Are the San Diego Padres playoff-bound?

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Welcome to The Dance.

It’s not that the San Diego Padres are an unwelcome partner to this version of the Post-Season Waltz. Rather, the expectation, over the past few seasons, seemed as formidable for this franchise as a right-handed hitter reaching the Western Metal Supply Co. warehouse well beyond the left field fence at Petco Park.

With their desire to spend big money in a “small market,” the Padres drew considerations attention. The biggest splash was the acquisition of Juan Soto in a trade with Washington and then his subsequent signing. For the 2023 season, Soto agreed to a one-year deal and signed for $23 million. For that price, Soto hit .275, slammed 35 bombs and drove in 109 runs.

Quickly, the 25-year-old was off to the Bronx and a trade to the New York Yankees. Still, A. J. Preller, the San Diego’s general manager, continued to shuffle players. Along with Soto, exit closer Josh Hader, but those retained began to put up important numbers.

Consider –

• Jake Cronenworth – hit. 229 in 2023; now, .249
• Manny Machado – hit .258 in 2023; now, .274
• Soto – hit, .275 in 2023; replaced by Jackson Merrill, now .289 (21 home runs, 79 RBIs in 134 games through Sept. 1
• Hader, 33 saves in 2023; now, combined Tanner Scott and Robert Suarez 32 saves through Sept. 1

That is a principal reason why the Padres, as the calendar flips into September, are locked in a three-club race for NL West Division honors.

By taking a weekend series over the Rays and coupled with the Arizona Diamondbacks win over the Dodgers in Chase Field on Sept. 1, the Dodgers hold a five-game lead over both the Padres and Diamondbacks.

On the schedule, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have one game remaining among each other, and that’s on Sept. 2 in Chase Field. The Padres have three left at Dodger Stadium Sept. 24-26 to conclude their season against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

“I we’re excited, playing good baseball, and want to keep it going,” said Padres’ starter Dylan Cease, who passed the 200-strikeout mark (fanned Rays’ Christopher Morel in the second inning on Sept. 1) for his fourth consecutive 200-strikeout season. “We have to play the way we’ve been and play focused. Do that and good things will happen. I think we’re just focused on one game at a time.”

With teams challenging, the mindset is universal. That is, it’s the need to take care of business one game at time. That attitude is reflected by Mike Shildt, the Padres’ manager’.

After Xander Bogaerts’ ninth-inning sacrifice fly broke a 3-3 and generated that one-run victory over the Rays on Sept. 1, Shildt told reporters that the key to success is to block out the outside world.

“I have zero ability to affect anything outside of this clubhouse,” he added. “I would not begin to think or try. We take care of our business and that’s the way this game works.”

At the same time, Shildt explained that only the Padres, with their collective mindset and abilities, will generate success.

“The mood in our clubhouse is always good,” said the manager. “Guys like to play, and we happen to be in September. We just have to keep going, get after it, and play good baseball. Yeah, we’re excited. This is the fun stuff.”

A consensus around the clubhouse is that winning is contagious. With the Padres clinging near the top of the division and meaningful games ahead with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, there is a certain spirit and elan.

That environment was pointed out from outfielder David Peralta, who played for each of these three teams currently bunched together. After nine seasons with the Diamondbacks and one with the Dodgers, Peralta signed with the Padres as a free agent on May 18 of this year.

“It’s different (with San Diego), “Peralta said in the Padres clubhouse after the Sept. 1 game. “Yes, we all compete for the same goal and that’s to go the post-season. Here, we have great chemistry. This is a great team. We see how these guys fire all the way to the end. This is special and hard to describe. We have young talent and veteran guys, and that’s a great combination. This clubhouse is ‘family,’ and we go game by game. We don’t worry about the noise outside. We just care about what we can do today to help the team find a way to win. That’s what great teams do, and that’s what we do every day. We always find a way how to win and we trust each other.”

Elsewhere … after San Diego starter Randy Vasquez went 4.1 innings against Tampa Bay on Aug. 31, surrendered 11 hits and nine runs, he was sent to AAA El-Paso. That created a gap in the Padres rotation and after that 4-3 win on Sept. 1, Shildt said plans to fill the spot is uncertain. He did commit righthander Joe Musgrove (4-4, 4.44 ERA in 14 starts) to open the Padres’ next home stand on Sept. 2 against Detroit … for the Rays, they encounter a club on Monday in a similar position as the Padres. In engaging the Minnesota Twins for the four-game set at Tropicana Field, the Twins are tied with Kansas City Royals at 3.5 games behind AL Central Division-leading Cleveland, and hold, with the Royals, a 4.5 game lead over Boston for in the wild-card chase.

In the series opener on Monday night, Rays’ right-hander Zack Littell (5-8, 3.89), fresh off the Injured List with arm fatigue, takes on Twins’ rookie righthander Simeon Woods-Richardson (5-3, 3.85). The series continues with night games on Tuesday and Wednesday and concludes with a Thursday matinee.

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