Padres' Manny Machado Takes Responsibility For Crucial Error vs Mets

Valentina Martinez | Aug 25, 2024

Aug 24, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) runs off the field during the second inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres have been tasked with playing perfect baseball given the 4.5-game lead the Los Angeles Dodgers have in the National League West division race. On Saturday night, Manny Machado made a crucial error in the 7-1 loss to the New York Mets.

A routine line drive headed toward Machado that could've ended the fourth inning. Instead, the ball went in and out of his glove. Machado's error eventually led to a grand slam from Francisco Lindor.

The grand slam was all New York needed to beat the Padres on Saturday. Machado kept himself accountable for the costly error postgame.

“I don’t know, honestly,” Machado told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Got lost in the stands and hit the tip of my glove. Could have got out of the inning, and gave up four. Shouldn’t happen.”

The loss wasn't completely Machado's fault and Padres starter Michael King made sure to take responsibility for letting Lindor hit a grand slam off of him.

“It’s out after error,” King said. “And after that, I hit McNeil and let up a grand slam. It’s on me to pick up the team that way, and I didn’t do it.”

San Diego's bats were also unresponsive on Saturday, raking in just five hits through 7.1 innings. Mets starting pitcher David Peterson was a stalwart force on the mound. The Padres could get nothing past him.

Against Mets reliever Dedniel Nuñez, the Padres loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning. Despite facing San Diego's top of the lineup, Nuñez gave up just one run, making the score 5-1.

The unresponsive Padres bats are cause for concern since San Diego will face pitchers exactly like Peterson in the postseason. It is just one game, but at this point in the season, every game counts.

San Diego has lost three of its last four game, which has put them two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Snakes are currently in possession of the National League's top wild-card spot.

Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves hold the third and last playoff spot. The Braves are only two games behind the Diamondbacks.

Not only do the Padres have to worry about the teams ahead of them, but they also have to watch out for the Mets who are closing in. New York is just 2.5 games behind the Braves and 4.5 games behind San Diego.

San Diego's performance down the stretch will have costly consequences if the club can't figure out how to turn things around.