MILWAUKEE – A solo home run by Manny Machado in the seventh inning was enough for the San Diego Padres to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 this Sunday, thus securing the three-game series at American Family Field.
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The hit, connected against reliever Rob Zastryzny, broke the pitching duel and sealed a close game in which Dominican starter Freddy Peralta had limited the Padres to a single hit in six masterful innings. However, a minor error was enough for Machado to make the difference.
“That’s a good pitching staff. They made two errors in the series and I took advantage of them,” Machado commented, who has been on fire at the plate with seven home runs in his last 16 games and a .355 average in that stretch. The veteran third baseman already has 10 home runs on the season.
In addition to his offensive power, Machado was also decisive with the glove, making a key play in the fifth inning that prevented Milwaukee from scoring when he fielded a difficult hit down the third base line and turned it into a crucial out.
Rookie Ryan Bergert shined in his second Major League start, holding the Brewers scoreless for 5.1 innings. San Diego’s bullpen did the rest, highlighting Venezuelan Robert Suárez, who earned his 21st save of the year.
This victory marks only the 29th time in Padres history that they have won a game 1-0 with a home run as the only score. The last time this happened was in April 2023, also with a home run by a Dominican: Juan Soto.
Machado, despite being constantly booed by Milwaukee fans since his collision with Jesús Aguilar in the 2018 postseason, remains unfazed and responds with decisive performances.
“I sometimes feel bad for him,” Peralta said. “I know he probably doesn’t care… but he’s not welcome here.”
With this series, San Diego concludes a demanding tour with a postseason baseball flavor. “Six games decided by one run, one by two. The guys keep fighting, even with discomfort. This speaks to the character of the team,” said manager Mike Shildt.
The Padres continue to strengthen their presence in the standings, with Machado as an offensive and defensive standard-bearer in one of his best moments of the year.
