MLB power rankings: Biding their time?

Manny Machado snapped out of an 0-for-24 funk with a home run on Saturday. He did not have a hit on Sunday, but he lifted a ball deep enough to the outfield for the game-winner an inning after Nick Castellanos’ game-tying homer.

The victories allowed the Padres to split a four-game set with the upstart Cardinals despite collecting their fewest hits ever in a four-game series.

Machado’s .191 average is the 13th lowest among all qualifiers.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to hit a homer all year.

The Padres rank 28th in batting average (.223) and on-base percentage (.297) and tied for 28th in OPS (.667).

Yet they have the majors’ fifth-best record and are tied with the Dodgers atop the NL West.

It’s either a sign of things to come or a head start for when the offense really gets going.

“I mean, it’s obvious: we’re not hitting,” Machado said. “It’s obvious, but we’re getting things done, man. Offensively, whatever it is, getting guys over, bunting guys over, getting situations today. I mean, we left seven on. I left four of them on myself, you know. I mean, it could have been a completely different game if I had two opportunities there with two outs to get a hit and shrink that lead, which we need to do if we want to where we want to get to.

“But overall, I mean, we’re getting the job done, you know. And that’s all that matters at the end of the day. It’s about winning ballgames and we’re doing that.”

1 | Atlanta Braves (28-13; Last week: 1)

Freddie who? Matt Olson’s 14 homers are two off the MLB lead. Meantime, the 36-year-old guy he replaced has four in Los Angeles.

2 | Chicago Cubs (27-14; LW: 3)

The Cubs already had a 10-game winning streak on the books and came within a game of matching it again last week.

3 | Tampa Bay Rays (26-13; LW: 4)

Two years removed from a run of five straight playoff berths, the Rays are the early leaders in the AL East.

4 | New York Yankees (26-15; LW: 2)

Carlos Rodon is back. UP next: Gerrit Cole, who threw 4⅓ innings in his fourth rehab start and could return this month.

5 | Los Angeles Dodgers (24-16; LW: 5)

The Dodgers got Blake Snell back on Saturday. On Monday, Mookie Betts returns to help get them back on track

6 | Milwaukee Brewers (22-16; LW: 10)

Brice Turang’s walk-off homer on Sunday secured the Brewers’ first sweep of the Yankees since … 1989.

7 | San Diego Padres (24-16; LW: 6)

Two of a kind? The last two Padres to strikeout four batters in a inning are Mason Miller on Saturday and … manager Craig Stammen back in 2021.

8 | St. Louis Cardinals (23-17; LW: 7)

The home run that Riley O’Brien allowed on Sunday was his first of the year, preventing him from tying Mason Miller atop the saves leaderboard with 12.

9 | Pittsburgh Pirates (22-19; LW: 9)

Only two Pirates have ever had 10 homers and 10 steals through the first 41 games of a season: Barry Bonds and Oneil Cruz, who is up to 10 homers and 15 steals.

10 | Sacramento Athletics (21-19; LW: 13)

The upstart A’s are on the rise, but they’re holding their breath a bit with shortstop Jack Wilson spraining his left shoulder over the weekend.

The rest

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