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PEORIA , Ariz. (AP) — San Diego Padres catcher Austin Hedges expected to see Manny Machado make acrobatic plays at third base and hit clutch home runs. What Hedges has learned this spring about his new teammate is just how smart he is.“Everybody knows he can do that,” Hedges said of Machado’s Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base. “I think people notice the things that are God-given but they don’t get to see what we get to see and that’s the work that he puts in and the way he studies the game, which is taking a very talented player and turning him into arguably the greatest player in this game right now.”This is Machado’s first spring with the Padres after signing a $300 million, 10-year contract in February. He batted .297 with 37 homers and 107 RBIs last season.“I played against him for years and his talent speaks for itself,” Padres second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “You understand what he’s capable of on the field, that he can impact the game in many different ways offensively, defensively, and he’s a smart baserunner.”Machado, 26, also brings energy. When Fernando Tatis Jr. sprinted from first base to score in the sixth inning Friday night, Machado jumped out of the dugout to celebrate.“He’s been a great teammate,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “I have every anticipation that he will be through all the years to come.”Machado’s impact could be more important behind the scenes.“The biggest impression he’s made on me is not what he does physically,” Hedges said. “It’s not been the great plays he’s made at third, the great at-bats he’s had but it’s the way he sees the game in slow motion. I’ve tried to go out of my way to have little conversations with him , whether it’s during games, before games, after games, just any time. It’s ‘Hey, what was your thought process through this play, in this at-bat?’“You don’t do what he’s done consistently for that many years without really having a high baseball IQ. I’ve tried to let him walk me through some of his thought process and what gives him an advantage, which is his brain. He’s really, really smart. I don’t think people understand how smart he is.”First baseman Eric Hosmer has talked baseball with Machado in the dugout as well. It’s been an education.“That’s what makes him really valuable, especially as a teammate,” Hosmer said. “You’re picking his brain, you’re hearing what he says, you’re hearing the approach that he has. It’s opened a lot of guys’ eyes.”On Friday, Machado deftly handled a grounder by the Colorado Rockies’ Mark Reynolds, picking it up with his bare hand and throwing Reynolds out.“There are going to be some plays on the left side of the infield that a lot of us never thought could be done ,” Hosmer said. “It’s impressive to watch. Everything is extremely smooth.”On Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, Machado doubled in the first inning and scored one out later on Franchy Cordero’s home run. Machado also flew out to center in the third and singled in the fourth.In the Angels’ second, Machado nearly threw out Dustin Garneau, who hit a grounder down the third-base line. If teams could use replay in spring training, Green may have challenged the call.Machado is heating up at the right time, going 5 for 13 in his last four games with three RBIs and his first homer for the Padres. San Diego has one more game in Peoria on Sunday against the Cubs, and then closes the exhibition season with two games against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Monday and Tuesday.The Manny Machado era officially begins next Thursday at Petco Park against the San Francisco Giants.“You’ve always appreciated the way he plays against you but it’s different when you’re with guys every day, you see them practice, you see them prepare, you see the way they go about it,” Hosmer said. “It’s kind of a misconception — everyone thinks he’s naturally good and goes out there and makes it look easy. Getting to see all the work that goes in behind the scenes drives up that appreciation level you have as a player.” SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants‘ rookies got the better of the San Diego Padres‘ youngsters in a matchup of NL West teams playing out the season.While veterans Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria homered off Bryan Mitchell in the Giants’ 4-2 win Monday, three rookies had nice nights. Left-hander Andrew Suarez pitched into the eighth inning, Chris Shaw had his first three-hit game and Aramis Garcia added an RBI single.“They did a great job, starting with Suarez ,” manager Bruce Bochy said.Suarez (7-11) snapped a two-start skid by holding San Diego to two runs and four hits while striking out four and walking three in 7 2/3 innings.“He had a good fastball going, good movement on it. Really all his pitches, very efficiently,” Bochy said. “Shaw, nice game by him, big hit by Garcia. It was good to see those kids play well.”Suarez has gone at least six innings in five straight starts. He thought he had a good chance of finishing the eighth.“My pitch count was low for being that deep in the game,” he said. “I just think it’s more my mechanics. I think I do a good routine in between starts to stay strong and ready for my start date.”Suarez looked disappointed when Bochy came out to pull him. Suarez said he thought he showed up his manager, so he apologized.“He liked it that I was being competitive,” Suarez said.Will Smith pitched the ninth for his 13th save.The rebuilding Padres dropped to 60-91 to match last year’s loss total with 11 games to play. Ownership had expected the Padres to be better than the club that finished 71-91 last year, but San Diego has lost at least 91 games for the third straight season and the fourth time in eight years.Mitchell (1-4) had pitched well in his two previous starts since his return from a long stay on the disabled list, but reverted to the early season form that got him demoted to the bullpen.After scattering three singles through the first three scoreless innings, Mitchell allowed Crawford’s homer to right-center leading off the fifth, his 13th. Shaw doubled with one out and scored on Garcia’s two-out single.With Gregor Blanco aboard on a leadoff single in the fifth, Longoria homered off the balcony on the third level of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building in the left-field corner , his 16th.Mitchell allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings, struck out four and walked none.“I don’t want to sugarcoat it, but I’ve definitely thrown the ball worse and had better results,” Mitchell said. “The balls and strikes were really good. I was attacking for the most part. If I execute maybe three or four pitches a little better, it’s probably a different story.”Mitchell said Longoria “put a hell of a swing on that pitch. It was in and up out of the zone. I just think it was probably a little bit of a predictable pitch at that point. I maybe could’ve set it up a little better. He put a really good swing on it. You’ve got to live with that sometimes.”Said manager Andy Green: “It wasn’t really a poorly executed pitch, Longoria just beat us to the spot.”Austin Hedges homered leading off the second for the Padres, his 14th. He started at catcher even though rookie Francisco Mejia, one of baseball’s top catching prospects, hit a walkoff grand slam against Texas on Sunday.BUMGARNERBochy said LHP Madison Bumgarner could pitch the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 28 at San Francisco if the NL West race is still undecided.UP NEXTGiants: LHP Derek Holland (7-8, 3.46 ERA) is scheduled to start the middle game of the series Tuesday night. He’s 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA in four career starts against San Diego, including 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in three starts vs. the Padres this year.Padres: Rookie LHP Joey Lucchesi (8-8, 3.67) will start against the Giants for the second time this season. He earned his second career win in his fourth start on April 15 vs. San Francisco.
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