Padres 5, Braves 4
The San Diego Padres eliminated the Atlanta Braves in the second wild card game at Petco Park Wednesday night. Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove allowed an early sacrifice fly from Marcell Ozuna before locking in and holding it down until the top of the fourth, where he had to exit due to injury. Max Fried was the starting pitcher for the Braves and did his best under the circumstances. However, this couldn’t stop the Padres from taking an early lead in the second. In many ways Wednesday’s game progressed much like the previous, as the Padres took an early lead and held it throughout the game. However, Atlanta fought valiantly to close the gap between scores, falling just shy.
What Went Right for the Braves
They Had Everything to Lose
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Braves. They’ve battled a series of unlucky circumstances up until the final game of September. In a nasty turn of events, their best players fell to injury during their most pivotal moments. On Tuesday, the Padres shut them out despite clear efforts to turn the tide of the game. However, Wednesday they to the bitter end. The Braves consistently got men on base and scored every few innings, making the game an extremely close victory for the Padres.
What Went Wrong for the Braves
Defense
The Padres got a total of 10 hits, with five runs scored in the second inning. Many of these game-defining runs could have been avoided if it weren’t for the Braves’ lack of dexterity. Plenty of balls dropped or slipped out of player’s hands, leaving the Padres ample opportunity to touch base. These mistakes ultimately cost them the game.
What Went Right for the Padres
Momentum
Following Tuesday’s electric performance from Michael King and Fernando Tatis Jr., the Friars were on fire. They operate much like a machine: give them some oil and they run smoothly. After giving up a run and failing to make anyone pass at the bottom of the first, the Padres came back after Kyle Higashioka hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second. The Padres managed to squeeze out four extra runs with two outs, making the score 5–1. Feeding off each other’s energy, it was truly the inning that kept on giving.
What Went Wrong for the Padres
Early Joe Musgrove Exit
The Padres’ “Big Smoke” is known for going deep, but his outing was unceremoniously cut short at the top of the fourth due to injury. Reliever Bryan Hoeing came out to finish out the inning and played the next. As far as Musgrove is concerned, the details are still fresh and it’s unknown if he will return to finish out the postseason. Previously, Musgrove missed two and a half months due to a bone spur in his elbow, and this injury is in the same place. Manager Mike Shildt had not received a formal diagnosis as of press time. However, he seemed relatively confident Joe would return. “He said he would do everything he can [to come back], which I wouldn’t put nothing past Joe Musgrove to come back,” said Shildt.
Quick Hits
The Braves entered the game having played Game Two of a postseason series 43 times in franchise history. They were 32-11.
This is the Padres second postseason series victory against the Braves, with the other coming in the 1998 NLCS.
The Padres will play the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third time in the NLDS, in such a series the two teams have a perfect 1-1 ratio against each other.
Looking Ahead
Bryan Hoeing picked up the win for the Padres, with Max Fried taking the loss. Robert Suarez notched the save.
The Padres advance to the National League Division Series, which will open Saturday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Had the Braves won, Dylan Cease would have started Game Three for the Padres. Instead, Cease will kick off the series against the Dodgers. He currently has a 1–1 record against the Dodgers. “I’m pretty much just preparing every day like I would prepare for a start. I feel like I’m mechanically in a good spot…” said Cease. The Dodgers will send out right-hander Jack Flaherty as their starter for Game One. Flaherty has a career postseason ERA of 3.60.
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Following their victory against the Braves, Padres fans began chanting “Beat LA” in reference to their upcoming games against their longtime division rival. The Padres have a golden opportunity to go 2–1 in postseason series against the Dodgers and recreate their dramatic NLDS victory from 2022. Right now there are questions as to whether they can beat the Dodgers a second time. If they can pull it off the new question might be if this is the year for the Faithful.
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