Machado blame game

Will the San Diego Padres return from this long trip a .500 team?

Darren Smith and Marty Caswell kick things off by discussing Manny Machado saying he sucks this season, using a different hitting guru in the off-season, and how it affected his swing mechanics.

The two discuss the various numbers behind Machado's struggles and hear from manager Craig Stammen on why he still believes in Manny in big situations. How common is it for Major League hitters to have their own private hitting coaches?

The show then welcomes in former All-Star closer Heath Bell, who shares his thoughts on Manny and analytics, how pitchers view it and why Stammen needs to drop him in the order to the fifth spot until he figures things out.

There's been been so much discussion about A.J. Preller being aggressive at the trade deadline, Darren, Marty and Heath discuss Preller's comments on having a realistic approach if things don't turn around soon. Preller also reveals a realistic timeline for Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove to return. Spoiler alert, it's going to be well after the Star-Break.

Heath says the Padres pitching staff has done enough considering what they have, and that the biggest problem remains the offense. We hear from Lucas Giolito on his struggles and why it's time to put on his big boy pants.

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