Just when Mike Shildt and the San Diego Padres needed it most, the best players on the team stepped up in a big way. Following back-to-back days of benches clearing in St. Louis between the Cardinals and Padres, cooler heads prevailed on Sunday.

The 2025 Padres have a tremendously high ceiling and some very obvious flaws. That was abundantly clear, even before they finished their three-city road trip at 5-5. Still, the post-All-Star trek through Washington,

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado and St. Louis Cardinals assistant coach Jon Jay don't like each other, which was evident in Saturday's game.

Machado — who had previously held a public friendship with Jay due to their Miami ties — didn’t mince words when asked if he was still friends with the Cardinals coach. “No. Absolutely not,” Machado said, per Dennis Lin and Katie Woo of The Athletic.

Manny Machado lost his cool and blasted the umpire after being hit twice in the Padres' 3-1 win over the Cardinals.

The San Diego Padres started their current road trip versus the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals with a lead over the San Francisco Giants and Cardinals in the Wild Card race. In fact, on July 21 they were 3.5 games up on the Giants, Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.

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Cease’s name has come up in trade rumors, largely because he’s in his final year under contract and is making nearly $14 million. Theoretically, the Padres could trade Cease for controllable pieces, while freeing up money to spend elsewhere on the roster.