Historic night for Machado leads to lopsided 19-5 win
Credit: Padres
Manny Machado came into the Wednesday night’s game with 1,499 hits after being robbed of his 1,500th hit late in Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
Machado quickly made up for that in the top of the first inning on Wednesday, collecting his historic 1,500th hit on an RBI single to right field that put the Padres up 1-0. Machado reached the noteworthy milestone that includes not only 1,500 hits but also 250 home runs before his 30th birthday, joining exclusive company.
“To reach that accomplishment and that milestone, it’s always an honor, a blessing to be playing this game every single day to give me the opportunity to do that. So good accomplishment, great milestone,” said Machado about being the 17th player to reach 2,500 hits and 250 home runs before the age of 30.
Machado followed his historic hit with a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his 11th of the season. The home run was a part of a six-run fifth inning that extended the Padres’ lead from a 5-4 game to an 11-4 game. Machado also added a pair of RBI singles and a pair of walks that saw him reach base five times, including a pair of walks, two runs, and four RBIs.
The Padres’ offense started quickly, scoring twice in the first inning thanks to the Machado single and a ground out by Jorge Alfaro, who legged out a would-be double play that scored the Padres’ second run.
The Padres’ offense wouldn’t look back, amassing 16 runs in their 16-5 drubbing of Chicago to secure a series victory, a third win in a row, and their 40th win of the season.
Ryan Weathers, making his first start for the San Diego Padres since September of 2021, looked good in the first inning but then struggled in the second inning, allowing untimely walks, which resulted in a pair of runs. In all, Weathers gave up four runs in the second inning, which gave the Cubs a 4-2 lead after two innings.
The Padres responded rather quickly, scoring three times in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single from Jurickson Profar and a Jake Cronenworth two-RBI double. This gave the Padres a 5-4 lead, and San Diego never looked back.
In the fifth inning, the Padres collected five extra-base hits, which resulted in six runs and put the game out of reach.
In all, every Padre collected at least one hit in the lineup, including three-hit games from Profar, Cronenworth, Machado, Luke Voit, and Jorge Alfaro. In addition, every Padre scored a run in this game, thanks to Alfaro’s two-run home run in the seventh. In all, the Padres totaled 19 runs and 21 hits.
While Weathers only lasted 3.2 innings, his only poor inning was the second inning, which can be turned into a positive, considering he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since September of 2021. His triple-A numbers in 2022 have not been favorable, but he has plenty of big-league experience and can be an arm that might prove to be useful down the stretch if injuries or trades manifest down the line.
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The double-digit runs the Padres collected on Wednesday was the first time all season that they have scored as many runs in back-t0-back games. A much-needed stat with an offense that had been struggling in games before the series at Wrigley.
The Padres’ offense showed their prowess in a way that Padres’ fans certainly knew was possible but had yet to be seen until Wednesday night. It will be interesting to see if they can keep this up on Thursday and beyond, looking to sweep the Cubs in Chicago before they head to Colorado to face the Rockies for a weekend series. First, however, they need to take care of business on Thursday against the Cubs with Joe Musgrove on the mound.
Kevin is a San Diego Native covering the San Diego Padres and their affiliates
Weathers seemed to me that he was not following thru on his deliveries to the plate. If he would take a more aggressive stride maybe, he could add a few more miles an hour to his fastball like it was when he first started his career.