If you listen to the San Diego Padres, there’s a great “vibe” in their clubhouse.
The Padres — who have the longest active win streak in the major leagues at six games — are hoping to keep the good times rolling on Saturday when they again face the host Miami Marlins.
“I’m not a writer, and I don’t have the words to explain to you what it really is,” said Machado, who was asked on Friday why the Padres have caught fire. “It’s just different, man.
“Everyone here gets along. We pull for each other. We all want the best. We pick each other up. We battle for every out — that’s what we’re made of.”
The Padres certainly battled in Friday’s series opener, winning 6-2 in 10 innings. San Diego trailed 2-0 after seven innings, but the Padres scored in each of their final three frames.
San Diego, which has won 15 of its past 17 games, is set on Saturday to start right-hander Matt Waldron (7-9, 3.79 ERA).
In his one career appearance against Miami, Waldron is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He threw seven scoreless innings in that game. However, he has never pitched in Miami.
Waldron will be backed by Machado and rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill.
Machado, in his hometown of Miami, had three RBIs on Friday, including two in the decisive 10th inning.
Merrill was even better, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two steals, one homer, one triple, one walk, one run and one stellar catch in center.
“Lately he has been doing that,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Merrill. “He has been on one of those heaters with really clutch moments in leverage spots.
“That’s how you get on winning streaks. It’s not only Manny Machado, but then you have Jackson Merrill hitting game-tying home runs.”
Miami on Saturday will start rookie right-hander Roddery Munoz (2-6, 5.68).
Munoz has never faced the Padres, and the Marlins are just 4-10 when he starts.
In seven home games this year, Munoz is 1-3 with a 6.82 ERA. He is 1-3 with a 4.74 in seven road starts.
The Marlins will likely need some healthy run support to get Munoz through his start on Saturday.
Miami’s hottest hitters are Jake Burger and Jonah Bride, who homered on Friday.
For Burger, it was his eighth homer in his past 14 games. It was also his 20th homer of the season, marking the second straight year he has reached that milestone. He had a career-high 34 dingers last year.
For Bride, he has four homers and eight RBIs in his past 10 games.
The Marlins will also hope to silence a pair of players they traded to the Marlins this year: infielder Luis Arraez and closer Tanner Scott.
Arraez has won batting titles in each of the past two years, including one with the Marlins in 2023.
This year, Arraez is hitting .302 after going 1-for-5 against Miami on Friday.
Scott pitched a scoreless inning on Friday, and his ERA stands at 1.46.
–Field Level Media