Manny Machado Smoked a 418-Foot Blast and the Braves Have No Answer Right Now
Holy smokes, what a game last night in San Diego! You had to see it to believe it, a classic 1-0 pitcher's duel where every single pitch felt like it mattered. And wouldn't you know it, the whole thing came down to one swing, one monster shot off the bat of Manny Machado. The Padres got the win, shutting out the Braves, but man, you gotta feel for Atlanta after that one. Talk about leaving it all out there, only to come up short on the scoreboard!
King's Court Was Open For Business
Seriously, Michael King was absolutely lights out for the Padres. Dude went seven scoreless innings, dealing six hits and not a single walk, fanning five Braves hitters. This was a massive outing for him, snapping a four-decision losing streak. His last win before this? All the way back on May 18, another 1-0 nail-biter against the Dodgers. You know that feeling when your pitcher just *has* it? King had it, throwing 62 strikes out of his 93 pitches. It's the kind of performance that can totally get a rotation buzzing and swing momentum for a team.
Trade on Every Game with Kalshi
Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.
One Hung Slider, Too Many Missed Chances
But hey, credit where credit is due, the Braves got their opportunities. They had runners on against King, especially early on. In the second, Michael Harris II and Austin Riley both singled to open the inning, but King slammed the door shut with a couple of grounders and a lineout. Then in the sixth, Matt Olson got to third with only one out thanks to a single and a throwing error by first baseman Ty France, but Harris grounded out to leave him stranded. Those are the moments that absolutely kill you in a 1-0 game! And the only run of the night? Grant Holmes, who actually had a decent outing for the Braves for 4 2/3 innings, just hung a 1-2 slider to Machado in the fourth. Bang. 418 feet to center, into the bullpen, Machado's 14th homer of the year. That's the one mistake that cost them everything, you hate to see it.
Padres Fumbled Too, Miller Shuts It Down
It wasn't like the Padres were tearing the cover off the ball either, let's be real. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left a whopping nine guys on base. Rodolfo Duran grounded into a double play with two on in the second, then struck out with runners at the corners in the fourth. Even Machado's lead-off double in the eighth couldn't turn into an insurance run. But sometimes, all you need is one. And when you've got a closer like Mason Miller, who logged his 21st save in 21 chances, you can get away with it. He had a little two-out drama in the ninth with Riley singling and Dominic Smith walking, but then he got Mike Yastrzemski to look at strike three to end it. Clutch!
What's next for these Braves? They've now dropped eight of their last 11 games, and letting a gem like King's go to waste, all because of one hung slider, has got to sting. They gotta find that spark soon if they want to turn this around. You just hate to see a team waste opportunities like that, especially in a tight 1-0 battle where one pitch makes all the difference.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.