As the oldest player in San Diego, Wil Myers is often asked about the stark differences between the current edition of the Padres and the other teams he has played for since his arrival in December 2014.
Overall, Myers ’responses are insightful and complex. He has spoken in depth about organizational culture and the shift to a winning mindset. But Myers perhaps put it better on the eve of the regular season, when he was asked that same question for the umpteenth time. What difference, exactly?
“We have very, very good players,” Myers said.
Simple as that. The 2021 Padres, with an 8-3 start and four straight winners to start their road trip, have really good players.
Myers among them, of course. The Padres right-handed football field scored 3 for 5 with a homer and five tow runs as it opened a four-game series in Pittsburgh with a 6-2 victory.
Yu Darvish, too. The right-handed veteran delivered exactly what the Fathers needed after Sunday they had asked six lifeguards to cover 8 1/3 tickets to Texas. Darvish saved a besieged San Diego bull with seven ball innings in one shot. He was efficient and effective, left six and allowed only three hits.
“Not just yesterday, but we have a lot of games in a row,” said Darvish, fully aware that the Padres are in the early stages of a stretch with 17 games in 17 days. “Really, the goal for me tonight was to stay in the game as long as possible.”
Early in the game, Darvish said he was pitching to contact, looking to induce quick exits. Indeed, it exploded for four innings in 52 pitches, although it only recorded two attacks in that period. As the game progressed, Darvish began to expand a little more, looking for chases. He got them too.
“It was great,” said Jayce Tingler, Parent Manager. “Yes, you get the victory. But it also restores some guys from the bullring, which is huge. … He did exactly what we needed tonight. “
It was precisely the kind of outing the Fathers intended for Darvish when they acquired it in December. He has now worked on at least seven entries in seven of his last 13 starts. It has lasted at least six out of 12 outings (except one early outing on the opening day of this season, when it had a release).
The Padres pitchers have teamed up to release an ERA of 1.80, the lowest score in 11 games in franchise history. And after Darvish you can’t let go. The other two big off-season acquisitions from San Diego: Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove, get the ball the next two nights.
“It’s a lot of fun playing in the back,” Myers said of the parents ’renewed rotation. “It’s pretty wild to see these guys, their nasty throws. I’m glad I didn’t have to face them. “
On Friday night, Musgrove, finishing his historic non-hitter, was named winner of the National League Player of the Week award on Monday afternoon, a week after Eric Hosmer took home the honors. Since last season, five of NL’s last 10 players of the week have been Padres, more than the franchise had seen in the previous six years together.
As Myers said: good players. And during 11 games this season, different players have also participated in different nights.
“That just shows you the team we have,” Myers said. “All the boys we have in this formation have the ability to take charge of a game and, when you fill an alignment with boys like that, every night you will find a boy who will be hot. That’s what makes a great team. “
The Padres look like the full team Myers planned for before the season. Sure, they’ve played eight of their 11 games against last-place teams since 2020, but they win those games and win them convincingly (though not necessarily flawlessly).
“You will be in a lot of games when you throw it and play well [defense], and I like where we are offensively, “Tingler said.” We still have a lot of room for improvement, which is also exciting. “