THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL August 18: Manny Machado’s 3-HR game includes walk-off grand slam

Love him or loathe him, there’s no argument Manny Machado is one of the better players in either league, a power-hitting, Gold Glove-caliber infielder who can play third and short.  

But on this day in béisbol, Aug. 18, 2017, the Dominican native, playing for the orioles, proved why a perennial loser like the Padres were so willing to sign him to what was briefly the biggest contract in sports history — the then-massive 10-year, $300 million Machado agreed to before the 2019 season.

In a wild game against the Angels, Machado banged out three home runs — the last one a walk-off grand slam to seal a 9-7 win. 

Machado, who had 7 RBI on the night, also hit a two-run shot and a solo blast in a game that featured a combined 10 home runs. Machado’s performance overshadowed Albert Pujols’ career No. 609 in the same game, which tied him with Sammy Sosa on the all-time list and was also the most long balls by a player born outside the U.S.