Juan Soto Says Padres Gave Up During Series Against Mariners

The San Diego Padres continue to be one of baseball's most disappointing teams, and Juan Soto is calling out his teammates.

Since the start of July, it seemed like things were turning around in San Diego. After falling to the Cincinnati Reds on June 30th to sink to 37-45, the Padres went 18-11 to pull within a game of .500.

Heading into a huge four game weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego seemingly had momentum on its side and an opportunity to improve its postseason odds. But a disastrous bullpen outing in game one and a collapse by Seth Lugo in game four led to a series loss.

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The ensuing two game set in Seattle was somehow even worse. The Padres scored just one combined run in 18 innings, losing both games to fall back to 55-60. Even worse, they've fallen 4.5 games out the third wild card spot, pushing their playoff odds back down.

After Wednesday night's loss, Soto was clearly exasperated with the disappointing offense. And his explanation for yet another series loss may raise even more cause for alarm.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: Juan Soto #22 and Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres look on during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies in game four of the National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 22, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Is Effort The Explanation For Padres' Struggles?

After a frustrating 6-1 loss, the Padres reportedly held a players-only meeting. But speaking to reporters, Soto revealed what was likely discussed.

"We've got to play as a team," he said. "We've got to go out there grind every day. Grind every at-bat. ... It's been really inconsistent. Some days we do, some days we don't. We gotta do it every day. Days like this series, we just give up. Like literally, we just give up instead of keep grinding, keep pushing. We've got to forget about yesterday and keep moving."

As a fan, it's never a great sign to see one of your favorite team's best players admit that they sometimes just "give up."

Clubhouse leader and MLB veteran Manny Machado also expressed frustration, saying the performance was "unacceptable."

There are many possible explanations for the Padres' frustrating season. Somehow, San Diego is 0-10 in extra innings, the only team in baseball not to have a win in those situations.

Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. haven't played up to expectations, and neither has Xander Bogaerts after signing a massive contract last offseason. The bullpen has pitched poorly in recent weeks, and injuries to key starters like Michael Wacha and Joe Musgrove have taken their toll.

They're also 6-18 in one run games, despite having arguably the best closer in baseball. Essentially, they've won blowouts and lost close games.

Maybe the mentality Soto describes is responsible, maybe it's just bad luck, or maybe it's both. Either way, with just 47 games remaining and four teams to pass in the NL, time is running out for the Padres to turn their season around.