One 12 months after they missed the playoffs in maddening vogue, the Padres are advancing to the Nationwide League Division Collection after holding on to beat the Braves, 5-4, in Sport 2 of the Wild Card Collection on Wednesday evening at Petco Park.
If Sport 1 of this collection was a stupendous ballet choreographed by San Diego starter Michael King, with a end result that was by no means unsure, then Sport 2 was a much more unsure thriller.
Atlanta struck first, when leadoff batter Michael Harris II smoked a first-pitch double down the precise subject line, superior to 3rd on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Then the Padres got here to bat towards Braves lefty Max Fried, and issues regarded like they have been about to get out of hand.
San Diego loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Luis Arraez and Fernando Tatis Jr. and a Jurickson Profar chopper in entrance of the mound — Fried fielded it however his throw to second was late and everybody was protected — earlier than Fried buckled down. He struck out Manny Machado, bought Jackson Merrill to floor right into a 3-2 fielder’s selection, and induced a grounder to quick by Xander Bogaerts to get out of the inning with out permitting a run.
This was after I thought Fried was going to have considered one of these postseason begins. Escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed is among the most tough issues to do as a pitcher, and dang it, Fried did it within the very first inning towards San Diego’s 4-5-6 hitters. The adage is that you simply’ve bought to get to nice pitchers earlier than they will settle in, and the Padres nearly did that within the first. Moreover, Fried truly regarded sharp regardless of these three baserunners; not one of the balls in play left the infield. An incredible early narrative was brewing in San Diego, with momentum briefly favoring the Braves.
There was one drawback, although. Fried prevented hassle, however he couldn’t keep away from the 99.8-mph liner that Tatis ripped off the pitcher’s hip/butt space.
Braves supervisor Brian Snitker informed ESPN’s Buster Olney throughout the sport that the world wherein Fried bought hit was bothering him, maybe contributing to the pitcher’s unraveling. The Padres took a unique tack within the second inning, after they lulled Fried right into a false sense of safety by making the primary two outs in fast succession earlier than laying the hammer down. Kyle Higashioka homered to tie it, after which all hell broke unfastened. Fried allowed three straight singles to load the bases earlier than Machado lined a two-run double into the left subject nook. Subsequent up was Merrill, who tripled over Harris’ head in straightaway heart to plate two extra runs. In a 15-pitch span, the Padres went from trailing by one to main by 4.
MERRILL MADNESS!
The rookie comes by way of with a 2-run triple ? pic.twitter.com/GTdlyCLMbz
— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2024
This sport was removed from over, although, particularly as a result of Padres starter Joe Musgrove left the sport with two outs within the fourth with an damage of his personal. Two slower-than-usual curveballs prompted an eagle-eyed Higashioka to go to his pitcher on the mound, adopted by the pitching coach, supervisor, and coach. Musgrove shook his arm out in apparent discomfort, and the damage replace was certainly among the many most ominous doable: proper elbow tightness.
Turning to any bullpen for 16 outs is much from perfect, but it surely ought to be a neater capsule to swallow for the Padres, who bolstered their reduction corps in late July; simply earlier than the commerce deadline, they acquired Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing from the Marlins and Jason Adam from the Rays. And following King’s seven-inning gem on Tuesday, everybody in San Diego’s bullpen was rested and able to go. This sport wasn’t precisely over, however the Padres definitely had the benefit, particularly as a result of Atlanta’s bullpen was operating on fumes.
And but, the Braves relievers have been those who silenced the Padres, not the opposite method round. Dylan Lee, Daysbel Hernández, Pierce Johnson, and Joe Jiménez stored Atlanta within the sport and arrange an thrilling end as San Diego’s bullpen stumbled.
Hoeing changed the injured Musgrove, bought 4 key outs, after which gave up a 600-foot residence run to Jorge Soler. (Please notice that my distance estimate is indeniable, as Statcast didn’t register a distance or exit velocity for the ball.)
Jorge Soler hit this baseball to a unique universe ? #Postseason pic.twitter.com/Ww7RB3r3bw
— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2024
After the house run, Hoeing retired the following three Braves batters within the fifth earlier than supervisor Mike Shildt referred to as on Jeremiah Estrada to begin the sixth. Estrada had a 28.2% strikeout price this season, however he clearly didn’t have his finest stuff on Wednesday. He allowed two singles, recorded two hard-hit outs, and bought simply three whiffs on 16 swings. Shildt changed Estrada with the left-handed Scott to face lefty slugger Matt Olson with runners on the corners and two outs in a three-run sport. The Atlanta cleanup hitter lined out to left subject to finish the inning. Scott pitched a scoreless seventh inning, however he was a bit shaky; solely eight of his 24 pitches have been within the strike zone.
Going through Adam after Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia singled to steer off the eighth, Harris jumped on the primary pitch once more, this time launching it over the middle subject wall for a two-run homer.
MONEY MIKE BRINGS THE @BRAVES WITHIN A RUN! pic.twitter.com/bQ7ACpECRJ
— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2024
That blast energized the Braves dugout to a stage unseen over the primary 16 innings of the collection; for those who’re a believer in momentum, it definitely lay squarely within the customer’s dugout at this level.
But when momentum exists in any respect, it typically exists to solely be wiped away, to provide a false sense of hope, to create needs for an extended fall earlier than the harshness of winter and the offseason units in. Adam and nearer Robert Suarez hunkered right down to retire the following six Braves. After beating the Mets to clinch a playoff berth within the ultimate regular-season sport on Monday, Atlanta’s season ended on Wednesday.
Perhaps swift disappointment was the one method it might finish, emblematic of a making an attempt season for Snitker’s ballclub. The Braves hoped that Spencer Strider’s elbow damage wouldn’t be too severe, solely to be taught that he’d want season-ending inner brace surgical procedure. They hoped that Ronald Acuña Jr. would miss a couple of month or so, solely to listen to that he’d suffered the second torn ACL of his profession and can be out for the season. They hoped Austin Riley can be again for the playoffs after breaking his hand in August, solely to seek out out that he’d require extra restoration time. And, most lately, they hoped Cy Younger frontrunner Chris Sale can be on the mound for them this October, solely to find his again had flared up and he wouldn’t be capable of pitch within the Wild Card Collection.
All that hope will now flip to 2025, when the injured gamers are anticipated to return and produce the rejuvenated nucleus collectively as soon as once more. Hopefully, anyway.
As for the Padres, they’ll journey this collection sweep to Los Angeles, the place they’ll face off towards their rival Dodgers within the best-of-five NLDS. San Diego outperformed the Dodgers within the season collection, and even when Musgrove’s damage retains him off the mound, the Padres’ pitchers are considerably more healthy than the Dodgers’ employees. And since the Wild Card Collection resulted in simply two video games, San Diego can begin ace Dylan Stop in Saturday’s Sport 1. Then, the Padres would have Yu Darvish or King on quick relaxation for Sport 2, with the opposite one getting the nod in Tuesday’s Sport 3.