Kim the 'key ingredient' with grand slam to lift Padres

SAN DIEGO -- Mathematically, it's improbable. Which, by definition, means it's still possible.

To be clear, the Padres remain a long shot to reach the postseason. They sit 5 1/2 games out of the playoff picture with 36 games remaining. They'll need to jump at least four teams to put themselves in a playoff position.

In other words: They've got an awful lot of work to do -- and not all that much time to do it. Which makes this week's series against the Marlins, fellow contenders in the National League Wild Card race, somewhat imperative.

In a series they have to have, the Padres are off to just the start they needed. Behind Ha-Seong Kim’s grand slam and 5 1/3 sharp innings from Michael Wacha on Monday night, San Diego took the opener, 6-2, at Petco Park.

“As a team, we’re going into every single game as our last game,” Kim said, via interpreter Leo Bae. “Obviously, every game is important. That’s our mentality right now -- and tomorrow, as well.”

After what they dubbed "a long, miserable day" on Saturday -- in which they dropped both games of a doubleheader against the D-backs -- the Padres needed a response this week. Their fading playoff hopes practically depended on it.

And when they’ve needed a spark this year, so often it’s been Kim who has delivered it.

“At times it feels like we’re down,” said Padres manager Bob Melvin. “But it never does in the way he plays. It’s a key ingredient for us at all times. He never takes a pitch off, never doesn’t run a ball out. … There’s just a lot of energy that comes with him.”

To be fair, Kim has brought that level of energy in all three of his seasons with the Padres. Only recently has he added power to his repertoire.

The Padres led, 1-0, in the second inning when Kim came to the plate with the bases loaded against former teammate Ryan Weathers. Kim turned on a fastball on the inside corner and sent it to the second row in left field, the first grand slam of his MLB career and his 17th homer of the season.

“Once hitters get hot, they stay hot,” Kim said. “... Last two months, I’ve had a hot bat, and I’ve been able to keep it going as much as possible. I’m thinking: Try to stay hot until the end of the season.”

At this point, it’s impossible to overstate Kim’s value to these 2023 Padres. (Shudder to think where their season might be without him.) Kim has a slash line of .280/.370/.449 while playing outstanding defense at three premium infield spots. He has been the most valuable Padre by bWAR and fWAR, a candidate for a top-five MVP finish in the National League.

In 2023, Kim is becoming a star, turning perhaps the best season ever for a Padres second baseman. That would make it especially hard to swallow if this team -- with the offensive track records of the rest of the hitters in this lineup -- were to let that kind of breakout season go to waste.

Of course, the Padres have nearly seven weeks to ensure that doesn’t happen. Wacha did his part on Monday. He was excellent, striking out seven, including six with his putaway changeup, while allowing only one run. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.63 on the season -- and a 1.15 mark in his last 12 starts.

“Every game down the stretch here is important,” Wacha said. “I view them all as must-win games heading into this last month and a half. It’s time, for sure.”

Manny Machado tacked on a solo shot in the fifth. Although the Marlins clawed two runs back in the sixth, including Josh Bell’s homer against Wacha, they got no closer. San Diego even managed to avoid using closer Josh Hader in the ninth, getting a 1-2-3 frame from Tom Cosgrove.

Now, the Padres need just one win from the next two games to secure the season series against Miami (and the head-to-head tiebreaker that goes along with it). Then again, this isn’t the first time they’ve picked up an encouraging victory, the type of win you’d think would get them headed in the right direction.

“We haven’t been able to string together games,” Melvin said. “When you have a good game like this, there shouldn’t be a letdown the next day. But for whatever reason, we haven’t been able to follow good games up with more of them. That’s why we’re sitting on the record that we are.”