Padres clinch playoff berth with walk-off in extra innings

The San Diego Padres clinched their spot in the postseason with a dramatic 11^th inning 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park, Monday.

The Padres entered the inning with the game tied 4-4 after rookie reliever Bradgley Rodriguez induced a one-out ground ball double play to Jake Cronenworth to get out of the top of the inning.

Bryce Johnson started the 11^th as the automatic runner at second base. Jose Iglesias, who failed to advance a runner on a bunt attempt earlier in the game, got the bunt down and moved Johnson to third base with one out. Freddy Fermin stepped into the batter’s box with multiple ways to win the game and he did just that with a line drive to center field on the first pitch of the at-bat. Padres players and coaches raced out of the dugout to mob Fermin and celebrate their postseason berth.

San Diego entered the bottom of the 10^th inning trailing Milwaukee after the Brewers plated a run in the top of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. Luis Arraez was the automatic runner for the Padres to start the bottom of the inning. Manny Machado was intentionally walked and Jackson Merrill stepped in looking for a hit to tie the game. Merrill hit a slow ground ball that resulted in a fielder’s choice as Machado was thrown out at second for the first out of the inning, allowing Merrill to reach. Arraez advanced to third to put runners at the corners.

Gavin Sheets followed with a hard ground ball to first base that looked like a potential double play ball. Milwaukee first baseman Andruw Monasterio made a diving stop and threw to second from his knees. The throw was high, causing Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz to jump and catch the ball to keep it from going into left field. He came down on second base with the ball to force Merrill out, but Arraez scored to tie the game 4-4. Ryan O’Hearn singled to right field and Sheets moved to third to put runners on the corners with two outs. Jake Cronenworth worked a walk to load the bases and Bryce Johnson, who made a diving play in left to keep Christian Yelich from reaching base in the top of the ninth, grounded out to Ortiz, who threw to second base for the force out to end the inning.

The Padres scored runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings with the run in the fifth coming on a solo home run by Iglesias to make the score 3-2. San Diego tied the game with an RBI-single from Arraez that completed the comeback to tie the game.

Nick Pivetta started on the mound for the Padres and surrendered three runs in the top of the second inning and the Brewers held the lead until the seventh. Pivetta and the Padres bullpen kept Milwaukee from adding to the run total until the top of the 10th when the Brewers took a 4-3 lead on a fielder’s choice on a ground ball to shortstop against a drawn-in infield.

San Diego continues its series with Milwaukee, Tuesday at 6:40 p.m.

0 Comments