the Padres acquired Zander Bogaerts (11 years, $280 million) and signed Manny Machado (11 years, $350 million), Darvish Yu (six years, $180 million), and Jake Cronenweth (seven years, $80 million) to extensions.

It wasn’t just the big contracts. Robert Suarez (5 years, $46 million), Nick Martinez (3 years, $26 million), Michael Wacha (1+3 years, $26 million), and Seth Lugo (2 years, $15 million) are just a few of the mid-level pitchers who can bolster the starting rotation and bullpen. They also added veteran outfielders like Matt Carpenter (two years, $12 million) and Nelson Cruz (one year, $1 million). That’s $944 million, or $1.241 trillion.

However, they’re slipping further and further out of contention for a spot in fall baseball. They’re in fourth place in the National League West, 11 games behind first-place Arizona and eight games behind the third-place Los Angeles Dodgers. The gap to the Dodgers is the same as the gap to a wild card spot.

It’s still too early to tell, but autumn baseball is looking increasingly unlikely. FivesThirtyEight, an American political and sports statistics company, gives San Diego a 44% chance of making the postseason. They have a 10 per cent chance of winning a district title and a four per cent chance of reaching the World Series. It’s true that fall baseball hopes are fading.

San Diego’s biggest problem right now is that its main players, its big-money stars, aren’t performing. There’s no synergy between them at all. Juan Soto has been the most productive player on the team, batting .268 with 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .913 OPS. Fernando Tatis Jr, a late addition due to a PED suspension, is batting .275 with 15 doubles, 36 homers, and an .858 OPS.

Xander Bogaerts is hitting .735 with eight homers and 28 RBIs, Manny Machado is hitting .690 with nine homers and 33 RBIs, and Cronenweth is hitting .656 with seven homers and 26 RBIs. In addition to their individual harmonies, the team as a whole is a force to be reckoned with in the scoring column. Their batting average with runners in scoring position is the lowest in the league at 2.7 (139 for 670). Their OPS with runners in scoring position is .655, the second lowest in the league.

In the midst of all this, Kim’s performance stood out. Not just on this day, but over the course of the season, Kim’s numbers are indicative of a player who has been indispensable to San Diego. In 77 games, he’s batting 25-for-58 with 64 doubles, nine home runs, 30 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and a .755 OPS. He’s the third most productive player on the team behind Soto and Tatis. He’s even outperforming higher-paid players like Bogaerts and Machado.

While Kim is showing his true colours in his third year, the fact that Bogaerts and Machado are performing worse is something San Diego didn’t expect. Ideally, Bogaerts and Machado would showcase their superstar value, and Kim would complement them, but Kim seems to be the standout.

Kim’s presence and dazzle is there, but the team’s situation doesn’t support it. At this rate, autumn baseball in San Diego will remain a false hope this year.