San Diego Padres Have to Beat Up on Last-Place Cincinnati

The San Diego Padres have to treat the Reds like the team they are; a last-place ballclub. Take advantage of the situation, just don’t overlook them.

The San Diego Padres are still treading water in an underwhelming National League West. After taking three-of-four from the second-to-worst team in the NL in the Marlins, the worst team in the league, the Cincinnati Reds, are coming into town.

The Dodgers may be without generational-star Clayton Kershaw for an extended period of time after the results of today’s MRI on his back are released. The D-Backs can’t seem to win a game. And the Rockies can’t seem to find much consistency either.

When the season began, there were some (myself) who declared the NL West could be the best league in MLB. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The AL Central has been dreadful and also had some lofty expectations, but the current state of the NL West is almost shockingly bad. Or at the very least, inconsistent.

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The time to strike is now for the San Diego Padres

There is no better way to pick up a few much-needed wins in any level of any sport. Don’t overlook an “easy” opponent. Take advantage of the opportunity that’s being offered and run with it.

The Reds have been playing much better since parting ways with manager Bryan Price, but they are still cellar-dwellers and nevertheless must be picked on.

This Padres team, on this particular roll they’re on, with this young, hungry group of players just dying to showcase their skills and give us a peek at the future of this organization, has to beat up on a team like the Cincinnati Reds.

Even if the Nasty Boys of the 1990 World Series champion Reds showed up to close things out every night, this team has to be treated like a last-place ballclub. Be aggressive. Take the extra base. Make them make a play. Basic, fundamental…stuff.

Next: What to Expect in Lockett's Debut

If the Friars can roll through this series and take at least two of the three games, combined with whatever the mediocre division does, could put the San Diego Padres right in the middle of the NL West pack. Exciting stuff, folks.