Manny Machado is heating up as August involves an in depth.
The San Diego slugger will purpose to remain scorching on Saturday because the Padres chase a sequence victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Machado had three hits, together with a homer, and drove in 4 runs because the Padres posted a 13-5 win within the opener of the three-game sequence on Friday.
The six-time All-Star has belted 161 homers with San Diego, tying him with Adrian Gonzalez for second in franchise historical past and placing him two in again of Nate Colbert for the all-time lead.
“That is large,” Machado mentioned. “… To be on that checklist in such a brief time frame is superior. To be on that very same stage is an honor for positive.”
Machado is batting .382 (13-for-34) with three homers, 10 RBIs and 6 runs in his previous eight video games. The Padres have received 5 of these contests to stay within the combine for the Nationwide League’s prime wild-card spot.
Rookie Jackson Merrill continues to come back by way of whereas batting sixth within the San Diego lineup. He had two hits, together with an RBI single, on Friday, giving him a .333 common (19-for-57) over his previous 15 video games.
“One purpose it really works is as a result of we’ve 5 good hitters forward of him,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned. “… These guys have been on this league and executed this for a number of seasons. (Merrill) is in a great spot. He is producing. So simple as that.”
San Diego’s Randy Vasquez (4-6, 4.52 ERA) will get the beginning on Saturday in opposition to Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz (1-2, 3.48) in a battle of right-handers.
Vasquez recorded his first win in over a month on Monday after permitting two runs on six hits in six innings of a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. This can be Vasquez’s first profession outing in opposition to the Rays.
Baz will return to the mound after being scratched from his beforehand scheduled begin on Sunday because of the flu. He reportedly was unable to depart his lodge room in Los Angeles however recovered sufficient to return house on Monday.
After one bullpen session, Baz mentioned he is “one hundred pc good to go” for the Saturday sport.
Baz pitched properly in his final outing on Aug. 20, scattering three hits over 7 2/3 innings in a 1-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Baz has but to face the Padres in his profession.
Tampa Bay misplaced for the sixth time in eight video games on Friday and in addition noticed Yandy Diaz depart within the fourth inning as a consequence of left patellar tendinitis.
Rays supervisor Kevin Money mentioned that Diaz “tweaked his knee just a little bit” whereas trying to race from first to 3rd base on an error within the first inning. Money added that Diaz is day-to-day and is unlikely to play on Saturday.
Diaz was changed by Jonathan Aranda, who had been recalled from Triple-A Durham previous to the sport. Aranda went 0-for-2 with an RBI.
“We want to see (Aranda) do some good issues, as a result of we had been so excessive on him coming in,” Money mentioned. “After which between the finger harm, the indirect harm, simply numerous inconsistencies. However good to have him again.”
–Subject Degree Media
