Padres' tonic? A dose of Sánchez and Machado
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SAN DIEGO -- For all the early season shortcomings, there were always two obvious solutions in San Diego – two areas that, if they could be addressed, would go a long way toward curing what ails the Padres’ offense:
• The Padres needed more production out of the catcher spot -- not necessarily the prolific production Gary Sánchez has given them in his first week with his new team. Just ... more than what they were getting.
• The Padres needed Manny Machado healthy and playing like the MVP-caliber third baseman they know he can be, the MVP-caliber third baseman they're paying him to be.
• Veteran Sánchez adjusting to new club, pitchers
On Monday night? Check and check.
With a 5-0 victory over the Cubs, the Padres earned a split of their four-game weekend wraparound series. Blake Snell was excellent across six scoreless innings, but it's not the first time Snell has been sharp this season. This time, he got the requisite support, in large part courtesy of Sánchez and Machado.
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Sánchez, who was claimed off waivers only a week ago, launched a laser of a two-run homer in the second inning, already his third home run as a Padre. He’s off to a torrid start in San Diego, posting a slash line of .286/.348/.714 through his first seven games.
Machado, meanwhile, was up to his usual tricks. He made a brilliant play at third base to rob Seiya Suzuki of a hit in the third inning. He also went 3-for-4, scorching a pair of line drives with exit velocity over 100 mph. For the first time since he returned from the fractured metacarpal in his left hand last week, he looked like, well, Manny Machado.
“I feel good, Machado said. “I mean, I’m healthy, and I think that’s honestly the only thing you could ever ask for. This game is so hard in so many different ways, so you just ask for health. I’m feeling good right now … so I’m able to go out there and just compete.”
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The Padres know exactly what a healthy and thriving Machado can do for their lineup. During the first half last season -- on an offense without Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts -- Machado kept them afloat.
“Look, he’s our guy,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Last year, he was the reason, pretty much, we got to where we went. Especially early in the season, those first few months, he really carried us. … He has the ability to do that.”
Really, the Padres could always expect more from Machado than the .222/.275/.353 line he entered play with on Monday. He’s Manny Machado, after all.
At catcher, they were less certain of a turnaround. The Padres claimed Sánchez off waivers from the Mets as a flier. Sure, he’d been a two-time All-Star and an integral part of the Yankees’ runs to the ALCS in 2017 and ‘19. But they couldn’t possibly expect the reincarnation of that Gary Sánchez, could they?
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“He’s got a track record,” Melvin said. “Recently, it hasn’t been great for him. But I think the way he was embraced with our guys in the clubhouse really made him feel at home here very quickly. Then when you get off to the start that you do.
“The talent level is still there. He’s not an old guy, by any stretch. This one, hopefully, is a really great pickup for us. Has been so far.”
The reality is, the Padres didn’t need the 30-year-old Sánchez to be All-Star caliber. They just needed an upgrade. At the time of his claim, they ranked last in the Majors in catcher WAR, according to FanGraphs.
Without an obvious internal solution, they took a low-risk gamble on Sánchez and decided to hand him the keys behind the plate.
“Whenever you get the opportunity to be out on the field and playing every single day, good things tend to happen,” Sánchez said through Spanish interpreter Danny Sanchez. “It’s more the opportunity.”
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Behind the plate, Sánchez has been rock-solid, too. He has backstopped consecutive scoreless starts from Snell (in addition to seven scoreless from Yu Darvish on Saturday). On Monday, Sánchez was behind the plate as Snell struck out eight -- including three looking in the first two innings. All three Ks ended with strikes that, um, probably weren’t. But Sánchez, at least, presented them like they were.
Shortly thereafter, Sánchez strode to the plate and roped a two-run homer, giving the Padres an early lead. For Snell, who has raved about working with Sánchez, it was an all-too-familiar sight.
“I’ve seen him hit five off of me,” said Snell -- more than he’s allowed to any other hitter. “I prefer it to be on my team.”