Manny Machado’s signature Dodgers moment sends LA to NLCS
By Tab Bamford
With a booming swing of the bat on Monday afternoon, Manny Machado may have authored the signature moment Dodgers fans have been waiting for early in the postseason.
Machado had been struggling against the Braves coming into Game 4; he had one hit in the previous three games (a two-run homer in Game 2). But he changed the narrative with a three-run blast to give the Dodgers a four-run cushion in Game 4.
Now he’ll get a chance to continue his pursuit of a World Series title with the Dodgers against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
A Special Moment
Machado’s first hit in the series in Game 2 found the glove of a young fan named Donovan, who was celebrating his birthday in the left field bleachers at Dodgers Stadium.
Little did Donovan know he would get the chance to meet Machado after the game and get the ball signed.
Making the Move
Machado was acquired shortly after the All-Star Game in mid-July to give the Dodgers some much-needed offense on the left side of their infield. Justin Turner dealt with injuries throughout the year and Los Angeles lost their everyday shortstop, Cory Seager, early in the year.
“I was fortunate to come to this ball club, try to help them whatever way I can,” Machado told the media earlier in the NLDS. “[I came] in here, everyone opened arms, helped me as much as they could, made the transition as easy as possible.”
After he was acquired, Machado slashed .273/.338/.487 with 13 homer runs and 42 runs batted in for the Dodgers. Because of injuries and other acquisitions, he split time between short and third as the Dodgers chased the Rockies and Diamondbacks for the NL West division title down the stretch.
Machado moved from the last place Orioles to the Dodgers in the heat of a pennant chase, and noted the depth of the lineup in LA as one of the most significant differences between the two clubs.
“This lineup is so deep with the production that we have one through nine, even on our bench, guys coming in, we’re so deep that we have protection in front of you, behind you, behind you behind you,” he said. “We’re lucky to have the ball club that we have, not only that they’re great players, but they know how to do their job at the same time.”
Added star power
The Dodgers knew what they were getting when they made the bold move to land Machado. Originally the third overall pick by Baltimore in the 2010 MLB June Amateur Draft, Machado is a four-time All-Star and has won two Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.
In spite of the Orioles’ struggles this season, Machado was well on his way to a fifth consecutive 30-homer season when he was dealt. He had 24 home runs and 65 RBIs when he arrived in Washington D.C. for this summer’s All-Star Game after tying his career-high with 37 long balls and driving in more than 100 runs (107) for the first time in his career in 2017.
Getting a shot at a championship made the move easier for Machado. He’s excited about being in the postseason with his new team.
“Every time you step out on that field, you put on this uniform, you try to leave it out on the field,” he said. “And I think that’s what everyone does in every postseason, which is the best thing about it, that everybody is going to go above and beyond to do whatever they can to help their team win, to bring a championship to their city.”
Featured Image: Rob Carr / Getty Images Sport