Um, yeah, h- how do you feel about that group, a- and is there a team that you feel better or worse about than any of the others, or it just kind of comes down to who plays the best three-game series?

Yeah, I will say the Padres played the Braves very, very well.

They've taken five of seven of them this, off of them this year.

They beat them pretty good last year.

They beat them in the playoffs in '24.

So just matchup-wise, the Padres seem to have the Braves' number.

That said, as you alluded to, this Padres team at home is a completely different team on the road.

Uh, are we tricking ourselves if we think the Dodgers are maybe coming in wounded here?

How big a deal is that to see this version of Jackson Merrill, and what's been different for him?

I mean, see- seeing the 2024 version of Jackson Merrill, this is one of the best young players in baseball, and we talked about it.

2024, the first part of 2025, he looked like that guy.

Then he had three injured list stints, including a concussion.

First half of this year he was chasing everything and, and there were starting to be concerns.

I was starting to get concerned.

And since the All-Star Break, a- again, any statistic you want, he's hitting over 300.

What stands out when we look at the wild card standing? Where are you looking? Are you looking in the rear view mirror, or are you looking at the road ahead? Are you looking at the Cubs and the Phillies?

Here is Kyle Glazer, Darren, to

taunt you.

What's up, Marty and Darren? Coming to you from the southern coast of Portugal.

Historic moment yesterday as Ethan Salas became the youngest catcher to appear in the major leagues since Ivan Rodriguez when he made his debut against the Reds.

The biggest thing with Ethan Salas that has always been so impressive is his poise, his composure, his maturity.

He has always looked like someone who belonged, even when he was 16, 17, 18 in the minor leagues.

He's someone who doesn't get phased easily, and you really see it in the quality of his at-bats, as well as the way he calls games behind the plate, his confidence going out and talking to his pitchers, really leading a staff, even when some of these pitchers are many, many years older than him.

What do you make of the recent run of form from the Padres, getting through New York, having dropped two out of three, but overall a 500 road trip?

Look, they're playing great.

The Padres have the best record in baseball since July 5th.

They're 18 and 7 in their last 25 games, and you look at it.

They're top five in the majors in runs scored during, during that time.

They're sixth in ERA.

They're doing everything right, and we talked so much throughout this year about how the offense wasn't stepping up or w- they weren't getting enough from their starting pitching.

Any final thoughts on the, on the Peter Seidler era and what occurred under, under his stewardship?

Maybe that's what they should have done"?

This team will be looked at differently than the 2023 team, 'cause the 2023 team was stacked.

Going into that season, looking at that roster, there's no reason for that team not to have been a World Series contender, especially coming off of a 2022 NLCS appearance.

This team was never that talented.

This team was never seen the same.

This was always gonna be a, hey, if they get in, it's gonna be, you know, a fifth or sixth wildcard type of spot deal.

So it wouldn't be looked at anywhere near the same level of disappointment, nor should it be.

What do you think, what do you think has changed the most with this Padres offense?

How do you evaluate a team? Do you evaluate them based on their record or do you evaluate them based on where they are in the standings relative to their competition?

So i- it's a little bit of both, but you also have to look at how did they get there.

Are they, are where they are because everyone's over-performing? Are they are where they are because everyone's under-performing? Do you expect some aggression? Do you expect improvement? I, I think with the Padres, the dynamic and part of the reason there's so much back and forth is, let's be clear, they want to buy.

This is a front office that went into the year expecting to make the playoffs.

Back-to-back 90 win seasons, made the playoffs four of the last six years.

They view themselves as a contending competitive team, and they want the team on the field to reflect that.

And they're gonna hold out until the last possible moment.

Uh, you're somebody that pays a ton of attention to this kind of stuff, and also some other trade partners potentially, either way, either direction or, uh, coming two-way traffic.

Um, but yeah, give us kind of a, walk us through a little bit of if there is a common thread through all of these offensive struggles for, uh, a group almost basically one through nine.

Yeah, I mean, with the Padres, there are moments where you see guys getting up to their power.

Manny Machado's hitting sub 200.

He is getting to his power at times.

Gavin Sheets has been a home run threat.

Ty France has been a home run threat.

Miguel Andújar, a lot of doubles, home runs.

Um, a lot of the non-Mason Miller trade candidates carry big, big salary price tags with them.

Uh, what can you tell us about Jace Bowen?

Yeah, so he was drafted by the Pirates in the 11th round a few years back, got an overslot bonus.

He's a physical, athletic kid.

There's no question, right? He can run, he can throw, he can play all three outfield spots, and there is real power and real thump in the bat.

The power is not a PCL mirage.

The issue is the contact.

That is the part of this that is a little bit of a PCL mirage, the average u- up near 300.

Um, what did you make, just a little bit of the back and forth between [laughs] the two sides so far?

But what are the Braves getting, and is there a chance of some regression? And if the Padres had the money, would they have re-signed them themselves?

What the Atlanta Braves are getting is a lockdown end-of-game reliever.

Robert Suárez was one of the best closers in the National League each of the last two years, and prior to that, he was one of the best setup men in the National League for two years, setting up Josh Hader.

He's someone that can fill both roles, and not just be good at both, but dominant in both.

He had a sub-three ERA in both.

Look, it's a fastball he can run up to 100, 101, 102.

His changeup when he throws it is a really, really good pitch.

And even, even as the guy who covers them and, and talks about them, like you see something like that, what goes on through your head? Is it like, "Oh God, here we go again"?