At 25-25 entering Tuesday's game in Cincinnati, things could be better — also, much worse — but it's gone well enough for the Padres' manager.
— and trimmed their Opening Day payroll from $248.9 million to $164.5 million in the span of one year.
Through 50 games a year ago, the Padres were 23-27 with a bloated payroll. Fans were groaning about the wide gap betweenMike Shildt had an up-close view of last year's disappointment as a senior advisor to the major league staff and player development department. Briefly, he filled in as the Padres' third base coach. Now as the team's manager, he understands how the Padres' reality and expectations line up compared to this time a year ago — and he likes what he sees.
To wit: Since beginning the season under 50 percent, the Padres' playoff odds have ticked up to 58.9 percent,Banking wins in tough series hasn't been an issue. The Padres took three out of four games from the Braves in Atlanta last week. Two weeks ago, they stole two of three at home from the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. They've also somewhat inexplicably lost five of six games against the Colorado Rockies this season.
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