The San Diego Padres kicked off their series against the Chicago Cubs with a 9-7 victory that featured plenty of drama. San Diego got off to a rare 3-0 lead in the first inning, which marked only the fourth time this season the Padres have scored a run in the first frame.
The Cubs would rally back as rookie catcher Moisés Ballesteros hit a grand slam in the third inning to put Chicago on top 5-3. That meant Padres pitcher Randy Vásquez allowed a season-high five runs in a game; however, he did improve his record to 3-0.
Leading the way on San Diego’s comeback was Manny Machado, who helped the Padres regain the lead in the fifth inning after a leadoff double. Unfortunately, Machado would later depart the contest and be replaced by Ty France at third base. Following the game, the Padres shared an update on his status.
San Diego Padres Manny Machado Injury News
After the win, manager Craig Stammen spoke with reporters and said regarding Machado, “He’s fine. We took him out as a precaution. Looked like he was going down the line a little slow, came out of the box a little awkwardly. He had a couple of slides at second that didn’t feel great on his lower half, so we’ll talk to him tomorrow and see how he’s feeling.”
Prior to his injury, Machado had been heating up as he totaled five hits over the past two games, four of which were extra-base hits, and notched five RBI. That helped his OPS climb back over .700, and his OPS+ is 107, which is above league average.
It would not be shocking if the Padres decide to rest Machado in the second game of the series, as the team had stated prior to the season that it was a goal to keep the veteran third baseman fresh for the entire season.
Machado, who is not known to miss many games, declined down the stretch last season as he posted a .629 OPS over the last 50 games of the season. Prior to that, Machado had an .871 OPS in the first 110 games.
Whether he is in the lineup or not, the Padres will hope Machado is healthy and available for them if needed.
Mason Miller’s Streak
Unfortunately for the Padres, despite the win the team saw a record-breaking streak come to an end. All-Star closer Mason Miller, who had just set the team’s franchise record for scoreless innings allowed his first runs of the season.
They came in somewhat of a controversial fashion after a ball that appeared to have gone foul was ruled fair and resulted in a leadoff single for Matt Shaw. Regarding the play Miller said, “I mean, call is what it is. I thought I saw something different, but he was a lot closer than I was. I think everybody in the stadium had an opinion, but ultimately, it’s only his that matters. So it’s the cards we were dealt.”
Miller’s streak officially ended at 34.2 innings.
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