Not Juan, But Two!
Juan Soto (SD): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.
Juan Soto (SD): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI.
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the San Diego Padres sit six games under .500 and six games back of the final Wild Card spot, all but eliminated from postseason contention. But don’t tell that to Juan Soto. The perennial all-star is still out there doing all he can to carry his team down the stretch.
In 15 games this month, Soto has batted .275 with seven home runs and 18 RBI to lead the Padres to a 10-5 record, but it’s nearly too little too late for the squad. If Juan Soto and the Padres somehow make it to the postseason, they will be extremely dangerous considering how hot they’ve been down the stretch… but it’ll take a miracle.
On Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Soto finished with three hits, including two long balls to lead the Padres past the Athletics, 10-1. Soto singled in the first inning, punching a 3-2 cutter into left field.
In the seventh inning, Soto hammered a high fastball into the right-center field stands. He homered again in his next at-bat, taking a 3-1 fastball in nearly the same location deep to right again for a three-run shot. Soto has hit four home runs in his past six games, batting 11-for-24 over that stretch.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Jake Rogers (DET): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
Rogers had a career day, smashing a pair of home runs as the Tigers defeated the listless Angels, 5-3. In the second inning, Rogers crushed a hanging changeup to the left field bleachers for a solo shot. In the next inning, he drove a first-pitch fastball the opposite way for a three-run blast, his first-career multi-home run game. Rogers then handled six different pitchers from behind the plate, helping navigate the Tigers to a victory. Rogers finished the weekend series against the Angels with more home runs (3) than he hit in the entire month of July.
Nick Fortes (MIA): 4-5, 2 2B, HR, 4 R, RBI.
Fortes finished with a season-high four hits as the Marlins smoked the Braves, 16-2. Fortes singled off of the first pitch he saw and came around to score a few batters later. He added a leadoff double in the sixth, spurring a four-run inning, and added another leadoff double in the seventh. In the eighth inning, he hit a solo home run off of position player Nicky Lopez, driving a 65-mph fastball 378 feet to left. Fortes had just one hit in his previous 22 at-bats entering Sunday and recorded his first multi-hit game since July 23.
Jake Burger (MIA): 2-5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Burger finished with a pair of extra-base hits, with both of them coming against the Atlanta bullpen. In the sixth inning, Burger smoked a double to left on a 2-0 cutter. In the seventh, Burger teed off on a changeup, sitting back on it and hammering it to left-center for a 446-foot three-run home run. Since joining the Marlins at the trade deadline, Burger has batted .306 with eight home runs and 23 RBI, a steady source of production within the Miami lineup.
Jake Meyers (HOU): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 R, RBI.
Meyers finished with a pair of extra-base hits as the Astros defeated the Royals, 7-1. In the fourth inning, Meyers attempted to bunt the first pitch he saw but it went foul. On the next pitch, Meyers drove a hanging sweeper to deep center field for a solo home run. Take that, Dusty Baker. Meyers added a leadoff triple in the top of the ninth as the game was well in hand.
Jason Heyward (LAD): 3-5, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Batting second for the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon, Heyward recorded three hits including a home run to lead Los Angeles past Seattle, 6-1. Heyward began his day by lifting a 3-2 splitter just over the right field wall for a 340-foot home run. In the fourth inning, he added an RBI single and then went on to slap a ground rule double the opposite way to start the seventh. Heyward has hit 16-for-38 (.421) in September to lead the Dodgers to yet another NL West title and looks poised to stay hot in October.
Amed Rosario (LAD): 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, SB.
Rosario earned a rare start against a right-handed starter, cashing in with three hits and a stolen base as the Dodgers earned the victory. In his first at-bat, Rosario drove a first-pitch fastball to the right-center gap for a triple and came around to score later in the inning. He led off the fourth inning with a double and singled to lead off the sixth. Rosario swiped his 14th bag of the season as well and the Dodgers rolled to a sweep of the Mariners. With Los Angeles scheduled to face three left-handed starters this coming week, Rosario should get consistent at-bats this week.
Hunter Goodman (COL): 1-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Rookie first baseman Hunter Goodman had just one of the 29 combined hits in the 11-10 slugfest that the Rockies lost to the Giants on Sunday at Coors Field. In the sixth inning, Goodman took a 1-2 fastball deep to center field, smashing it 437 feet for a two-run home run. Since joining the Rockies in August, Goodman has batted .250 with 17 RBI, but Sunday’s blast marked his first career home run.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (CIN): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Rookie infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand finished with a pair of hits, including a two-run home run as the Reds fell to the Mets, 8-4. In the eighth inning, Encarnacion-Strand drove a 2-2 fastball to straightaway center, mashing it 407 feet for his eighth home run of the season. Batting .325 in the month of September, Encarnacion-Strand has three home runs and seven RBI in 12 games played.