Machado’s 2 home runs carry the Padres to a 4-2 win against the Cardinals

SAN DIEGO — Manny Machado hit two homers and drove in three runs for the San Diego Padres, who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Friday night time to increase their season-high successful streak to eight video games.

A season after Machado helped carry the Padres to the NL Championship Collection, they’re combating for his or her playoff lives. The Padres are 4 video games out within the race for the third and last NL wild card, with 4 groups forward of them. They have been underneath .500 since Could 12.

“We have now eight video games to empty the tank,” mentioned Machado, who reached 30 homers for the seventh time. He is been restricted to DH obligation since Sept. 1 on account of proper tennis elbow that he says would require surgical procedure after the Padres’ season ends.

Machado twice put San Diego forward, the second time on a two-run homer to left subject off Matthew Liberatore (3-6) with one out within the eighth inning. Machado gestured towards the Padres’ dugout after hitting his thirtieth homer, with Juan Soto aboard on a double.

He was greeted with chants of “Manny! Manny! Manny!” from the sellout crowd of 42,983 after which answered a curtain name.

“Proper now I will proceed to maintain enjoying,” Machado mentioned. “It is the identical day each day. It isn’t getting worse, it isn’t getting higher. Surgical procedure goes to be there when the time is. Finally now it is only a matter of going out and competing.”

Within the sixth, Machado blew a bubble as he rounded first after his leadoff homer in opposition to Dakota Hudson gave the Padres a 2-1 lead. It was his thirty ninth profession multi-homer recreation and sixth this season.

“He is received a aptitude for the dramatic, too,” supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned. “Their man pitched effectively so it got here all the way down to a few Manny homers, which we have seen him do earlier than. It isn’t a shock.

“He continues to go on the market and play. Does not must. I believe he even took some early swings at this time, which we’re making an attempt to restrict his swings due to it, however he needs to be the very best he will be and he definitely was tonight.”

It is taken till late September for the high-priced Padres to play their greatest baseball. Their payroll of round $250 million is the third-highest within the majors.

“We’re simply enjoying proper now,” Melvin mentioned. “We have tried all kinds of various methods right here to know the place we’re. Proper now we’re simply enjoying video games.”

The Cardinals tied it within the eighth when Paul Goldschmidt hit a leadoff single and scored on Jordan Walker’s triple to middle subject off Luis Garcia. The Cardinals could not usher in Goldschmidt as Garcia struck out Richie Palacios and walked Ivan Herrera earlier than Robert Suarez (4-2) got here on and retired the facet.

The Cardinals, who have been eradicated from playoff rivalry Tuesday night time and are final within the NL Central, tied the sport at 1 when Masyn Winn homered main off the sixth in opposition to starter Matt Waldron. It was his second.

The Padres had taken a 1-0 lead on Brett Sullivan’s RBI single within the second.

Waldron, making his fifth begin, has allowed a homer in all seven appearances this yr. Winn’s shot was the primary Waldron served up together with his knuckleball. Waldron permitted one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, struck out 9 and walked two.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Positioned 3B Nolan Arenado and C Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured listing, ending their seasons. Arenado was sidelined by decrease again spasms, and Contreras has left wrist tendinitis. … St. Louis additionally transferred OF Dylan Carlson to the 60-day IL, chosen infielder-outfielder Irving Lopez from Triple-A Memphis and recalled outfielder Michael Siani from Memphis.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Jake Woodford (2-2, 5.31 ERA) and Padres RHP Nick Martinez (5-4, 3.73) are scheduled to begin Saturday night time.