Week 12 – May 31st – We Head into June Against Two Unconfronted Opponents
Last night, I sat thinking about my approach as I enter each month: what do I need to prioritize as the All-Star break nears, and where do I think we can be when the trade deadline arrives? I put on my GM hat and thought about where I see the organization currently, as a buyer or seller, based on how we’ve performed and how the rest of the league compares to us. At this moment, we’re looking like a seller, so that impacts my decision-making as we advance. My plan as GM with the front office through June will be decided in a day or two.
In the meantime, I must make some decisions as Manager in re-evaluating the current lineups and pitching staff, and figure out where I can improve to help the team win games. I can only do so much, though; they must play with better execution and figure out how to get out of and stay out of these slumps. Right now, I have 5 players who are performing poorly and need to be awakened somehow. They are the biggest reason our offense ranks
15th in wOBA and WAR, and bottom third of everything else except stolen bases, strikeouts, and baserunning. So, the priority right now is to find a way and/or players to spark the offense.
Today, Friday, May 31st, we begin a 3-game series with the NL West Division leaders San Diego Padres at home. The Padres are playing .593 ball this season, compiling a record of 35 wins and 24 losses. Their number of runs scored of 222 ranks 13th in the National League, and their .239 batting average ranks 9th. On the other side of the diamond, they have given up 185 runs (1st) with their starters compiling an ERA of 3.33, which ranks 1st. Their bullpen sports an ERA of 2.18, ranking 2nd.
Here are the projected pitching matchups:
RHP S. Lugo (2-3, 4.18 ERA) vs RHP D. Cease (5-5, 3.66 ERA)
RHP M. Wacha (0-6, 5.21 ERA) vs RHP Y. Darvish (4-2, 3.86 ERA)
RHP B. Singer (2-5, 4.95 ERA) vs RHP J. Musgrove (4-7, 3.35 ERA)
The top 5 players on their team are:
1. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Age: 25, Overall: 65, Potential: 70)
2. SP Michael King (29, 65, 65)
3. SP Joe Musgrove (31, 65, 65)
4. 2B Xander Bogaerts (31, 60, 60)
5. 2B Ha-seong Kim (28, 60, 60)
Then, we get a day’s rest before taking on our division rivals, the Cleveland Guardians. This is the most important series for us this week as it’s on the road.