Padres snap an 8-game skid with Machado’s three-run homer, send Dodgers home without the sweep

San Diego’s week-long slide finally broke in Los Angeles. After what described as the Padres’ longest losing streak in 13 years, the club got back into the win column with a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon, preventing a Los Angeles sweep and ending an eight-game skid that had carried over from earlier in the series.

The turning point came from Manny Machado, who delivered a three-run home run in the seventh inning that identified as the difference-maker in the game. The timing mattered for more than just the scoreboard. With the Padres needing runs to turn the tide and the Dodgers looking to lock up the series, Machado’s blast widened a manageable game into separation for San Diego.

On the mound, JP Sears started for San Diego and was effective early. Gaslamp Ball reported that Sears went four innings without allowing a hit before giving up a run in the fifth. It also noted that bench coach Randy Knorr made a decision to pull Sears after that point, with the reason not specified in the recap. Even without a full starter length, the early spell helped keep the game from getting away while San Diego waited for its offense to find traction.

The game came with unusual heat early. reported that not even one full batter into Sunday’s game, Padres manager Craig Stammen and an infield coach were ejected after an argument tied to a check-swing call, with clarifying that the infield coach was tossed first and Stammen was sent out when he came out to argue as well. In a contest where momentum had become fragile for San Diego, those departures also underscored how tense the season stretch had felt.

San Diego’s win did not instantly solve the broader picture. said the Padres remained below.500 and still on the outside of the playoff picture. But it did provide the breathing room that matters most at this point in the calendar: a chance to reset before a crucial stretch at home leading into the All-Star break.

As the Padres head from Dodger Stadium to their next set of opponents, they will be looking for the same kind of steadier performance that San Diego’s recent stretch hinted at, even if results have not fully matched. Gaslamp Ball framed San Diego’s final three games before the Dodgers win as feeling “especially healthy,” though the segment also noted the club was 1-2 across that span. The immediate test after this return trip will come against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the matchup will feature Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly? actually the preview referenced Zac Pfaadt by name, describing his season-long ERA and his recent form as a key storyline for who controls the game’s early tempo.

If the Padres are going to build on this win, what happens in the late innings will be central. Machado’s homer provided a cushion, but also referenced a bullpen that looked shaky at times. Over the next homestand, San Diego’s consistency in turning leads into outs, not just finding one big inning, will determine whether Sunday’s result is a reset or a brief pause in a longer fight.