Manny Machado expresses gratitude after 300th career HR in Padres' loss against Phillies - “I'm blessed to have one, god blessed me with 299 more" 

Manny Machado continued his exceptional form after the 2023 All-Star break. The San Diego Padres star blasted his 300th career home run against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

Machado's historic solo homer gave the Padres a 4-3 lead in the game but unfortunately, the Padres eventually rallied to a 6-4 win.

Nonetheless, Machado was pleased with his batting display. The 31-year-old spoke to reporters after the game and said:

“It’s a pretty awesome milestone to complete. I’m very blessed to have one [homer] in the big leagues. God blessed me with 299 more. Hopefully, there will be more, and a couple of more wins as well.”

After smashing a ball into the second deck of the Phillies stadium on Saturday, Machado became the 157th player to hit 300 career home runs. It was also his fourth home run in three games and his eighth in July.

Machado is still only 31 years old and reaching the 400 home run mark isn't out of the question. Last season, he finished with 32 home runs and finished second in MVP voting.

Machado has a career-high 37 home runs in a season, a feat he achieved while playing for the Baltimore Orioles in 2016.

Manny Machado's stats in the 2023 MLB season

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado

Manny Machado is having an impressive campaign in 2023. The San Diego Padres slugger has racked up 79 hits and 13 homers in 306 at-bats with a .258 batting average.

Despite Machado's outings, the Padres are fourth in the NL West with a 44-49 record. Bob Melvin's side is nine games behind division leaders Los Angeles Dodgers.

While there is still a chance for San Diego to make the playoffs, the team needs to string together a run of wins in the second half of the campaign. The Padres will need to offer some support for Machado while hoping that the 31-year-old continues his stellar run.