It never gets old saying it as bluntly as possible: the Padres beat the Braves 5-4 on Wednesday night to win the National League Wild Card series and advance to the National League Division Series, where they'll get another chance to end the Dodgers season.
The Friars got one big inning and their bullpen had to work overtime after starter Joe Musgrove left with an injury (more on that later), putting a damper on an otherwise raucous party at Petco Park.
Braves starter Max Fried, a former 1st round draft pick by San Diego, escaped a bases loaded situation in the 1st inning. He would not be able to pull that Houdini routine again.
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After getting the first two outs of the 2nd inning he faced catcher Kyle Higashioka, the man Dylan Cease called on Wednesday afternoon "the best 9-hole hitter in the game." In this Wild Card series Higgy might be the best hitter in the game, PERIOD. Higashioka launched another home run, his 2nd dinger in two games.
His 3rd career postseason bomb (the other one, interestingly enough, came for the Yankees at Petco Park in 2020 when the American League playoffs were held in San Diego) touched off a 2-out rally for the ages. Here's what the Padres did after that swing:
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Luis Arraez = 1B
Fernando Tatis Jr. = infield 1B
Jurickson Profar = infield 1B
Manny Machado = 2-run 2B
Jackson Merrill = 2-run 3B
The onslaught gave them one of the most interesting firsts in MLB history: getting six straight hits and hitting for the cycle in a postseason game.
By the time the dust had settled the Padres had a 5-1 lead and Fried's night was over. Unfortunately, soon so was Joe Musgrove's.
The Padres starter allowed a leadoff double to Michael Harris II on the first pitch of the game then retired 11 straight Braves hitters. With two outs in the 4th inning Higashioka called time and went to check on his starter. Musgrove was eventually removed, walking to the dugout with a trainer. The team says it's tightness in his pitching elbow, which could mean his season is over before his team's is.
It's a good thing the Padres reinforced their bullpen throughout the year. Bryan Hoeing got the Padres through the 5th inning, allowing one run on a Jorge Soler solo homer. Jeremiah Estrada ran into some trouble in the 6th, allowing two hits and a couple of other hard hit outs. With runners at the corners manager Mike Shildt was not going to take any chances.
The skipper brought in Tanner Scott, one of the filthiest lefties in the game, to face Atlanta slugger Matt Olson. Scott is usually a late-inning specialist but this might have been the biggest moment of the game so in came Scott, who won the duel of the southpaws, getting Olson to line out to left fielder Jurickson Profar to end the threat.
Scott worked a scoreless 7th inning but the Braves have a championship pedigree. They made a run late. Michael Harris II hit a 2-run homer off Jason Adam to cut the lead to 5-4 and send a nervous energy through the 47,705 fans at Petco Park. The largest crowd in the ballpark's history could only wait and see if closer Robert Suarez could slam the door.
It's been a bit of a roller coaster for the All-Star flamethrower of late but he got the job done, working a 1-2-3 inning while touching 102 MPH on the radar gun as the crowd immediately erupted into chants of "BEAT LA! BEAT LA!"
San Diego will start the National League Division Series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Saturday night at 5:30 pm. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
