LOS ANGELES — These Padres specialize within the dramatic. They win video games they shouldn’t win. They’ve taken the NL West race to the wire, when no one anticipated them to.
But even by their requirements, they turned that drama up a notch — or three — on Tuesday evening:
They turned a game-ending triple play at Dodger Stadium to clinch a postseason spot, leaving Shohei Ohtani within the on-deck circle.
“Couldn’t script that any better,” stated Padres supervisor Mike Shildt.
Manny Machado began a superb around-the-horn triple play to finish a 4-2 Padres victory at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, setting off raucous celebrations within the visiting clubhouse. San Diego turned the primary workforce in MLB historical past to clinch a postseason spot with a game-ending triple play.
Miguel Rojas — who had squared to bunt earlier within the at-bat — hit a pointy grounder to Machado. The famous person third baseman stepped on the bag earlier than firing to Jake Cronenworth at second, who turned and threw to Donovan Solano at first. It was simply the ninth triple play in Padres historical past, and the primary since an analogous around-the-horn flip from Chase Headley in 2010.
“As soon as he hit it, I'm like ‘Let's go,’” Machado stated.
And with that, the Padres had secured their spot within the postseason after lacking out in 2023. In the aftermath, a champagne-soaked Machado was requested about beloved late proprietor Peter Seidler, who handed away final November. Machado was fast to say, “He’s been with us all year.” Then he added this …
“In a tough spot there with Ohtani in the on-deck circle, we turn a triple play to end the game, against one of the best teams in baseball?” Machado stated. “I mean, he's looking upon us.”
With the win, the Padres continued to use stress of their quest for his or her first National League West title since 2006. The Dodgers' lead is down to 2 video games, the bottom that quantity has been since mid-August. And San Diego has already secured the tiebreaker.
“There’s more to be had than just a Wild Card spot,” stated rookie phenom Jackson Merrill. “We’ve still got a chance at this [division title], and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
Indeed, the Padres have larger targets this yr. Heck, they've larger targets this week.
But each single a kind of targets begins with them first securing a spot within the 2024 postseason.
“It's a beautiful, wonderful start,” Shildt stated. “You've got to get in the playoffs to win it all. It's just about taking care of business from here on out.”
Rest assured, the pursuit of a division title stays the main focus this week. On that entrance, the Padres already management their very own future. With a sweep of L.A., they'd transfer into first place, courtesy of the head-to-head tiebreaker.
But holding the large image in thoughts, the Padres nonetheless had purpose to pause and have fun on Tuesday. And have fun they did. They doused one another within the visiting clubhouse, then spilled again onto the sector for a workforce photograph.
Machado was one of many late arrivals for the photograph. The remainder of his teammates chanted his title till he arrived, shirtless and parked himself on the heart of all of it.
“That dude gets heckled more than anybody here,” Merrill stated. “Nobody likes him [at Dodger Stadium]. It’s awesome to see him come here, just be himself and dominate. I love it.”
These are — very clearly — not final yr’s Padres.
After the frustration of 2023 — and an offseason that noticed them commerce Juan Soto and lose a bit of their pitching employees — the Padres entered the season on the game's periphery. Few anticipated them to be neck-and-neck with L.A. into the season’s closing week. With a core filled with superstars, the Padres all the time had a postseason-caliber ceiling. But the query marks had been plentiful.
They've since answered practically each a kind of questions.
Their depleted outfield? Profar and Merrill turned All-Stars out of nowhere. Their wide-open rotation? Michael King arrived within the Soto commerce, and Dylan Cease arrived utilizing the highest prospect from the Soto commerce. (Fitting, possibly, that King labored 5 glorious innings within the clincher.)
“It's a good ballclub here, man,” Machado stated. “We enjoy each other, playing every single day. … We lost some key guys in our team. But guys have stepped up big time.”
Even nonetheless, for a lot of the primary half, the Padres merely treaded water. They misplaced the primary sport after the All-Star break to fall to 50-50. Then?
“Everything clicked,” Profar stated.
They’ve since reeled off a 41-16 run that qualifies as the very best such stretch in franchise historical past.
“Surprised? With the group of guys we have? No,” Profar stated. “It's a surprise if we didn't do it. Like last year. That's more of a surprise than what we did — and what we're going to do — this year.”
What they’ve finished is attain the postseason for the third time in 5 years and the eighth time in franchise historical past.
What they’re going to do? Stay tuned. October could possibly be a wild journey.
