The San Diego Padres fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 at Petco Park on Wednesday, October 7, ending their run in the postseason. The loss brought a quiet close to the Padres’ campaign, with players exchanging handshakes and hugs in a somber clubhouse.
Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. went 1 for 3 with a home run and a walk but recognized the rollercoaster of the season. “They are so special,” he said of his teammates. “We went through so many ups and downs this year. We became one (after) we went through every battle and just stuck together. It was an enjoyable group to play baseball with.”
The Brewers took control early, but the Padres showed resilience late. In the seventh inning, All-Star closer Mason Miller avoided disaster when Milwaukee loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Cooper Pratt’s line out to center field ended the threat, allowing Miller to escape unscathed. Miller threw 13 strikes in 21 pitches, giving up two hits and striking out one in the inning.
San Diego nearly levelled the score in the bottom of the eighth. Manny Machado, with Tatis on first base, launched a potential two-run home run that was caught at the center-field wall by Garrett Mitchell. The near miss echoed a moment from nine years ago when Machado had a home run robbed by Adam Jones at the same ballpark during the World Baseball Classic.
“We had a couple of big pitches and a couple of big swings that didn’t quite go our way,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. He added that he thought Machado’s ball was headed out of the park.
Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser and reliever Aaron Ashby combined to keep the Padres at bay. Gasser, a former Padre, pitched four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three in 56 pitches. Ashby followed with three scoreless innings, striking out three in 38 pitches and throwing 22 strikes.
Joe Musgrove, a Padres pitcher, reflected on the outcome, saying, “You’re not going to win it every year. Only one team can win it. … It never feels good (to be eliminated from the playoffs) but I guess as time passes and you gather your thoughts, you can look back at the positives of the season.”
The Brewers, with their pitching preserved, will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers secured their spot by beating the Atlanta Braves on the same day. Meanwhile, the Padres’ season ended at home, with players already looking back on the battles that shaped their year.
According to Yahoo Sports.
