3 Padres players who should be blamed most after getting swept by the Dodgers

So much for fiery proclamations and strong words by San Diego Padres' manager Bob Melvin. Those words amounted to nothing on the field this weekend as the Padres got swept by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

It was a truly pathetic weekend for the Padres, who came into this pivotal series reeling as it was. Now? They leave Los Angeles with more doubt than ever before.

But who exactly is to blame for this embarassing sweep? Here are three obvious culprits.

3 San Diego Padres players most to blame for weekend sweep at the hands of the Dodgers

1. Manny Machado

0-for-11. That was Manny Machado's series in a nutshell. And in a matchup of this caliber? Simply unacceptable.

Machado's lack of clutch hits and apparent disappearance from game action left much to be desired. Even with all the support he has around him in the lineup, there has to be a level of personal accountability for a star like Machado.

Falling flat in big games is not what the Padres paid him for, and it's imperative that he right the ship should San Diego also turn the corner on what has been a disappointing season thus far.