Strange Statistic Streak May Be Key To Padres' Overall Success The Rest of the Way

Valentina Martinez | Aug 31, 2024

Aug 30, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Manny Machado (13)celebrates after hitting a three run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres are 22-0 this season when Manny Machado has multiple RBIs. His production on offense appears to be directly correlated to the success of the team this season.

The Padres third baseman had four RBIs in Friday night's 13-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He also hit a homer in the second inning of the game.

It was a historic home run since it was his 161st bomb with San Diego, which tied him with Adrián González.

González played for the Padres from 2006-10 and had 2,975 at-bats with San Diego. Machado has been with the club since 2019 and currently has 2,987 at-bats.

“That’s huge,” Machado told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. “I mean, obviously, a San Diego great. To be on that list in such a short period of time is awesome. To be on that same level is an honor for sure.”

The third baseman will have plenty more at-bats for San Diego since his contract with the Padres lasts until 2033. Machado will go down in San Diego sports history as a revered player.

Machado is batting .306 with a .935 OPS in the last 60 games, a period in which San Diego has gone from three games under .500 to 17 games over the mark.

Since June 19, the third baseman's .935 OPS ranks third highest in the National League. He trails behind Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani (1.004) and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (.936).

“I feel pretty good right now, obviously,” Machado said. “My swing is where it needs to be. My body is feeling great, too. Trying to stay as consistent as I can possibly be. Hopefully, it stays like that. But you know how baseball can be. It’s up and down. So try to keep working.”

Padres third base coach Tim Leiper, who has spent well over 30 years in professional baseball, heaped high praise for Machado.

“He’s legitimately, like honestly, probably the smartest player I’ve ever been around,” Leiper said recently. “When he’s running by you, you realize how hard he runs and how much ground he covers. He knows exactly what he needs to do to get it done, and I trust him every single solitary time.”

Machado will have to keep up the pace on offense as San Diego chases down the Dodgers' lead in the National League West. The club is currently five games behind Los Angeles, but there is still a month of regular season baseball left.