The San Diego Padres aren't just about their Big Three, as some of their recent wins show.
The San Diego Padres are taking over the NL wild card race, but their ongoing eight-game winning streak isn’t just being fueld by their primary stars. The Padres are getting plenty of important contributions from their so-called “secondary” stars, as Adrian Garro of MLB.com noted in his recent piece.
Dustin Harris is the latest example of this. The outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Padres on Aug. 24, and he’s starting to produce some big hits after a brief dormant stretch to get acclimated.
Garro noted Harris is now slashing .333/.357/.410 with two extra-base hits and six RBIs in 15 game, and that got him bumped up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup on Saturday against the San Francisco Giants. Harris responded with a key two-out, two-run single in a three-RBI afternoon.
“I think it shows the guys around me,” said Harris. “It’s like they say, it’s contagious. Seeing the at-bats and these guys around me, productive at-bats, just trying to get the next guy up there. It helps me stay within myself and not try to be a hero or do too much, just play my game and try to compete and see pitches.”
The clubhouse is different as well. The Padres have bought into the concept that every game is close to a playoff game down the stretch, and there’s a level of urgency you don’t see very often in baseball.
“This clubhouse, it's electric,” said Harris. “Showing up here every day, just all the guys on the same page, just knowing we’re going out there trying to put together a win.”
Outfielder Samad Taylor is San Diego’s energizer bunny, as he’s used speed, effective bunting and timely hits to make an impact. The Padres emphasize the concept of “passing the baton” in the lineup, and Taylor is a prime example of that.
“Hitting behind or in front of those guys, your only thought is just get on base and let them boys work,” Taylor said as he described his role. “A lot of fastballs are going to come just because of the threat of running, and you're talking about guys that have light-tower power. You make a mistake and turn it into a homer, a double in the gap, and now we have momentum because I'm scoring from first or something like that.
“So I just try to do whatever I can, and I know Dustin does the same thing. Try to do whatever we can to get on base to help these guys out and get pitches to hit and put us in a situation to win.”
The concept is working, and it’s changing San Diego’s season as they try to extend their winning streak to nine games tonight against the Colorado Rockies.
