SAN DIEGO (AP) — Freddy Fermin singled in automatic runner Bryce Johnson with one out in the 11th inning and the San Diego Padres beat the three-time NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 Monday night
to clinch their fourth playoff berth in six seasons.
Fermin, acquired from Kansas City at the trade deadline on July 31, drove the first pitch he saw from Grant Anderson to center field. He tossed his bat aside and then tossed his helmet as he approached first base, setting off a wild celebration in front of a sellout crowd of 42,371 at Petco Park.
The Padres pulled within 2 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race and 2 1/2 games behind the idle Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League’s first of three wild card spots.
The Brewers (95-62) clinched their third straight division title on Sunday and are headed to the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons. They are trying to clinch the NL’s No. 1 seed.
Jose Iglesias bunted Johnson to third before Fermin delivered the winning hit.
Each team scored a run in the 10th. The Padres left the bases loaded in their half of the inning.
Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez singled in the tying run with two outs in the seventh and emphatically pumped his fists toward the dugout on his bobblehead night.
The Padres had fallen behind 3-1 in the second before Iglesias started the comeback with a leadoff homer in the fifth off ace Freddy Peralta.
Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth had a hand in all three outs in the 11th. He started a rundown that erased automatic runner Andruw Monasterio at third base and then with the bases loaded fielded Jackson Chourio's grounder to start a 4-3 double play.
Arraez has driven in at least one run in four of the last five games with runners in scoring position.
Brewers LHP Bruce Zimmermann, selected Saturday from Triple-A Nashville, is expected to start against Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (5-7, 3.94).
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