A couple of MVP candidates are sharing the field tonight when Manny Machado and the Padres host José Ramírez and the Guardians, and you can watch it for free on MLB.TV, presented by ampm.
A six-time All-Star, Machado is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. The 11-year veteran has been particularly hot lately, hitting .337 with four home runs in August. Machado’s performance won him the NL Player of the Week Award for the week of Aug. 8-14.
Machado’s counterpart is one of only a few players who have matched his excellent showing this season. Ramírez is hitting .281 with 23 home runs and 99 RBIs for the first-place Guardians. Cleveland’s third baseman has finished in the top six in the AL MVP Award voting in four of the past five seasons, and he’s set to do it again this year.
Juan Soto had his 25 game on-base streak snapped on Sunday, so he’ll try to restart it against the Guardians, whom he’s faced only three times in his career. During the streak, he slashed .284/.478/.482 with 19 runs.
Tonight’s game also presents a matchup between two teams in the thick of the playoff race in their respective leagues. San Diego is tied for the second Wild Card spot with the Phillies entering Tuesday, while the Guardians hold a two-game lead over the Twins for first place in the AL Central.
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