Padres on Brink, Salas Shines | San Diego Padres News

The Padres are clinging to playoff hopes despite a troubling stretch—losing two nail-biters to the last-place Reds and dropping four of their last five series. Manager Craig Stammen admits they’re not playing their best, but insists they’re still in the wild card race. Meanwhile, the future arrived with 20-year-old phenom Ethan Salas making his MLB debut as the youngest catcher in 35 years and the youngest player ever to step onto a big-league field. Nervous at first, Salas said he settled in once the first pitch flew—and it was just baseball. On the mound, Mize had a disastrous inning against the Reds, giving up four runs—a rare stumble for the pitcher who’s struggled since joining the team. France hit his 20th homer, though he’d love it to have come in a win. And amid all this, the team’s bunt game has gone haywire, while Mason Miller’s role has shifted—with Manny Machado getting a well-earned day off—as the Padres scramble to find consistency before the postseason clock ticks down. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/95ef87a27000966b