Padres' Manny Machado thanks unlikely player for hitting advice

Matt Sullivan

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Padres' Manny Machado thanks unlikely player for hitting advice image

The San Diego Padres were looking to take the series lead over the San Francisco Giants before a pivotal weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Diego.

Fortunately for the Padres, the bats came alive, and the Padres trounced the Giants 8-1. A huge reason why the offense was so dominant was thanks to a home-run onslaught from Gavin Sheets (who hit two) and Manny Machado.

It was Machado's first home run in August, and after he hit said home run, he pointed to the player in the dugout who gave him hitting advice before the game, leading to his big home run. The player he pointed to was not one most would expect.

Who Helped Machado Hit His First Home Run of August?

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported after the game that the player Machado pointed to, and partially credited for his home run in the third inning, was veteran and star pitcher Yu Darvish.

"Manny Machado told me he pointed into the dugout after his 3rd inning home run to thank Yu Darvish for the hitting advice he'd shared before the game," Morosi reported. "Manny said Darvish is one of the smartest teammates he's ever had."

Even though Machado is a veteran who's hit in the big leagues for a while, hitting advice could've come from any number of players before it did from Darvish. But the Padres veteran contributed from the bench, this time, on offense.

The advice from Darvish worked, based on Machado's solo shot to make it 3-0, and notch his first home run since July 29th. He went 18 games without a home run, and slugged just .293 during that stretch with a .603 OPS.

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But, he went 1-4 with a home run against the Giants, the first sign that his power is making its return for the Padres' superstar third baseman. Machado was partially able to hit said home run, thanks to Darvish's advice.

After a rough month of August, this home run could be the hit that gets him back on track. If it does, it'd be perfect timing with a huge home series against the Dodgers on tap over the weekend.

Since the trade deadline, Machado had been struggling offensively. But thanks to the advice from Darvish, a veteran pitcher who's been in the big leagues for over 13 years, Machado was able to break out of his slump and hit his first home run in three weeks.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.