Astros find a challenge worthy of October in San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- There’s a lot of baseball still to be played before the World Series comes our way in late October, but the three-game series between the Astros and Padres this week at Petco Park left both teams thinking of a possible Fall Classic matchup.

The Padres got the best of the Astros by taking two of three games, including a 4-0 victory in the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Dylan Cease threw 8 1/3 scoreless innings and Manny Machado slugged two of the Padres’ four homers to thrill another sold-out crowd.

“It was fun,” Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon said. “I mean, I think it would be a good World Series. They know who we are, and we know who they are. Good thing we play a best of seven in October. It’s going to be fun.”

The playoff-seasoned Astros (82-70) maintained a five-game lead on the second-place Mariners in the American League West and appear headed to their seventh division title in eight years. Meanwhile, the Padres are on the heels of the first-place Dodgers in the National League West and figure to also be a difficult out in October.

“We beat a really good ballclub that we're probably going to be facing later on,” Machado said. “To go out there and play like we did and have Cease go out there and throw the ball like he did -- it's a hell of a day.”

Machado led off the sixth inning with a homer off Framber Valdez, and the Padres got back-to-back-to-back homers in the eighth by Fernando Tatis Jr., Machado and Donovan Solano off Kaleb Ort. The reliever became the first Astros pitcher to give up three consecutive homers since Colin McHugh on Aug. 29, 2016, vs. Baltimore (Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo).

“I know he was throwing hard, but the results weren’t there for him,” Astros manager Joe Espada said.

Cease retired the first 15 batters he faced before Jason Heyward led off the sixth with a sharp single to right field. Cease then sent down the next nine batters he faced before Dubón led off the ninth with a single that was Houston’s final hit of the game.

“He was mixing well, dotting everything,” Dubón said. “It was his night. He’s a good pitcher, and we battled and Framber gave us a chance to win. It’s a tough matchup, too.”

Valdez gave up five hits -- four singles and Machado’s 28th homer -- in seven innings while walking two batters and striking out six. The Astros had won 13 of the previous 14 games started by Valdez since June 23.

“He was nasty today,” Tatis said. “He's definitely one of the best pitchers out there. He wasn't missing his spots. He was throwing his pitches where he wanted. When those days come, you just tip your cap.”

The game was scoreless in the sixth inning when Machado crushed the first pitch of the bottom half and sent it a Statcast-projected 396 feet, into the left-field seats. The pitch was a well-located sinker on the lower inside corner.

“It looked like he opened his hips and got his hands inside the ball and hit it out,” Espada said. “Good hitting.”

Valdez said he was surprised Machado was able to hit it out.

“That was one of my best pitches,” Valdez said. “It had great action and I threw it where I wanted to throw it, and he hit it out.”

Espada’s club has 10 games remaining to try to close out the division title, but he left San Diego impressed by the Padres. Only time will tell if an October rematch is in the cards.

“It’s a really good team,” Espada said. “They made some good acquisitions there during the break, and the back end [of the bullpen] is pretty good. They put the bat on the ball. Those are tough outs. The center fielder [Jackson Merrill] is a pretty good player, and we know what Machado can do. It’s just a complete offense. You’ve got to make your pitches.”