Padres' Manny Machado Takes Blame for Wild Card Loss

Oct 1, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego infielder Manny Machado (13) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Padres' 2025 season came to an unceremonious end Thursday afternoon after San Diego fell to the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the NL Wild Card round.

The Padres offense struggled to get going, with only four hits. Their only run came from a Jackson Merrill solo homer in the ninth.

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"We're sorry that we fell short, but I will say that this team will continue to grow, continue to get better and continue to fight to reach our ultimate goal: bring a championship to the city of San Diego and we won't stop," third baseman Manny Machado said after the game.

Machado had a forgettable performance in the Wild Card round, going just 1-for-10 at the plate with two walks. As a whole, the Padres' bats disappointed in the Wild Card, failing to capitalize on a strong performance from the pitching staff.

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"What they did, man, it was unbelievable. They did a tremendous job and we fell short offensively," Machado said. "Myself, came up with a lot of runners in scoring positions and I couldn't come up with a hit. And I'll put that blame on me, I should have played better.

"They laid it all on the ground and I couldn't come up for them. And here we are saying goodbye, which sucks."

Outside of a disappointing outing from starting pitcher Yu Darvish, who loaded the bases in the second inning, ultimately allowing two runs, the Padres pitching staff put together a strong performance over the three-game series.

But, with 20 total strikeouts between the three games, the Padres offense struggled to get on base and give the team a chance to drive in runs.

It will undoubtedly be a long offseason for a disappointed Padres team, as a team that Machado described as "family" has to part ways with a sour taste in their mouths.

"This is family for us," Machado said. "Obviously it's not the result that we wanted. But this crew, what we started here in spring training as a collective group, the bond we have between everyone, I mean this is family for us. And it sucks for us to be doing this, unfortunately, but man this team, we left it all out there, all year."

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