San Diego Padres: Week #19 recap

Recapping all of the San Diego Padres action from the second week of August, a week which included a rough stretch in Cincinnati followed by a slightly better showing at Dodger Stadium.

Baseball is funny.

Just when you think you have an idea of what you are dealing with, it throws you a curve. Our topsy turvy Padres played a four game series in Cincinnati  with three losses and some pretty poor performances. Then went into Los Angeles and played really well versus an overpowering team.

Their overall record for the week of 2 wins and 5 losses left a lot to be desired, but the showing in LA didn’t even seem to be the same team that lost 3 games in Ohio.

Maybe it’s that interdivisional rivalry or the fact that the Dodgers bring out the fight in our Friars but those three games were pretty close most of the way through and the two losses were mostly due to the lack of consistency in the bullpen.

Related Story: Week #19 power rankings update

It is not lost on Padres fans that regular 3B Cory Spangenberg has really turned it up the past couple weeks and is by far the most accomplished Friar since the All Star break.

Showing unexpected power to all fields, Spangy has exceeded my expectations this season and is showing why the Padres thought so highly of him when they drafted him in the first round of the 2011 draft. His .336/.413/.617 slash line since the break is the best on the squad. The 23 RBI output exceeds Dodger phenom Cody Bellinger during the same time frame.

More from Friars on Base

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• Fernando Tatis Jr. may not take to outfield move after Xander Bogaerts addition
• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster

While Will Myers and Hunter Renfroe continue to struggle to varying degrees, Spangenberg and centerfielder Manuel Margot excite the fan base with their efforts.

While it is obvious that a contending team is at least a couple years away, the groundwork for that team is being built and there are some hopeful signs to light the way.

The next week is at home with a series versus the woeful Phillies followed by a weekend series against the Washington Nationals that could include squaring off with former Aztec great Stephen Strasburg.

Next: How legendary was Mr. Padre?

The remaining weeks of the schedule will feature many more quality teams and fewer teams with losing records. The test for this team is to see if they can hold it together and play well despite overwhelming opposition. This will be a good test for the young Padres.