Machado's throw honored with weekly award

The Padres gave Manny Machado a 10-year, $300 million contract last February for his glovework just as much as his hitting, and Machado's first true defensive highlight in a San Diego uniform showed exactly why.

Major League Baseball honored Machado with its Play of the Week Award presented by W.B. Mason on Monday for his incredible backhanded scoop and throw across the diamond during the Padres' 2-1 win over the D-backs on Friday night.

The first-place Padres were holding a one-run lead in the top of the eighth when D-backs catcher Carson Kelly hit what a grounder right down the third-base line. That would have been a leadoff single against most MLB third baseman, but not Machado, who ranged to his right, corralled the grounder and fired a 151-foot throw across the diamond, as tracked by Statcast, in one fluid motion.

Machado, who wasn't even facing first base until he released his throw, made similar plays numerous times with the Orioles, but this otherworldly fielding at third base was a new sight for Padres fans.

"Nothing new," Machado said postgame. "That's what I practice for."

"I could try it 150 times and not execute it once," added his manager, Andy Green, "and they actually let me play third base in the big leagues some."

Machado is the third player to win the award in its inaugural season after Milwaukee's Lorenzo Cain and Houston's Carlos Correa.