LOS ANGELES -- The Padres didn’t clinch on Wednesday night. But they can still do so on Thursday -- and they might not even need to take the field to do it.
San Diego took another step toward the playoffs on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers. A win in Los Angeles on Thursday -- or a loss by the Diamondbacks in Colorado -- would send the Padres back to the postseason for a third consecutive year.
Oh, and if they keep winning, they’re going to begin the playoffs at home, too.
Here’s some instant reaction from Dodger Stadium, after a Padres victory with major playoff implications:
So close, they can taste it …
Seven hours before first pitch in L.A. on Thursday night, the Diamondbacks are slated to begin their series finale in Colorado. So … sometime around the start of batting practice Thursday afternoon, the Padres will know whether they’ve clinched a postseason spot.
If not? It’s all pretty straightforward: They would need to win just one of their four remaining games -- against the Dodgers on Thursday, or any of their three games against Arizona over the weekend at Petco Park.
The sooner, the better, of course. Once the Padres clinch, they can start lining up their playoff rotation and lightening the workload of some of their high-leverage relievers.
Plus, they’re playing for more than just a spot in the postseason. After losses by both the Cubs and Phillies on Wednesday, San Diego now holds a one-game lead on both in the race for the top NL Wild Card spot.
The margin is as narrow as it could possibly be. The Padres have already lost both tiebreakers. But as long as they can stay ahead of both, they’ll host a Wild Card Series at Petco Park -- where they’re 49-29 this season -- beginning Tuesday.
Machado sets the tone
Manny Machado’s 29th home run of the season was also the 29th of his career against the Dodgers, more than he’s hit against any other team. It was a big one.
The Padres had been shut out on Tuesday night in Game 1. They were facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has given them nightmares in the past.
Then, Machado barrelled up a Yamamoto sinker running onto the inside corner. He launched it a Statcast-projected 409 feet to straightaway center field. The Padres’ dugout erupted, and Machado thumped his chest as he rounded first base.
It was a statement swing. The Padres have been baseball’s hottest team this month. They’d won 13 of 14 entering this series. But they’d mostly been feasting on inferior opponents. Could they do it against a playoff-caliber club?
Yes, they absolutely could.
Morgan’s moment
These are big games -- and Craig Stammen is managing like it.
With one out and the bases loaded in the fourth inning on Wednesday night, Stammen lifted starter Robbie Ray, who hadn’t allowed a run and had mostly looked sharp.
Still, righty David Morgan was the better matchup for Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts. But there was a catch: If Morgan didn’t get both Edman and Betts, he’d have to deal with Shohei Ohtani.
Well, Morgan got Edman to fly out (a sacrifice fly, plating the Dodgers’ first run). But he walked Betts and had to deal with Ohtani. Then came the drama.
Morgan fell behind 3-1. He threw a fastball on the upper outside corner -- and got strike two, only after a shrewd challenge by catcher Ethan Salas. After two foul balls, Morgan pumped a 98 mph sinker past Ohtani and hopped off the mound with the Padres’ one-run lead still intact.