Padres notes: Machado hears unfamiliar sound on big day at Fenway; King pays to pitch
The Padres’ Manny Machado is congratulated by Luis Arraez after hitting a two-run homer Saturday against the Red Sox.
BOSTON — Boos rain down every time Manny Machado’s name is announced at a ballpark other than Petco Park or Camden Yards.
At some places, it is louder and with a little more feeling than others.
One of those places is Fenway Park.
Machado visited here 50 times while a member of the Orioles, hitting eight home runs in those games.
“I grew up playing here,” Machado said of his 6½ seasons in the highly contentious American League East at the start of his career. “It’s always good to be back.”
He hit two more homers at the storied venue during the Padres’ 11-1 victory on Saturday, and by the time he was rounding third base following the second of those blasts there was a new sound.
“Manny. Manny. Manny.”
The thousands of Padres fans among the announced crowd of 33,003 had started a chant.
“A lot of Padres fans here,” Machado said. “It’s kind of weird to see it in Boston. I’ve played here quite a bit, and it’s kind of tough. But there were a lot of Padres fans here. It was great to see a lot of yellow out there.”
The throng in brown and yellow had plenty to cheer throughout the afternoon, with Machado providing the biggest moments.
His two-run homer in the third inning, which traveled a projected 403 feet, over the Green Monster and clear out of the ballpark, put the Padres up 3-0. His 421-foot homer to center field made it 8-0 in the fifth inning.
The team’s highest-paid player, the one who carried them for large portions of their two most recent playoff seasons, appears to be rounding into who he is expected to be.
He is batting .326 with an .871 OPS in 36 games since May 20. And after hitting six home runs in his first 266 at-bats this season, he has four in his past 36.
He has batted .415 (17-for-41) with a 1.164 OPS as the Padres have won nine of their past 10 games.
“It’s fun,” he said. “When you’re winning games, it’s fun. When you’re not, it’s not. Things are going well right now. We’ve just got to keep rolling, keep working — not really look at the stats right now but see the long-term goal, which is continue winning some games, continue playing how we’ve been playing.”
Home $weet home
Michael King spent much of his childhood in Rhode Island and played baseball at Boston College.
He was a Yankees fan and began his career with that storied franchise before joining the Padres via trade this past offseason. But he was a college freshman when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2013, and he attended the championship parade.
“”Bogey’ said I probably threw him a beer,” King said in reference to teammate Xander Bogaerts, who was a rookie on that Red Sox team.
So King’s start Saturday was essentially a home game. And unlike when he pitched in New York, he hasn’t played on the East Coast much this year.
He had 45 friends and family in attendance Saturday. On his dime.
“I definitely paid to play today,” he said.
His loved ones got to see him go six innings while allowing one run and earning his first win at Fenway.
King was making his 14th appearance at the park, though 12 of those were in relief. He allowed a run in 4⅔ innings in a loss in his other start here last September.
“Whenever I come here, it’s definitely fun to do well and have the team do well,” said King, who improved to 7-6 while lowering his ERA to 3.61. “And now I’m able to go celebrate with some family and friends.”
Vásquez update
Randy Vásquez‘s right (throwing) forearm was still swollen a day after he was hit near the elbow by a line drive.
There was no structural damage, but the Padres are unsure whether he can make his next start. If he can’t throw in the next day or two, his Thursday start in Texas would likely have to be pushed back.
With an off day Monday, the Padres could manipulate their rotation until Vásquez is ready. King could be moved up to start Thursday on four days’ rest.
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