Bob Melvin says the Padres are looking for “some power” despite walkoff win

Despite Jorge Alfaro’s walkoff home run, Padres manager Bob Melvin says the lineup is lacking power

On Sunday, the San Diego Padres eked out a win on a three-run walk-off blast by Jorge Alfaro, but as glorious as the moment was, it also reminded their new manager, Bob Melvin, what the team is missing.

Power.

https://twitter.com/Padres/status/1523443171329331201?s=20&t=iV8JGWbFKeKWGX_xjZkA_g

Amidst his postgame conference, two soundbites stood out. First, the new Padres manager described starting pitcher Joe Musgrove as running “on fumes” by the end of his seven-inning start. Second, Melvin thinks the offense has been in a bit of “a rut” and “pressing,” but that the at-bats were “really good” in Sunday’s game, but that the team is looking for “some power.”

Watch his full comments here:

https://twitter.com/BallySportsSD/status/1523447759520497664?s=20&t=iV8JGWbFKeKWGX_xjZkA_g

Despite Manny Machado’s superb start to the season – he entered Sunday leading MLB with 40 hits, 26 runs scored, and a .381 batting average and ranked second with seven homers, a .459 OBP, and 1.107 OPS – the Padres are making do without Fernando Tatis Jr., who has been on the 60-Day Injured List since the season began and won’t return until early June, at the earliest. The young star led the National League with 42 home runs last year; Machado hit the second-most on the team, with 28.

To make matters worse, Luke Voit, whom the Padres acquired from the New York Yankees in mid-March, went on the 10-Day IL in late April with a biceps injury. He began a rehab assignment last week, but went hitless in 20 plate appearances, striking out 12 times, including the last nine in a row. He rejoined the team on Sunday anyway, but won’t be reinstated from the IL until he has some live at-bats this week to see if they can figure out why he’s floundering at the plate.

The Padres are 19-10 on the season, one game back from the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, and their offensive deficiencies are clear. The San Diego lineup ranks 19th in hits, 16th in home runs, ninth in runs scored, and 13th in strikeouts. On the bright side, they lead the league in walks.

Unfortunately, Machado can’t do it alone. It’s great that Alfaro stepped up on Sunday, but Melvin is right:

The Padres need more.