Padres' Manny Machado Looking Forward to Taking Down Dodgers This Year

Some things never change.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are part of an exciting rivalry with the San Diego Padres that has gained significant momentum in recent years.

The Dodgers have completely revamped their championship-tested team this offseason while the Padres took a bit of a different approach. L.A. dominated the market and loudly went after top talent while San Diego seemed to quietly wait in the shadows until February.

With minimal major league acquisitions up until Feb. 1, the Friars have finally signed their share of veterans to the squad.

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The Dodgers are fully focused on a ninth World Series ring while San Diego looks dead set on taking down Los Angeles. This is normal behavior for a divisional rival, but the competitive flame has burned brighter in recent NLDS matchups.

In 2020, the Dodgers swept the Padres on their way to a World Series championship. In 2022, the Padres were the ones with the last laugh knocking out the Dodgers, 3-1.

The 2024 season, however, brought more drama than ever before.

There was back and forth between former Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar and fans at Dodger Stadium during a home run-robbing catch. There were also similar interactions from fans with Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. late in the game. And finally, former Dodgers infielder Manny Machado was seen throwing baseballs into the direction of th eDodgers dugout on the way to the Friars' 10-2 victory.

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Manager Dave Roberts would later use this as a motivating factor for his ball club as the Dodgers won that series and eventually the championship. Machado seems to have gotten over his stunt at Dodger Stadium but is still focused on trying to take down L.A. in 2025.

"The past is the past," Machado said to reporters when asked about the incident. "I'm looking forward to going out there and competing again this year and trying to take them down. We’re ready.”

Manny Machado on Dave Roberts saying he used the incident with Manny in the playoffs as motivation and his relationship with Roberts: pic.twitter.com/QQWevjjEJ4
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 17, 2025

Machado played under Roberts during his short tenure in L.A. which resulted in a World Series berth in 2018. He then joined the Padres on a 10-year, $300 million contract, signing an extension in 2023 for 11 years and $350 million.

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