ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 23: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres jogs around the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 23, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
When a team is struggling it looks to its leaders to set things right. On Friday night the Padres captain lived up to his responsibility.
Manny Machado launched a 9th inning missile into the left field seats at Truist Park in Atlanta to give the Padres a 2-1 win over the Braves, snapping San Diego's six-game losing streak and giving them a seventh straight win over Atlanta (dating back to the 2024 playoffs).
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WATCH HERELeading up to Manny's moment of catharsis, the game had more than a few twists and turns. The Braves welcomed back outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., the 2023 National League MVP, who played his first big league game since tearing his ACL 362 days ago.
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SIGN UP Big time players understand big time moments. Acuna hit the first pitch he saw from Nick Pivetta into the left field seats for a leadoff home run and a 1-0 Atlanta lead. But, credit to Pivetta because after that swing he went 6.0 innings without allowing another run while striking out seven.
His offense picked him up almost immediately. In the 2nd inning Gavin Sheets, who went deep twice in Toronto on Thursday, ripped another home run, this one a solo shot and it might have been the most impressive one yet. Sheets got it off Chris Sale. In his career Sale has been through more than 1500 plate appearances against left-handed hitters. Sheets homer is just the 19th Sale has ever allowed to a lefty.
Sale was also fabulous, allowing just that run in 7.0 innings with six punchouts. With the game tied 1-1 in the 9th inning Machado took a Raisel Iglesias slider and smoked it 109 MPH down the left field line for his 4th home run of the season. However, things still got a little weird in the bottom half.
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After being nearly flawless in the first month and a half of the season closer Robert Suarez has been shaky. Coming off two straight blown save opportunities he allowed a leadoff single to Alex Verdugo, who was replaced by pinch-runner Eli White, and that's important. White moved to 2nd base on a groundout by Sean Murphy, bringing up Ozzie Albies.
The All-Star infielder lofted a soft single in front of centerfielder Jackson Merrill, who came up firing to try and keep White from scoring the tying run. This is why you always hit your cutoff man.
White thought the ball had been caught so he reversed direction and sprinted back to 2nd base trying not to get doubled off. Merrill's throw hit Luis Arraez, who quickly hit Xander Bogaerts for the tag and a gift of a second out.
Suarez got Michael Harris II to ground out to end the game and the losing skid. The Friars can win the series on Saturday afternoon with Michael King on the mound against Grant Holmes.
