Manny Machado easily stands out as the veteran leader in the San Diego Padres clubhouse. Ever since coming to Petco Park in 2019, the third baseman has aimed to take the Padres to the World Series. His goal fell short in heartbreaking fashion this year. With the Padres trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Fernando Tatis Jr. on base and one out, Machado had the opportunity to tie the game. He even made strong contact with his bat, but Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell reached over the wall and caught the ball before it could clear the fence.
The home-run robbery essentially ended the Padres' postseason run, as they were already behind 2-1 in the NLDS matchup and Ty France was subsequently fouled out to end that inning. Days after the heartbreaking end, former Kansas City Royals star Eric Hosmer felt really bad for Machado.
"Man! Heart Breaks for Manny watching this; you can tell how bad Manny wants to bring a championship to SD & how that rubs off on his teammates! Guy always plays his best baseball on the biggest stage🫡," Hosmer wrote on X.
After the eighth inning, San Diego remained two runs behind. The Padres could not mount another rally, and pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets struck out to end the game in the ninth.
The heartbreaking moment for Manny Machado may have also revived a painful memory for the seven-time All-Star. During the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Adam Jones famously robbed him of a home run at Petco Park while playing for Team USA against the Dominican Republic. Mitchell's catch came in a remarkably similar location, nine years later.
In some way, destiny is getting in the way of Manny Machado and his goals. This October, Machado made another attempt to take the Padres all the way. They started strong and swept the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card round.
In the eighth inning, Machado had his moment as he watched the ball's flight with hopes of tying the game against the Brewers in NLDS Game 4. He grabbed his helmet in disbelief as Garrett Mitchell leapt to take away a potential Statcast-projected 406 feet game-tying home run.
The Padres third baseman did not hide his disappointment after another postseason failure.
"It burns," Machado said , per AJ Cassavell. "It's pain. This team, we fought all year, dealt with a lot as a group. Overcame a lot. It stings right now, for sure. But at the same time, proud of these guys, what they've accomplished, what they've done, what we did this year — a lot of great things."
The defeat extended Machado's wait for his first World Series championship with San Diego. Despite reaching the postseason for the third consecutive year , the Padres have not been able to advance to the NLCS. Since 2020, the Padres have featured in five postseasons, including one NLCS appearance. However, Machado & Co. have yet to make it to the Fall Classic.
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