Manny Machado secretly gave the Dodgers bulletin board material in Game 3

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado was undoubtedly the star of the NLDS duel between his team and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He certainly made headlines. The discourse surrounding the third baseman was varied, ranging from his controversial ball-throwing to his questionable, if clever, baserunning.

But while Machado and the Padres got under the Dodgers' skin, they also motivated them. Perhaps no one in the Los Angeles clubhouse felt more inspired than pitcher Michael Kopech, whom the infielder railed against in Game 3:

While Machado Kopech chirps from the dugout, the right-hander continues to deliver the Dodgers' shutout when facing the Padres. The latter has thrown an impressive 5.1 scoreless innings against San Diego since moving to Los Angeles in late July (before Game 4), including critical postseason appearances.

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Machado believed criticizing Kopech would test his teammate Jackson Merrill. Instead, the choice of words may have inadvertently awakened a sleeping giant and a much-needed arm for the Dodgers.

Kopech has been crucial to the Dodgers' bullpen since joining the roster. He went 4-0 with an underwhelming 1.13 ERA, a 0.792 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in his 24 regular season games. Somehow, the 28-year-old elevated his game in October, allowing just a single hit and zero runs in his three appearances against the Padres.

With tensions rising on both sides, we can't blame Machado for acclimating to the heat of battle. Still, his actions haunt the Padres in the form of Kopech.