MINNEAPOLIS — Manny Machado hit a career milestone on Saturday night. Then, as he’s done his whole career, he just kept hitting.
Machado’s 1,000th career hit as a Padre helped key a game-tying rally in the sixth inning, and his base hit in the seventh drove in the go-ahead run as the Padres came back to beat the Twins, 12-3.
“Those are the guys that are legitimately the pillars of your organization,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “He’s taking the next steps and really been consistent about doing what it takes on a daily basis to go compete and to go help us win games.”
The Padres trailed 3-1 through five innings, but they stayed patient, piling up 13 hits and scoring 11 runs over the next three frames to run away with the win.
Elias Díaz homered twice for San Diego, including a two-run shot that capped a seven-run seventh inning that blew the game open.
The Padres had just one hit — a Díaz solo homer in the fifth — off Twins starter Taj Bradley. But they hit a number of balls hard with little to show for it, including Ramón Laureano’s line drive up the middle that second baseman Luke Keaschall caught to end the first inning, stranding two runners in scoring position.
“We were having really good at-bats,” second baseman Jake Cronenworth said. “You just have to come out the next inning and continue to have those good at-bats, and at some point, it’s going to happen for us.”
The Padres went to town on Minnesota’s depleted bullpen. But it took an error by Twins shortstop Brooks Lee to open the door.
Lee bobbled a Luis Arraez grounder, and Machado followed with his milestone single. Laureano and Gavin Sheets then each hit an RBI single to tie the game, though the Padres left the bases loaded when Díaz hit another rocket right at Keaschall for the final out of the frame.
The Padres’ patience finally paid off big time in the seventh when they put together a rally that was as efficient as it was effective. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Arraez led off with singles. Then Machado didn’t waste any time getting started on his next 1,000 hits, grounding a ball through the left side for an RBI single and a 4-3 lead.
Ryan O’Hearn made it four straight singles off reliever Mick Abel to make it 5-3, ending the young pitcher’s night. Sheets then drove in a run with a base hit and Cronenworth hit a two-run double before Díaz blasted his second homer of the game to make it 10-3.
On a night when eight Padres starters recorded at least one hit and seven scored at least one run, the resiliency after a slow start to the night impressed their manager the most.
“Just the quality of at-bats the whole night,” Shildt said. “I love the adding on. There’s a hunger to it. And Manny Machado with his 1,000th career Padre hit. That’s a pretty big accomplishment, so you’ve got to celebrate that.”
