Padres' Manny Machado Focused on Taking Down Dodgers to Win NL West, World Series

The San Diego Padres made a statement at the trade deadline, unloading several prospects to bring All-Star talent to Petco Park in hopes of making the postseason for a second consecutive year.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado revealed the team's goals after their number of changes, the first of which is knocking the Los Angeles Dodgers off of top spot in the NL West.

“Try to go win it all,” Machado said. “That’s been our goal. We’ve got to go through the Dodgers. So hopefully, go out there and compete for that division and ultimately try to bring a championship to the city, which is our main goal.”

Machado spent the back half of 2018 with the Dodgers, hitting 13 home runs and driving home 42 RBIs in 66 games, however immediately left a sour taste in Dodger fans' mouths when he left for the division rival Padres in the offseason. He has been there since, posting some of his best numbers in his seven year stay in San Diego.

The Padres are three games behind the Dodgers in the NL West after a rough month of July for LA, and their deadline day moves have put them in a good spot despite sitting second in the division.

The Dodgers have two series against the Padres in August, which could very well decide the outcome of the division if one team dominates the matchups. The Dodgers have had the edge so far this season, having won five of their seven matchups with the Padres.

Before meeting their rivals, however, the Dodgers need to get through the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend.