For the San Diego Padres, the scars haven’t faded. And the memories simply refuse to disappear.

They were so close to winning – on the brink of eliminating one of the big dads of MLB – Los Angeles Dodgers. In the National League Division Series, the odds were in the Padres’ favor, they had momentum and pace. And not to forget, most MLB fans thought they could beat LA.

Throughout the first 20 innings, the Padres offense was on fire. They put the Dodgers in check, and it looked like they would win. But in a gut-punching way, fate and their bat both fell silent. And they went scoreless for the final 24 innings. They couldn’t break through when it mattered most—and it still haunts Manny Machado.

The LA Dodgers capitalized on the silent Padres bat, and they rode into the World Series. Now months later, the scars of the series and the season haven’t faded for Manny Machado.

Machado told Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, “We had them. We had them. But we came up short. When you lose to the champions, it stings. You see them win it all, and it’s like, ‘Damn, it could have been us, right?’” You can almost feel that wave of sadness and regret in his words.

And it wasn’t just about losing; it was also losing to their divisional rival. San Diego Padres had beaten that team in eight of their 13 regular season games. So they had it within them to do it again, but the moment just slipped away. Think it’s just Machado?

This loss also left a deep scar on Padres Manager Mike Shildt, too. “It left a really bad taste and a real emptiness because there was so much invested. That feeling will never go away.” Even if they win the next two or three World Series, this loss and the way it happened might stay.

Oh! The repentance! It’s not every time you get such a clean shot!

Now, this time, the competition seems even more brutal. The rivalry between the teams is already seeing sparks. And this time it’s between Manny Machado and Mookie Betts!

Mookie Betts takes a mild jab at Manny Machado’s comments

So, Mookie Betts has taken on the challenge to be a shortstop. And he is going above and beyond to ensure he is a really good one.

But Mookie Betts taking on the role is what Machado referred to as ‘crazy.’ “I don’t know, man, it’s crazy what he’s trying to do. He’s a Gold Glover.” And well, Betts did have a reply.

Rather calmly, Betts told USA TODAY Sports, “I’m not out here for a vengeance tour. It’s about proving a lot of people wrong. But more than anything, it’s about proving myself right. So many years, I just didn’t believe in myself.”

And while he is taking on a personal challenge, Machado is now all about the bigger picture. He is hyping up his team: “Our division now is by far the best division in baseball. Hands down. We’ve got four teams who could make the playoffs. The Dodgers are [bleeping] good, man. But we’re excited to take them down. There’s nothing better than having a championship team in your division that you can knock off.” 

But is it going to be this simple?

The Los Angeles Dodgers spent an eye-watering $450 million this offseason. And the Padres chose to be under the tax payroll. So they had to let go of free agents like Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim, and Tanner Scott. They also lost Roki Sasaki to LA, despite having Yu Darvish, (known to be the Sasaki’s godfather).

So the elephant in the room is, can they go head-to-head with a team that is known as baseball’s evil empire now? Machado’s words have power, but action is what will matter in the end. Do you think they can be as strong as they were in 2024?