The San Diego Padres have bounced back from a five-game losing streak by winning three of their last four games.
However, superstar third baseman Manny Machado has been struggling at the plate. Since the beginning of September, he’s hitting just .121 with a disappointing .480 OPS. Going back to the start of August, his numbers improve only slightly—batting .199 with a .566 OPS—well below his usual All-Star standards.
While Manny Machado has shown some signs of life at the plate with two home runs over his last six games, there’s still plenty of work ahead as the push for October heats up. Despite the slump, manager Mike Shildt doesn’t appear overly concerned, offering a brief and measured response when questioned about his third baseman’s recent struggles.
“He’ll figure it out,” Shildt said. “He’s Manny Machado.”
Manny Machado has experienced a noticeable dip in performance following a strong first half of the season, during which he posted a .292/.350/.490 slash line and an impressive .841 OPS. Still, with October approaching, there’s a sense that he has plenty left in the tank. The superstar remains locked in on one goal: helping his team win as the postseason race intensifies.
“It sucks that it’s happening at this moment,” Machado said Tuesday. “But it’s part of the game. As long as we’re winning games and we’re in a good spot, that’s all that matters. Doesn’t matter what I’m doing. My stats don’t matter. It’s about winning ballgames at the end of the day. So if I can contribute — not doing much right now to do it — but as long as we win games, it’s all that matters.”
The Padres currently trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games in the NL West and seem to not be satisfied with a Wild Card appearance.
As Manny Machado’s production has dipped, several other players have stepped up to help carry the load. Gavin Sheets, recently named the team’s MVP by center fielder Jackson Merrill, has made a strong impact, while Fernando Tatis has contributed consistently, batting .241 since the beginning of August. Newly-acquired outfielder Ramón Laureano has been especially impressive, posting a .313/.366/.573 slash line with a stellar .939 OPS since August 1.
The pitching staff has also risen to the occasion, showing improvement at just the right time as the team enters the critical final stretch of the season.
Padres starters Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, Dylan Cease, and Yu Darvish have combined for a 3.18 ERA and 20 strikeouts in their last 22.2 innings of work, walking just four batters in that span.
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