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 Recreation 2 of the Wild Card Collection on Wednesday night time at Petco Park.
If Recreation 1 of this sequence was a ravishing ballet choreographed by San Diego starter Michael King, with a end result that was by no means doubtful, then Recreation 2 was a much more unsure thriller.
Atlanta struck first, when leadoff batter Michael Harris II smoked a first-pitch double down the appropriate discipline line, superior to 3rd on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Then the Padres got here to bat in opposition to Braves lefty Max Fried, and issues appeared 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 secure — earlier than Fried buckled down. He struck out Manny Machado, obtained Jackson Merrill to floor right into a 3-2 fielder’s selection, and induced a grounder to brief by Xander Bogaerts to get out of the inning with out permitting a run.
This was after I thought Fried was going to have one among these postseason begins. Escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed is likely one of the most troublesome issues to do as a pitcher, and dang it, Fried did it within the very first inning in opposition to San Diego’s 4-5-6 hitters. The adage is that you simply’ve obtained to get to nice pitchers earlier than they’ll settle in, and the Padres virtually did that within the first. Moreover, Fried really appeared sharp regardless of these three baserunners; not one of the balls in play left the infield. An awesome 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 instructed ESPN’s Buster Olney in the course of the sport that the world wherein Fried obtained hit was bothering him, maybe contributing to the pitcher’s unraveling. The Padres took a special tack within the second inning, once 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 discipline 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 potential: proper elbow tightness.
Turning to any bullpen for 16 outs is way from perfect, but it surely needs to be a better tablet 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 actually 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 saved Atlanta within the sport and arrange an thrilling end as San Diego’s bullpen stumbled.
Hoeing changed the injured Musgrove, obtained 4 key outs, after which gave up a 600-foot residence run to Jorge Soler. (Please be aware 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 special 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 known as on Jeremiah Estrada to start out the sixth. Estrada had a 28.2% strikeout fee this season, however he clearly didn’t have his greatest stuff on Wednesday. He allowed two singles, recorded two hard-hit outs, and obtained 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 discipline 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 guide off the eighth, Harris jumped on the primary pitch once more, this time launching it over the middle discipline 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 degree unseen over the primary 16 innings of the sequence; in case you’re a believer in momentum, it actually 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 present 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.
Possibly swift disappointment was the one method it may 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 study that he’d want season-ending inside 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 not too long ago, 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 convey the rejuvenated nucleus collectively as soon as once more. Hopefully, anyway.
As for the Padres, they’ll journey this sequence sweep to Los Angeles, the place they’ll face off in opposition to their rival Dodgers within the best-of-five NLDS. San Diego outperformed the Dodgers within the season sequence, and even when Musgrove’s damage retains him off the mound, the Padres’ pitchers are considerably more healthy than the Dodgers’ workers. And since the Wild Card Collection resulted in simply two video games, San Diego can begin ace Dylan Stop in Saturday’s Recreation 1. Then, the Padres would have Yu Darvish or King on brief relaxation for Recreation 2, with the opposite one getting the nod in Tuesday’s Recreation 3.
