Good morning from Philadelphia,
The inning that provided the margin between the worst Padres road trip in 15 years and at least one day to shake hands and play loud music afterward was made possible in large part by a player beating out a dribbled grounder to third base.
Manny Machado was the player who hustled.
“That situation there, you gotta get on base,” Machado said later. “We got a rally going. Look what it led to — a big inning.”
With Jose Azócar standing on first base, having entered as a pinch-runner after Jurickson Profar led off the eighth inning with a single, Machado hit a slow chopper up the third base line and took off in a sprint for first base.
He was called out. But a replay clearly showed his foot touched the bag an instant before Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm’s throw reached first baseman Bryce Harper’s glove, and the Padres’ won their replay challenge.
Manny hustling pic.twitter.com/GToSr0Tspf
— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) June 19, 2024
After Ha-Seong Kim reached on an error and Kyle Higashioka hit a bases-loaded triple with two outs to turn a one-run lead into a four-run lead, Machado’s dash down the line could certainly be considered one of the biggest plays in a 5-2 Padres victory.
You can read in my game story (here) how the Padres salvaged the finale of their six-game road trip and in my sidebar on Matt Waldron (here) how he continued to pitch as well as anyone in the majors over the past several weeks.
What Machado did should be recognized.
“It was what the game called for,” manager Mike Shildt said. “He was booking it.”
But this really shouldn’t be all that noteworthy. Machado routinely hustles down the line when appropriate.
It’s just that when he doesn’t, it becomes a big deal to some.
One of those times was Friday night in New York when Machado essentially jogged to first base on what would have been a routine out had Mets third baseman Mark Vientos not mishandled the ball before picking it up and throwing out Machado by two steps.
Machado’s effort level on some runs to first base has been an easy target for years. And it is not just fans and media who take issue with what they perceive as a lack of effort. Some people in the organization don’t like that aspect of Machado’s game. (Others adamantly defend him.)
Machado is who he is. And that has worked out pretty well, recency bias aside.
His conceding some routine grounders is an attempt to save his body. (Before being beset by injuries the past two seasons, he had played more games since 2015 than any other major leaguer.)
What is odd is that Machado is an excellent baserunner who doesn’t seem to get much credit for going first to third or for a bold lead and/or smart read that allows him to score from second on a single.
Machado said earlier this week that “It’s not my problem what they think” when asked about the perception of how he sometimes looks on the field.
But it’s not as if he has never thought about it.
“Look,” he said Tuesday, “I’m lucky enough that the camera is always on me, right. Why? Because I’m a pretty good player right? And I’m blessed that I had the opportunity to impact so many different people in watching me. But then that’s the curse, because now everything is on that.
“But trust me, there’s a bunch of times I’ve seen people, with me playing third base, and there is a groundball hit and I’m watching them, and they don’t even get halfway down the line and they (expletive) walk back to the dugout. I’ve seen them with my own (expletive) eyes. And where’s that (on TV or social media)?”
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How it had to happen
Higashioka figured his hitting a triple would have to involve an accident.
“I knew somebody would have to fall for me to get it,” he said yesterday after his first career three-bager. “And that’s basically what happened.”
It actually took two accidents.
Clean 'em up, Kyle! pic.twitter.com/Cq0SeR0989
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 19, 2024
Facing hard-throwing Gregory Soto with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning yesterday, Higashioka softly lined an 0-1 slider into center field on what was essentially a follow through on a swing he couldn’t quite check.
“He’s got a 100 mph fastball, and then he’s got the slider,” Higashioka said of Soto. “Whenever a guy has that much velocity, it’s always a little tough to recognize between pitches. It’s just trying to be ready for the fastball and hopefully back it up enough to where I can run through the slider. But in that case, I was almost trying to stop my swing. I ended up just kind dinking it into center, which was actually probably one of the best things that I could have done.”
The ball sailed into center field where a charging Brandon Marsh dove for it, only to have the ball slip under his glove and roll another 50 feet. By the time right fielder Nick Castellanos picked it up, all three runners had scored and Higashioka was sliding into third base uncontested.
The exit velocity on his big hit was 78.7 mph.
“After their catcher got four of those hits a couple nights ago, I felt like I owed them one,” Higashioka said, referring to the four singles by Rafael Marchán on Monday, none of which left his bat at more than 75.6 mph.
“I was just happy to get the runs,” he said. “That’s definitely the most important part of that situation.”
The hit also opened new horizons for Higashioka.
Just Tuesday, he and Luis Arraez were talking about Arraez hitting for the cycle with the Marlins last season.
“I told him, ‘Well, I can’t hit for the cycle because I never hit a triple,’” Higashioka recalled. “Now it’s possible.”
Sweet slowdown
Not quite as noticeable but just as important as Machado’s hustle was Jose Azócar’s heady play that helped prolong the eighth inning.
He actually did the opposite of hustle.
Azócar was on second base when Ha-Seong Kim sent a slow roller to the left side that Bohm crossed over to grab. But as he approached where the ball and Bohm would meet, Azócar clearly slowed to obstruct Bohm’s view and passed Bohm just before the ball got to the fielder.
Bohm had the ball go off his glove and past him, and the bases were loaded. Two batters later, Higashioka tripled. None of the three runs he drove in were earned.
“I know if I slow down it’s hard to make the play,” Azócar said. “… But if I slow down too much, they will call me out. I want to stay in his path – slow but still running.”
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When to strike
In Jackson Merrill’s mind, he had one more big swing in his second-inning at-bat. So he looked for something inside and, when he got it, he took that swing.
And he sent an 0-1 sinker from Ranger Suarez 401 feet to right field for his fifth home run in seven games and eighth homer of the season.
“Take your shot, and once you take your shot then go to your two-strike approach,” Merrill said. “It kind of was, bank on that 0-1 (pitch) being where I wanted it, and he threw it in my sweet spot. If I missed that, I go in my two-strike approach. But take your shots. I’m kind of learning when to and when not to take my shots.”
None of Merrill’s homers have come with two strikes. Yesterday’s was just the second to come with one strike. Three have come on the first pitch of an at-bat.
Musgrove’s next step
Joe Musgrove will throw weighted balls today, his first time throwing since May 31, the day before his scheduled start in Kansas City.
Musgrove was placed on the injured list June 1 with inflammation that is the result of spurs and a bruise in his right elbow, as well as triceps tendinitis.
He spent part of this trip running, maintaining flexibility and working on a slight alteration to his delivery the Padres hope will relieve some stress on his arm.
Musgrove said he expects to throw the weighted balls for a couple days and be able to progress to playing catch by the end of the weekend.
If all goes well, he could work up to throwing off a mound by early July before what would likely be a few rehab starts and a possible return no sooner than late July or early August.
When needed
Fernando Tatis Jr. was clearly hobbled after beating out an infield single in yesterday’s sixth inning.
The play on a grounder up the middle fielded by second baseman Bryson Stott would not have been close if Tatis was not slowed by a strained right quad. He ran gingerly as he passed the base and also clearly was moving slowly as he led off during the next two at-bats.
But on a single to right field by Machado, Tatis approached second base as if he was intent on making it to third. He pulled up after rounding second because Castellanos fielded Machado’s 107.6 mph grounder way too shallow for any runner to try for the extra base.
Tatis acknowledged he will have to pick and choose when to push it on the bases “for now.” But he said he has the ability to hit another gear.
“That is the first point when you’re running,” he said. “You just try to make it happen, no matter what.”
Tidbits
- Profar went 2-for-4 and is now batting .323, tied with the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. for the major league lead. Arraez (.319) is third.
- Arraez’s RBI single in the seventh inning made him 2-for-4 on the day and made him the first player in the major leagues to reach 100 hits this season.
- Jake Cronenworth, who was 2-for-24 over the previous seven games, did not start yesterday. It was his first game off since May 11, a span of 35 games. Tyler Wade started at second base a day after starting at shortstop for Kim. Wade, who was 1-for-3 with walk yesterday, has started at third base and left field this season as well. The utility man also did work this trip to be ready as the team’s emergency catcher.
- Tatis saw 26 pitches yesterday, the most he has seen in a game this season. He had two seven-pitch at-bats and an eight-pitch at-bat while going 1-for-5.
- No lefties! After seeing six left-handed starting pitchers in their past eight games and 12 in their past 22, the Padres get a break. The Brewers will start four right-handers in the upcoming series at Petco Park. The Padres’ victory Wednesday, with the left-handed Suarez starting for the Phillies, improved the Padres to 14-14 in games started by left-handers. They are batting just .227 against left-handers this season compared to an MLB-best .273 against righties.
All right, that’s it for me.
Early flight and then a game tonight.
Talk to you tomorrow.
