Padres eliminated from playoff contention after frustrating loss
Credit: AP Photo
The San Diego Padres playoff chances were finally snuffed out by a 10-8 loss in a ten-inning affair that proved very symbolic of the extremely disappointing Padres season.
Slam Diego returned via a Manny Machado grand slam in the fifth inning, but poor pitching and crucial fielding mistakes cost the Padres before Daniel Hudson allowed the two runs that made the difference in the extra frame. The Padres went down on just ten pitches in the tenth, putting the final touches on the script of the tragedy that is the Padres season.
The Padres came into the season looking to compete for the first World Series in franchise history. While that was always going to be difficult with the defending champion Dodgers in the division, the idea of the Padres season ending with over a week left never crossed anyone’s mind. The Padres looked like the fun, exciting team they wanted to be in the early innings, starting with an Adam Frazier home run, his first in a Padres uniform. Frazier has completely underwhelmed in San Diego, slugging a measly .302, but he finally found a way to get something going in a Padre uniform.
Eric Hosmer hit a home run of his own in the second inning, putting a small bow on what has been an extremely lackluster season for the former All-Star. Despite having nearly double utility player Ha-Seong Kim’s at-bats, he has just half of Kim’s WAR (Wins Above Replacement). After Hosmer’s home run, starting pitcher, Vince Velasquez brought home, Wil Myers with a ground ball down the first baseline.
The Braves instantly answered back with a pair of runs in the top of the third, as Velasquez surrendered back to back two-out RBI singles.
With Ryan Weathers on the mound, he retired five straight batters after allowing a single to the first hitter he faced. With two outs in the fifth, another Fernando Tatis Jr. error allowed Ozzie Albies to reach base before he advanced to second on a balk. Weathers has one of the best pickoff moves in the league, but he moved the wrong way while looking to nab Albies. The error and balk meant that Austin Riley’s ground ball single scored Albies to tie the game at three. However, the Padres took advantage of a Jake Marisnick infield single, a second hit from Frazier, and Jurickson Profar being hit with a pitch, as the aforementioned Machado grand slam put the Padres up by four.
That lead did not last long for the Padres, as Nabil Crismatt, who had been working on a 14 inning scoreless streak, before allowing a pair on Wednesday night. It got even worse for Crismatt as a Joc Peterson double and a three-run home run by Jorge Soler tied the game back at seven. Victor Caratini did manage to bring home Trent Grisham to give the Padres the lead, but the damage had been done. Dinelson Lamet and Emilio Pagan each took care of business, putting up back to back three batter innings. The Padres offense also went down in order in the seventh and eighth, sending the game to the ninth with the Padres clinging to a one-run lead.
Closer Mark Melancon struck out Ozzie Albies before allowing a one-out single to Austin Riley. Melancon induced an out on a line drive as a 105.8 mile per hour Adam Duvall liner found its way into Trent Grisham’s glove. With the Braves down to their final out, Riley moved to second after a passed ball by Victor Caratini. Eddie Rosario instantly made the Padres pay, bringing home Riley to tie the game at eight. Adam Frazier hit a two-out double, but Tommy Pham was not able to bring home Frazier to secure the win. Pham’s ball was hit at nearly 100 miles per hour, and it had a 53% chance of dropping in for a hit, but it was caught, sending the game to extra innings.
Daniel Hudson pitched the extra frame for the Padres, and he allowed a double to Jorge Soler and a sacrifice fly to Albies, giving the Braves the decisive two-run lead. With the Padres unable to get anything going in the tenth, the season came to the disappointing end that it deserved.
Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.