The San Diego Padres have done their part. They have put themselves in a position to reach the postseason as soon as tonight if they can beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and get a little help from the Colorado Rockies against the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Diego has a magic number of two, meaning that any combination of wins and Arizona losses sends the Padres to the playoffs for the third consecutive season. It would be a first for the franchise.
There is no one person to thank for the Padres’ second
half turnaround. It’s been a collective effort from players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Ty France and at times some combination of Manny Machado, Luis Campusano, Dustin Harris or Samad Taylor on the offensive side. On the pitching side, Michael King has been looking like the ace the Friar Faithful have expected him to be. Walker Buehler looked like he was going to be off the team heading into the All-Star break, but he has rebounded with a solid second half and the return of Nick Pivetta has been impressive to say the least.
Of course, none of the second half success for San Diego would have been possible without the play of the bullpen. Mason Miller showed he is human in a couple of situations, but he remains an extraordinary human. Adrian Morejon looks like a lock to be the top-paid reliever in the offseason — and with new ownership that does not necessarily mean he is going to be with the Dodgers next season. Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui have solidified their roles, and Kyle Hart has shown to be a dependable lefty who can provide length.
All of these players and more have helped the Padres pull even with the Chicago Cubs for the top National League Wild Card spot. It is also why they are a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 2 spot and why they are five games clear of the Diamondbacks. There is still plenty to play even putting aside the possibility of clinching a postseason berth. San Diego could have a chance to HOST a postseason series, which would give the Friars the upper hand against any of the playoff contenders and would be a nice reward for the devoted fans of the Padres who have packed Petco Park night in and night out throughout the season.
The final step toward the postseason could come tonight, but San Diego will have to control what it can control and that is getting a road-win over the Dodgers tonight at 7:10 p.m.
Padres News:
- Ty France has been an unexpected surprise this season and could easily be considered the team MVP in San Diego, but how did he get to this point?
- With a playoff appearance an increasing possibility for the Padres, manager Craig Stammen has to start looking ahead to who will get the ball for San Diego in the postseason.
Baseball News:
- Alex Bregman will miss some time with facial fractures as a result of being hit by a foul ball, but a playoff appearance is not out of the question.
- Pete Alonso hit his 40th home run of the season to help the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays.
