Manny Machado etched his name deeper into the San Diego Padres' history books on Saturday, crushing his 200th home run in a Padres uniform as part of a 375th career blast that powered the team to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The star third baseman's milestone shot came in the eighth inning off reliever Matt Svanson, extending the Padres' lead to 4-2. Machado, who previously hit 162 homers with the Baltimore Orioles and 13 during a half-season stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers, continues to build a Hall of Fame-worthy resume in San Diego.
But it was Fernando Tatis Jr. who provided the game's biggest swing earlier, breaking a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with a two-run single that gave the Padres a 3-1 lead. The timely hit backed starter Randy Vásquez (4-1), who delivered a solid five-inning outing, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out six.
Ty France also contributed to the power display, launching a solo home run to center field off Cardinals starter Dustin May (3-4) in the fifth to tie the game at 1-1. May was otherwise effective, surrendering three runs on three hits over six innings with seven strikeouts.
The game's tension ratcheted up in the ninth when Padres closer Mason Miller, who has been virtually untouchable this season, ran into unexpected trouble. The dominant right-hander walked two batters before Yahel Pozo reached on a strikeout in the dirt, loading the bases. But Miller showed his elite composure, freezing JJ Wetherholt with a 101 mph fastball for his fourth strikeout of the inning to escape the jam and secure his major league-leading 12th save in as many opportunities. Miller has allowed runs in just one of his 18 appearances this season.
Earlier, Nathan Church gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the fourth with an RBI double. St. Louis made things interesting in the eighth when Iván Herrera doubled down the left-field line off Padres reliever Adrian Morejon to score Wetherholt from first, cutting the lead to 3-2 before Machado's historic homer provided the final margin.
The series concludes Sunday with the Padres seeking a split. St. Louis sends right-hander Kyle Leahy (4-3, 4.93 ERA) to the mound against San Diego's Walker Buehler (2-2, 15.64 ERA) in what promises to be another compelling chapter in this four-game set.