Manny Machado homer snaps Padres' 8-game skid vs Dodgers
Manny Machado's three-run homer in the seventh inning powered the San Diego Padres to a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, ending an eight-game losing streak in a pivotal Dodger game at Dodger Stadium and avoiding a four-game sweep. The blast delivered the Padres' first victory since June 26.
Key Takeaways
- Machado's 407-foot, three-run shot off Kyle Hurt broke open a 2-0 lead and made the final 5-2.
- JP Sears threw five scoreless innings on one hit as the Padres snapped their longest skid since 2013.
- The Dodgers failed to complete a four-game sweep despite Shohei Ohtani's birthday RBI single.
- Machado's 18th homer of 2026 passed Dave Winfield for the most by a Padre against Los Angeles.
- After the win, Machado called baseball a beautiful game and joked that players are stupid to play it.
What happened in this Dodger game?
The Padres and Dodgers closed their four-game set on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. San Diego broke through in the fourth when Manny Machado walked and Jackson Merrill drove him home with a two-out RBI single off Emmet Sheehan, giving the visitors a 1-0 edge.
JP Sears matched Sheehan through five innings, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out five. Fernando Tatis Jr. added an RBI infield single in the seventh before Machado crushed a middle fastball from Kyle Hurt 407 feet to center, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Los Angeles mounted a late rally. Alex Freeland and Shohei Ohtani delivered RBI singles in the seventh to make it 5-2, but Adrián Morejón and Mason Miller held the line. The Dodgers lost for only the second time in nine games, per True Blue LA.
Why did Machado's homer matter so much?
San Diego entered Sunday on an eight-game losing streak, its longest since 2013. The Padres had dropped the first three games of the series against their NL West rivals and had won just once in their previous 13 trips to Dodger Stadium.
Machado's homer was his 18th of the season and his 26th as a Padre against the Dodgers, passing Hall of Famer Dave Winfield for the most in franchise history against Los Angeles. Despite batting .189, he leads San Diego with 51 RBIs.
For a club sitting four games off a Wild Card berth, avoiding a sweep at Dodger Stadium carried real weight. Machado told reporters there is still a lot of baseball left and the best may be ahead for this roster.
What did Machado say after ending the skid?
Moments after the final out, Machado reflected on the grind. "It's baseball, man," he said, according to Yahoo Sports. "It's a beautiful game. And we're all stupid to be playing it."
He also said the shadows at Dodger Stadium made his at-bat difficult. Machado told MLB.com he could not see the ball well, fell behind 0-2, and swung at whatever came next, calling the homer a lucky one. After eight straight losses, the Padres will take it.
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How did the Dodgers' lineup fare on Sunday?
Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI on his 32nd birthday, though he remains a career .138 hitter on that date. Freddie Freeman's 19-game on-base streak ended with an 0-for-4 afternoon.
Emmet Sheehan allowed one earned run over 4 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 4.91 after two strong starts against San Diego. Eliezer Alfonzo made his major league debut behind the plate, going 0-for-2 before Tommy Edman pinch-hit for him.
The Dodgers now turn to a three-game home set against the Colorado Rockies to close the first half. San Diego, meanwhile, hopes Machado's swing marks the start of a turnaround rather than a one-night reprieve.