PEORIA , Ariz. (AP) — Manny Machado’s debut in a Padres uniform was a lot less eventful than his free agency.The four-time All-Star spent the offseason being courted by every club with money to burn, and he wound up signing a $300 million, 10-year deal with San Diego late last month. But after a few workouts in Arizona, his Cactus League debut against the San Francisco Giants was rather underwhelming.The 26-year-old Machado popped out in his first at-bat and drew a walk in his second, and he came out of Saturday’s game after three innings at third base without getting any action.Then again, the Padres are paying Machado for what he will do when the game start counting.Not what happens on a sun-splashed field in Arizona.“Finally. Finally got to play some baseball,” Machado said. “It’s been good, getting to know my teammates and just getting my feet under me. It’s been a nice week, getting to know players a lot more. I finally got out there and played some baseball — makes it a lot better.”Machado batted second and started at third base, his primary position for most of his career. He played shortstop last year with the Orioles and Dodgers, but the Padres have one of the game’s top shortstop prospects in Fernando Tatis Jr.“It felt good. I have to get some more reps over there but I feel good,” Machado said. “Just to leave all that back-field stuff and be in a real game, it was exciting.”Tatis also got the start against the Giants along with first baseman Eric Hosmer, who signed a $144 million , seven-year deal last year and together form the Padres’ infield of the future.One that manager Andy Green expects to push his club well past its 66 wins of a season ago.“Look forward to it more in the season,” Green said, when asked about writing Machado’s name on his lineup card. “It’s good. Happy to get him out here. He’s worked hard on the back fields here.”Green said Machado has been spending most of his time bonding with his new teammates, and he thinks the former third overall pick has been especially helpful for the 20-year-old Tatis.“He knows what it’s like being a prospect who has high expectations,” said Green, himself a former third baseman. “I’m sure he can relate in a way nobody else really can.”Yet the expectations for Machado are similarly stratospheric.He’s coming off a season in which he hit .297, belted a career-best 37 homers and drove in 107 runs, and helped Los Angeles reach the World Series.That season, coupled with his track record, is why the White Sox and other deep-pocketed suitors spent the offseason wooing him. And lest he forget how much money the Padres ultimately invested in him, Machado was reminded by a Giants fan during his second plate appearance Saturday.“You’re making $60,000 an hour!” the fan yelled. “Better not strike out!”So much for a pressure-free spring training game.“It’s an exciting day for him, I think, to get back on the field ,” teammate Ian Kinsler said. “It’s an exciting day for the rest of the infield to be playing with him. It’s an exciting day for the Padres to see basically the new face or somebody that everybody’s going to relate to as far as being a Padres fan.”Machado said he normally takes 60 or 70 at-bats during spring training, and that means he has a little catching up to do after arriving late. But he said the work on the back fields has been helpful, even if it doesn’t come close to replicating game speed.He finally got a taste of that against Saturday.“It’s always worth it when you come out here and put on a uniform and step on that field,” Machado said, flashing a big smile. “It’s the best feeling you’ll ever have.” WASHINGTON (AP) — Gio Gonzalez ended a personal drought that spanned more than two months — and helped give the Washington Nationals a four-game split with another National League East contender.Gonzalez pitched seven strong innings for his first victory since May 28, leading the Nationals to a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.“I think I was just happy that I got to high-five my teammates for the first time in a while,” Gonzalez said. “For me it was not the pressure, it was just the going out there and doing what I can do to go out there and try and pitch the best I can. Today it finally showed. It finally stepped to the right direction that I wanted.”The Nationals moved within 5 1/2 games of idle NL East leader Philadelphia. The Braves fell a game behind the Phillies.Gonzalez (7-
snapped a seven-game losing streak and had gone 11 consecutive starts without a victory. He allowed six hits and one walk while striking out three. Nick Markakis‘ solo homer to lead off the second was the lone run he allowed.Atlanta starter Anibal Sanchez pitched two scoreless innings but left after getting hit in the left calf by a grounder from Michael Taylor. Manager Brian Snitker said he was hopeful Sanchez would make his next start.“It looked like Anibal was going to have one of his games starting out,” Snitker said. “He was sharp as can be. We just had a hard time getting ahold of Gio. That was the biggest thing. We couldn’t do anything with him.”Sanchez was replaced by Wes Parsons (0-1), who yielded a bases-loaded walk to Juan Soto and a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon as Washington went ahead in the third.Taylor homered to left in the fourth to bump Washington’s lead to 3-1, and Daniel Murphy added an RBI double in the sixth.But Parsons worked five innings in his major league debut, vital for a team that had two starters last only two innings during the series in Washington and heads home to face Milwaukee after a 5-3 road trip.“A winning road trip, you take that every single time,” said Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman , who had three hits. “Sometimes, you have to lose a battle to win the war. I thought what Wes Parsons did was absolutely huge for this ballclub. That’s going to win us games later on with a fresh bullpen.”Ronald Acuna Jr.’s one-out homer in the eighth pulled Atlanta within two runs, but the Nationals got RBIs from Ryan Zimmerman and Mark Reynolds in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.Washington went 7-3 on its homestand and begins a seven-game trip to face the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis.“It was big, a big win for us,” manager Dave Martinez said. “Happy flight.”HARPER SCRATCHEDWashington outfielder Bryce Harper was scratched from the lineup with right knee soreness. Atlanta reliever Dan Winkler hit Harper just below the right knee in the seventh inning on Wednesday night. Martinez said X-rays on Harper were negative.DOUBLE DEBUTParsons and Adam McCreery both made their major league debuts for Atlanta, combining to pitch the last six innings. It was the first time the Braves had two pitchers debut in the same game since June 30, 2015, when Jake Brigham and Ryan Kelly did so against Washington.TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: 3B Johan Camargo was out of the starting lineup for the first time since July 14. He struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game. Charlie Culberson filled in at third for Camargo.Nationals: Martinez said RHP Stephen Strasburg (cervical nerve impingement) will throw at least one more bullpen session before the team decides whether he is ready for a minor league rehabilitation start. Strasburg has not pitched for Washington since July 20.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 5.40 ERA) makes his second start since his acquisition from Baltimore as Atlanta returns home to open a three-game series with Milwaukee.Nationals: Washington begins a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs with RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 3.56) getting the nod.
snapped a seven-game losing streak and had gone 11 consecutive starts without a victory. He allowed six hits and one walk while striking out three. Nick Markakis‘ solo homer to lead off the second was the lone run he allowed.Atlanta starter Anibal Sanchez pitched two scoreless innings but left after getting hit in the left calf by a grounder from Michael Taylor. Manager Brian Snitker said he was hopeful Sanchez would make his next start.“It looked like Anibal was going to have one of his games starting out,” Snitker said. “He was sharp as can be. We just had a hard time getting ahold of Gio. That was the biggest thing. We couldn’t do anything with him.”Sanchez was replaced by Wes Parsons (0-1), who yielded a bases-loaded walk to Juan Soto and a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon as Washington went ahead in the third.Taylor homered to left in the fourth to bump Washington’s lead to 3-1, and Daniel Murphy added an RBI double in the sixth.But Parsons worked five innings in his major league debut, vital for a team that had two starters last only two innings during the series in Washington and heads home to face Milwaukee after a 5-3 road trip.“A winning road trip, you take that every single time,” said Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman , who had three hits. “Sometimes, you have to lose a battle to win the war. I thought what Wes Parsons did was absolutely huge for this ballclub. That’s going to win us games later on with a fresh bullpen.”Ronald Acuna Jr.’s one-out homer in the eighth pulled Atlanta within two runs, but the Nationals got RBIs from Ryan Zimmerman and Mark Reynolds in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.Washington went 7-3 on its homestand and begins a seven-game trip to face the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis.“It was big, a big win for us,” manager Dave Martinez said. “Happy flight.”HARPER SCRATCHEDWashington outfielder Bryce Harper was scratched from the lineup with right knee soreness. Atlanta reliever Dan Winkler hit Harper just below the right knee in the seventh inning on Wednesday night. Martinez said X-rays on Harper were negative.DOUBLE DEBUTParsons and Adam McCreery both made their major league debuts for Atlanta, combining to pitch the last six innings. It was the first time the Braves had two pitchers debut in the same game since June 30, 2015, when Jake Brigham and Ryan Kelly did so against Washington.TRAINER’S ROOMBraves: 3B Johan Camargo was out of the starting lineup for the first time since July 14. He struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game. Charlie Culberson filled in at third for Camargo.Nationals: Martinez said RHP Stephen Strasburg (cervical nerve impingement) will throw at least one more bullpen session before the team decides whether he is ready for a minor league rehabilitation start. Strasburg has not pitched for Washington since July 20.UP NEXTBraves: RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 5.40 ERA) makes his second start since his acquisition from Baltimore as Atlanta returns home to open a three-game series with Milwaukee.Nationals: Washington begins a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs with RHP Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 3.56) getting the nod.