Deadspin | Manny Machado, Padres overpower Rockies 
Apr 11, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Manny Machado and Ramon Laureano homered Saturday night as the San Diego Padres overcame an early 4-0 deficit to stop the visiting Colorado Rockies 9-5.
San Diego’s German Marquez (2-1) won in his first start against the team for which he pitched the last 10 years. Marquez permitted four runs on four hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five in his second straight victory.
Laureano gave the Padres a 6-4 lead in the fourth when he pounced on a hanging changeup from Ryan Feltner (1-1), lining it an estimated 388 feet into the left field seats for his third homer of the year. Laureano collected two hits and two walks, scoring three runs to lead the team’s 10-hit attack.
Machado capped San Diego’s three-run third inning when he drilled a 3-0 fastball from Feltner 403 feet into the bleachers in left-center for his second homer. It scored Jackson Merrill, who knocked in the first run on a fielder’s choice bouncer.
Feltner allowed seven hits and six runs in four innings, walking three and whiffing four. Colorado pitchers aided San Diego’s offense by issuing seven walks, including one to Fernando Tatis Jr. with the bases filled to start a three-run sixth inning. Merrill followed with a two-run double off the glove of diving second baseman Edouard Julien for a 9-4 advantage.
Wasted in the loss was a big game by Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak. He went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. Moniak followed Julien’s leadoff single by rifling a two-run homer into the seats in right in the top of the first.
The duo doubled Colorado’s lead in the third. Julien drilled a sinker an estimated 375 feet over the wall in left-center for his first homer, followed one out later by Moniak’s fifth homer of the year to right-center.
Moniak added an RBI single in the eighth. The Rockies brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth with two singles and a walk. With closer Mason Miller unavailable after pitching three straight days, right-hander Jason Adam came out of the bullpen for his first save, retiring Ezequiel Tovar on a pop-up.
Tatis, who usually plays right field, made his first career start at second base. A former shortstop, Tatis has been a full-time outfielder since 2023 and made one career appearance at second base before Saturday.
Second baseman Jake Cronenworth played short on Saturday as starter Xander Bogaerts had the day off.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Manny #Machado #Padres #overpower #Rockies
Apr 11, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images Manny Machado and Ramon Laureano homered Saturday night as the San Diego Padres overcame an early 4-0 deficit to stop the visiting Colorado Rockies 9-5.
San Diego’s German Marquez (2-1) won in his first start against the team for which he pitched the last 10 years. Marquez permitted four runs on four hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five in his second straight victory.
Laureano gave the Padres a 6-4 lead in the fourth when he pounced on a hanging changeup from Ryan Feltner (1-1), lining it an estimated 388 feet into the left field seats for his third homer of the year. Laureano collected two hits and two walks, scoring three runs to lead the team’s 10-hit attack.
Machado capped San Diego’s three-run third inning when he drilled a 3-0 fastball from Feltner 403 feet into the bleachers in left-center for his second homer. It scored Jackson Merrill, who knocked in the first run on a fielder’s choice bouncer.
Feltner allowed seven hits and six runs in four innings, walking three and whiffing four. Colorado pitchers aided San Diego’s offense by issuing seven walks, including one to Fernando Tatis Jr. with the bases filled to start a three-run sixth inning. Merrill followed with a two-run double off the glove of diving second baseman Edouard Julien for a 9-4 advantage.
Wasted in the loss was a big game by Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak. He went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI. Moniak followed Julien’s leadoff single by rifling a two-run homer into the seats in right in the top of the first.
The duo doubled Colorado’s lead in the third. Julien drilled a sinker an estimated 375 feet over the wall in left-center for his first homer, followed one out later by Moniak’s fifth homer of the year to right-center.
Moniak added an RBI single in the eighth. The Rockies brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth with two singles and a walk. With closer Mason Miller unavailable after pitching three straight days, right-hander Jason Adam came out of the bullpen for his first save, retiring Ezequiel Tovar on a pop-up.
Tatis, who usually plays right field, made his first career start at second base. A former shortstop, Tatis has been a full-time outfielder since 2023 and made one career appearance at second base before Saturday.
Second baseman Jake Cronenworth played short on Saturday as starter Xander Bogaerts had the day off.
–Field Level Media
![IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/rfo0xt/article70853376.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/image%2013.jpg?ssl=1 "IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey")
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