SAN DIEGO — The Padres are tied for the postseason. And this time, the city of San Diego gets to celebrate.
The Brewers’ extra-inning loss to the Marlins Sunday afternoon secured San Diego its place in the 2022 postseason — even before ending a weekend streak against the White Sox with a 2-1 loss at Petco Park.
The Padres play Game 1 of a three-game NL Wild Card series on Friday — on the road against the Braves, Mets or Cardinals.
It is the Padres’ seventh trip to the playoffs and their first in a full 162-game season since 2006. It is the first time since 2005 that they have been able to celebrate a clinch in front of fans at Petco Park. Of course, they won 20 at home, but amid a slate shortened by the pandemic, they celebrated among themselves in an empty stadium.
“It was definitely different in ’20,” second baseman Jake Cronenworth said Saturday night. “A 60-game season, no fans – it was kind of just us. To do that in front of a home crowd would be something very special.”
He didn’t have to wait long. It only took the Padres a few hours to secure their spot as one of three wild cards in the National League. All that’s left is seeding. If the Padres finish ahead of Philadelphia, they would make a trip east to New York or Atlanta as the No. 5. If they fell behind the Phillies (who currently sit a game behind but own the tiebreak over San Diego), the Padres would face the NL Central champion Cardinals in the first round.
But first, there’s the small matter of celebrating a place in the playoffs. The Padres know firsthand how difficult that can be. A year ago, in early August, they sat 17 games over .500 only to finish 79-83 – a collapse that chairman Peter Seidler described as “once in a century.”
The Padres vowed not to make the same mistakes – and they set out to create a roster that would not. Manager Jayce Tingler was fired after the season, along with other front office changes. The Padres spent the offseason making sure they had the pitching depth needed to withstand the rigors of a playoff run. (You learned that lesson the hard way in 2021.)
But the biggest change? Bob Melvin in the executive chair. It’s been a roller-coaster ride of a 2022 season. The Padres endured their share of struggles, particularly on offense. They have revised their close of trade list. They essentially dealt with the loss of superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. twice – first earlier in the season when it was revealed he had fractured his left wrist, and then again when Tatis was suspended shortly before his return 80 games because of a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. Through it all, Melvin piloted a stable ship.
Early in the season, the Padres drove their deep rotation, plus an MVP-caliber performance from Manny Machado. But it quickly became apparent that the offensive needed reinforcements and they arrived by the trade deadline in the form of Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury.
In the end, the Padres repelled Milwaukee’s push with three days left — an important fact because it gives them some time to set their playoff rotation. In a wild card series, they would probably pair Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove – and probably in that order.
They have some lineup, bullpen, and roster questions to answer. But for now, these can wait. The Padres – and their city – have a lot to celebrate.