The Padres Vs Braves series has become a problem Atlanta cannot ignore. Since the start of the 2023 season, the Braves are just 7-19 against San Diego, and this week’s meeting arrives with the same uncomfortable feeling: the Padres have had their number, and they have too much recent evidence to back that up.
That record includes the 2024 NL Wild Card series, plus a three-game sweep in the last meeting at Petco Park. The Braves also dropped three of four in the last four-game series at Truist Park, which means this is not a case of one bad night or even one bad playoff series. It has been a consistent issue across different venues and different stages of the season.
Why the Padres keep causing Atlanta problems
One of the clearest signs of that pattern is Manny Machado. Before facing the Braves, the Padres third baseman was hitting.179/.259/.366 with a wOBA of.273 and a wRC+ of 73. After the Braves left town, he responded with a.258/.383/.530 line, a.384 wOBA and a 147 wRC+.
That swing matters because it speaks to more than just one player getting hot. It suggests San Diego have repeatedly found a way to put Atlanta under pressure, then let their key hitters take over once the matchup settles into their favour. For the Braves, that is the sort of pattern that can become a mental burden as much as a tactical one.
Michael King adds another layer of danger
On Wednesday, San Diego will start Michael King, which only adds to Atlanta’s concerns. Over his past three starts entering Wednesday, King allowed four runs in 17 innings, and two of those outings were seven scoreless innings against the Braves in his past three starts.
That is exactly the type of recent pitching history that can tilt a series before it fully begins. If Atlanta have struggled to solve San Diego already, King gives the Padres a starter who has recently shown he can silence them again.
So while the Braves still have time to change the story, the burden is on them to prove this is different. The matchup has been lopsided since 2023, the Padres are carrying momentum from individual performers like Machado and King, and Atlanta now have to find a way to stop a run of results that has stretched across parks, series and seasons.
