Padres News: Friars Following Their Leader Manny Machado As They Streak to End First Half

It's follow the leader time in San Diego!

The San Diego Padres early season struggles have been well documented but just before the All-Star break commenced, the team started to play a little better. They won five of six games and sit just 6.5 games back of the final National League Wild Card spot. The team knows that the hole they have put themselves in will be tough to get out but despite everything, they still believe.

It’s an extremely talented group on the San Diego roster and one that expected to be much better at this point in the season. San Diego was seen as a World Series favorite entering the year but right now, they are looking to just get back into the postseason race.

Star third baseman Manny Machado is one of the more veteran players on the team and he has stepped into the leadership role over the last few seasons. The team follows him as he tends to lead by example. 

“He’s every bit the leader of this team now,” Joe Musgrove said Sunday. “So everyone’s kind of following his lead now.”

Per The SD Union-Tribune

As the team looks to make a run to the postseason, they are going to need everyone bought in. It's a special group of players compiled on one team and Machado knows it. He wants his teammates to understand that there is plenty of time left to mount a comeback but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.

“There’s still a lot left, still a lot of baseball to be played,” Machado said. “We’ve just got to continue playing the baseball we’ve been playing this last week. Everything’s been coming together as a group. Early on, there (were) bits and pieces here and there. The last week or so it’s been all clicking. So we’ve just got to continue doing that.”



Per The SD Union-Tribune

If the Padres can emulate their play from the week prior to the All-Star break, they could be in good shape. But it'll be an uphill battle. However, the team isn't backing away from the challenge and understands they need to start putting together some wins.

“We’ll take it,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We needed to finish strong. Hopefully, we get to sit on some confidence for a while and come back the second half — we know we’ve got a lot of work to do.”



Per The SD Union-Tribune

Machado is their clubhouse leader and as he goes, so does the team. Once the All-Star break concludes, it's all systems go for San Diego otherwise it will be a lost year for them.