Amid the National League West race, the San Diego Padres picked up a much-needed win Wednesday night against the New York Mets after dropping the series opener. They remain two games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division title and extend their lead over the Mets for the second National League wild-card spot.
The Padres prevailed 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. Tied 2-2 through four innings, Mets starter David Peterson ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up his first career grand slam to Manny Machado. Ramón Laureano added a home run in the ninth before Robert Suarez closed it out for his NL-leading 39th save.
Machado once again came through in the clutch, blasting his 14th career grand slam — the most among active players. He now sits 11 shy of Alex Rodriguez’s all-time record and just two away from joining Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the top 8.
Despite being only 32, Machado has already logged 14 big league seasons. Earlier this year, he recorded his 2,000th career hit and now ranks fifth among active players in that category, trailing only Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen and Paul Goldschmidt.
A Platinum Glove winner with multiple Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, Machado is still chasing two career-defining prizes: an MVP award and a World Series title. While the MVP may be out of reach, San Diego hopes its star third baseman can help deliver the franchise’s first championship.
At 83-69, the Padres may not be the favorites, but they look ready for a deep October push.