Padres star Juan Soto unshaken as team prepares to play vs Shohei Ohtani: "He’s going to have trouble facing this lineup"

San Diego Padres star Juan Soto spoke to reporters after Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels and vowed to give Shohei Ohtani a tough time pitching against them.

After a tumultuous month that saw the Padres struggle in June, they showed a huge improvement in their series opener against the Angels. Ohtani is expected to pitch against the Padres in one of the upcoming games of the series, and Soto promises that his team will give the Japanese star a tough challenge.

Soto and the Padres have struggled so far in the MLB season. The team hit a major slump in the month of June which saw them drop to fourth place in their division.

While there is no shortage of talent in the team, they have not been able to deliver the results that are expected of them.

The Padres have started their series against the Angels with a resounding 10-3 victory on Monday. Juan Soto managed to score three runs on the night, with one hit recorded.

The entire Padres lineup was on fire as their bats blew away the Angels' defense. While Ohtani didn't pitch in the opening game, he is expected to take the mound in one of the upcoming games of the series. Soto also vowed that his team will not roll over against the Japanese phenom and will make life difficult for Ohtani.

“He’s impressive, but he’s going to have trouble facing this lineup tomorrow, definitely,” said Soto.

Juan Soto and the Padres remain outside postseason spot despite win vs Angels

While the win on Monday over the Los Angeles Angels has no doubt lifted spirits among the San Diego Padres players, they still have a long way to go in the MLB.

Juan Soto admitted that the team had a month to forget in June but will be focused on the task ahead. The second half of the MLB season is yet to be played and the Padres will fancy their chances of qualifying for the postseason.

There is no doubt that they have the talent but will need to squeeze out results against tough opponents when it matters.