Bob Melvin calls out Padres after latest series loss

Oct 18, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin (3) during a press conference before game one of the NLCS of the 2022 MLB Playoffs against the Philadelphia Phillies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres lost another series on Thursday, and manager Bob Melvin has seen enough.

Melvin called out his team publicly after Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The defeat dropped the Padres to 19-19, and marked their fourth loss in the last five games.

Bob Melvin speaks with the media following today's game against the Twins@Padres | #PadresLive pic.twitter.com/O09t5cVbTG

— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) May 11, 2023

“We gotta perform better is what we have to do,” Melvin told reporters. “Yeah, we hit some balls hard today, but we put way too much pressure on our pitching late in the game. We have guys that can perform better, and we’re going to, but it’s time to quit just talking about it. It’s time to go out there and do it. Another frustrating game for us. Underperforming.

“I don’t think there’s enough tenacity throughout the course of the game. We show signs of it, we show spurts of it, we come out like we should, and then we don’t sustain it for the entire game. That’s the problem.”

When a manager is willing to be this blunt to the media, it’s a pretty clear message to players. For Melvin, it’s certainly a justified one. The Padres spent big in the offseason, loaded their lineup with big names, and expected to be World Series contenders. For them to be 19-19 at this point is, as Melvin said, major underperformance.

One could argue that some things might still be hanging over the team from last season, whether they want to admit it or not.

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