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Padres Notes: Manny Machado Warning, AJ Preller Talks Fernando Tatis, Big Win Over Dodgers

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates as he scores during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates as he scores during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

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San Diego PadresLos Angeles Dodgers

The San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1-0, on Monday night, improving to 29-18 on the year. They took the first game of this heated series against the back-to-back defending champions and secured sole possession of first place in the National League West.

It was a pitchers' duel at Petco Park as Michael King dazzled the mound with nine strikeouts (a season best) across seven scoreless innings of work, the longest he has pitched into a game this season. He allowed four hits and walked just two batters on the night.

Though there wasn't much offense by either team, the lone run came at the hands of Miguel Andujar, who launched a solo shot off of Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It was one of just four hits the Padres collected all night, but after Jason Adam and Mason Miller shut down LA in the eighth and ninth innings, it was all the Friars needed.

In other news, superstar Manny Machado recently sent a warning to the league regarding his offense ahead of the intense series against the divisional rivals. Though his batting average was just .180 heading into Monday, the confidence in both himself and his team hasn't gone anywhere.

Additionally, president of baseball operations AJ Preller recently spoke on both of his superstars' struggles lately, as Fernando Tatis Jr. still has yet to hit a home run in 2026.

"A lot of belief in Manny and Fernando," Preller said on 97.3 The Fan "They've won a lot of games, they've gotten us into the playoffs multiple times. They will be the first to tell you they've gotta be better, and they understand that."

Tatis is hitting .228 on the year with an OPS of just .572, but is still hitting his batted balls 95 mph or faster 56.3% of the time, something that only four qualified batters in MLB do more frequently.

"You look at the track records of those guys and the want," Preller said. "We haven't seen those guys at their best, and we know that's coming."

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres’ Manny Machado Sends Warning Ahead of Huge Series vs Dodgers

Padres Boss Says Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado Know They 'Gotta Be Better'

Padres Quietly Dealing With Concerning Trend Against Starting Pitchers

Padres vs Dodgers Feels Bigger Than Ever Heading Into Massive Series at Petco Park: Column

Padres vs Dodgers Series Preview: Pitching Probables, Bold Predictions, More

Padres Lineup vs Dodgers: Fernando Tatis Leading Off, Nick Castellanos Starting

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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