Manny Machado doesn’t do boring walk-offs. Tuesday night at Petco Park, he made sure of that.
With the game tied in the bottom of the 10th, the Padres’ seven-time All-Star stepped in against Atlanta reliever Raisel Iglesias. Jackson Merrill stood at second base as the automatic runner, representing the winning run. Machado took a first-pitch fastball for a strike, then lined the next one into center field. Merrill scored easily. Ballgame. 7-6 San Diego.
Talkin’ Baseball posted the clip on X with a simple caption: “MANNY MACHADO WALKS OFF THE BRAVES.” The internet did what it does.
It was the Padres’ second straight win over Atlanta, and it pushed them to 40-35 on the year. That’s not a joke record in the NL West, where the Dodgers are still the Dodgers but San Diego keeps hanging around. The Braves dropped to 38-37, which feels weirder than it looks on paper. Atlanta’s rotation has been banged up, and their offense hasn’t clicked the way everyone expected. Losing a game like this one — late, in extras, on a play where the outcome basically hinged on one swing — stings a little more than a routine L.
Machado’s Been Here Before
This isn’t new for Machado. He’s got a knack for these moments. Since 2018, only a handful of players have more walk-off hits than him. But what stood out Tuesday was the situation. Extra innings. A bullpen that had already coughed up a lead in the ninth. The Braves had tied it in the top of the 10th on a sac fly from Ozzie Albies, and suddenly Petco Park went from buzzing to nervous. Machado shut that down fast.
He finished the night 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Not his best line of the season, but nobody remembers the box score when you win like that.
The Padres have been doing this a lot lately — finding ways to win ugly. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games, and a lot of those wins have come late. The bullpen has been shaky, but the offense keeps bailing them out. Fernando Tatis Jr. went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Xander Bogaerts added two hits. If this lineup stays healthy, they’re a threat in any short series.
What’s Next
The series wraps up Wednesday afternoon. San Diego will send Joe Musgrove to the mound against Atlanta’s Spencer Strider, assuming Strider’s arm doesn’t fall off between now and then. (He’s been dealing with some shoulder fatigue, but the Braves say he’s fine. The team has not confirmed anything beyond that.)
If the Padres sweep, the narrative shifts. People will start talking about them as a real contender again. If they don’t, it’s just another good win in a long season. But for one night at Petco, Machado reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most dangerous hitters in the league with the game on the line.
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