SAN DIEGO — Jake Cronenworth and the San Diego Padres avoided breaking the city's heart, earning a 4-3 victoryover the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The win not only extends the season for the Padres, but forces the Brewers to stay in San Diego for Game 4.
Cronenworth and the Padres were confident in what the victory could do for them in Game 4 with a chance to even the series.
“I think it can (carry over),” Cronenworth said. “You look at the situation we’ve been in for more than half the season and it's kind of been our backs against the wall and fighting since before the trade deadline to survive. I think no team is more battle-tested than us right now.”
Cronenworth made a difference offensively, going 2-for-2 with a home run that helped San Diego retake the lead. He blasted the ball 368 feet to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Padres wouldn’t give up the lead again, despite the Brewers’ efforts.
A single run has decided all three games in the best-of-five series.
“They’ve been great games, and I think runs are coming at a premium, especially with how the bullpens have been pitching,” Cronenworth said. “You score early, but you need to add some insurance. We had a huge hit by (Xander Bogaerts) and a stolen base to add that insurance run.”
Bogaerts' run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference, after scoring on an error by the Brewers to take a 4-2 lead.
Bogaerts went 1-for-3 at the plate on the night.
“We know what we are in for with those guys,” Ty France said. “They are a really good baseball team and they’re not going to lay down. We played a really good game. It took everybody and that’s kind of what you expect.”
The Padres also needed the arm of pitcher Michael King to protect a 1-run lead in the eighth inning.
King was asked to come out of the bullpen after closer Mason Miller was a late scratch on Tuesday evening.
King had just pitched five innings on Sunday, Oct. 4 in a 4-3 Game 2 loss. He had allowed just three hits and one earned run during that outing while striking out six on 72 pitches.
Miller was a late scratch and was placed on the postseason paternity list with his wife in labor on Tuesday evening. Miller’s status for Game 4 was unclear after the game.
Walker Buehler, who recently returned from the paternity list, will start Game 4, Padres manager Craig Stammen said after the game.
“We are just going to keep grinding one way or another,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said regarding the team’s mindset ahead of Game 4.
The Padres and the Brewers will play Game 4 at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) at Petco Park.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These Padres have always had their 'backs against the wall'
