SEATTLE — Amid a career of metronomic production, Manny Machado spent Tuesday further ingraining himself in Padres history. The third baseman hit his 164th career home run for San Diego, vaulting past Nate Colbert to set the franchise’s all-time record while powering his team to a critical win in an increasingly tight playoff chase.
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Machado’s sixth-inning drive at T-Mobile Park broke a tie with Colbert, who had held the record for a half-century until Machado pulled even with two home runs Friday at Petco Park. It also preceded his seventh-inning, two-run single. Both hits supplied a necessary cushion in a 7-3 victory over a Seattle Mariners team that threatened to tie the game late.
With the win, the Padres improved to 25-0 this season when receiving multiple RBIs from Machado. They also ran their overall record to 82-64, maintaining a narrow lead in the National League’s wild-card race on the same day the Arizona Diamondbacks (80-64) and the Atlanta Braves (79-66) also won. The New York Mets, meanwhile, lost to fall into a tie with the Braves.
“Honestly, nothing’s changed,” Machado said. “I think this team has been doing it all year. We’re going to continue to do it. Obviously, we’re … getting closer to our goal, but just stay focused on what the task is at hand.”
The Padres find themselves in pole position largely because Machado, over the last several weeks, has recaptured vintage form. After undergoing offseason elbow surgery and experiencing his worst two-month start as a big-league hitter, Machado has turned back the clock. The 32-year-old is hitting .321 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs since July 27, the same day he collected another career milestone.
“I always feel like his swing is so beautiful and simple,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “One thing that he actually mentioned when he got his 1,000th RBI, when we looked back and started (viewing) some of the footage from his first RBI, just his own comment about pretty much (having) the same swing. He’s just got a natural, fluid, balanced swing.”
The Padres got other notable contributions Tuesday. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first home run since June 20, the day before a stress fracture in his left leg forced him onto the injured list. The right fielder added a highlight throw to prevent the Mariners from stretching a single into a double. Both plays supported an encouraging effort from Yu Darvish, who overcame a pair of early home runs to log his 201st career win between the majors and Nippon Professional Baseball, tying him with Hideo Nomo for second-most by a Japanese-born pitcher.
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And with shortstop Ha-Seong Kim still stuck on the injured list because of a balky shoulder, second baseman Xander Bogaerts made his first start this season at his old position. The move allowed Shildt to insert veteran infielder Donovan Solano in the starting lineup at first base. Solano responded by going 2-for-3, scoring two runs and playing solid defense. Meanwhile, Bogaerts handled several plays at short without incident.
In the coming weeks, the Padres could use more of the same. Machado, Tatis, Bogaerts and Darvish all are owners of nine-figure contracts, established stars who have earned their paydays but must continue to excel to earn what is owed them. But none of the deals is bigger than the 11-year, $350 million pact Machado signed before the 2023 season. And no single player has been as closely linked with the franchise’s trajectory.
“It’s amazing what Manny has been doing for this ballclub since he came over here,” Tatis said. “He is just as Hall of Fame as you can put it, and the guy, he’s an All-Star.”
The sixth inning Tuesday brought the latest showcase. After a leadoff double by Jurickson Profar, Machado fell behind in the count against Mariners starter George Kirby. Then he fouled off consecutive down-and-away sliders. When Kirby came back with a mistake over the plate, Machado was ready for it. The result was a thunderous line drive to center and a two-run homer. Machado later recalled that he had simply been trying to advance Profar.
“What I saw about that at-bat,” Shildt said, “was the game will reward you — not all the time — but reward you a lot when you’re trying to do the right thing.”
For the Padres, at least on this night, it led to a confluence of individual history and collective success.
“Huge,” Machado said. “Especially in the situation of the game (to) give us the lead there and give us a nice little cushion. Definitely a special moment there, for sure, that I’ll never forget.”
Required reading
- Padres takeaways: September, a decision to bunt and Manny Machado’s return to form
- Manny Machado is getting back to full strength. That bodes well for the Padres
(Photo of Machado: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
Dennis Lin is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the San Diego Padres. He previously covered the Padres for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He is a graduate of USC. Follow Dennis on Twitter @dennistlin
