Padres' Manny Machado Calls Out Reporters Amid Winning Streak

The San Diego Padres have officially brought themselves right back into playoff contention, with the team currently on a five-game winning streak.

San Diego swept the Miami Marlins in the last series of a long road trip before taking two games against the Colorado Rockies in a quick two-game matchup. The Padres have looked much better over the last few games, with both the offense and pitching finally coming together.

With the trade deadline just a few days away, it's pretty clear that the Padres won't be the sellers that they were rumored to be. But amid this win streak, Padres star Manny Machado called out the media for how the team has been portrayed this season.

“I think there’s a lot of good players right now that are doing their job, and we’re kind of rolling as a group,” Machado said. “I think all of you guys — not fans, for you guys watching; reporters in front of me — I don’t think you guys saw us doing this or getting here, but here we are. I think we’re going to finish off strong as a group.”

The entire Padres team has seen its fair share of issues this season, with Machado being at the center of it all. Machado's bat has been fairly inconsistent this year, and it's led to questions about whether he is still an elite player.

So for the veteran, this win streak has to feel nice, with the team finally playing well. But when asked for more clarification on his comments, Machado simply said he wants to see more positives being talked about around the Padres.

“Yeah, I mean, you guys love writing negative about us all year, so hopefully just some positives start coming out,” Machado said.

Machado has struggled to get his batting average up all year, with the veteran currently hitting .216. He has battled the Mendoza Line for a long time, but recently broke through to get above it. He's also hit 23 home runs and driven in 64 runs, while posting an OPS of .741.

If the Padres can keep up their winning ways, the postseason could be well within their sights. The National League wild-card race is very crowded, but the Padres have a strong collection of talented guys along the roster.

This team is far too talented to continue playing so poorly, and the trade deadline offers the front office a chance to add more to the roster. In addition, San Diego is expecting to get some reinforcements into the starting rotation with both Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove returning over the next few weeks, barring any setbacks.

All in all, this win streak couldn't have come at a better time for the Padres, giving more confidence to the group as the last two months of the season get going.

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs as a group, and the best thing we’ve had is that we’ve been pushing each other,” Machado said. “I think we’ve all been struggling as a group, and whenever you have a group doing that and pulling on the same rope, I think it helps. We can dig each other out of holes, and this group has been doing that all year. I think that’s where you start seeing it as the days go by. We’re striding forward and putting our best foot forward.

"It has been awesome to grind with these guys all year, and hopefully we’ll continue doing that, put those first two months behind us, move forward and finish off strong.”

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