Padres beat Dodgers on triple play to end game

LOS ANGELES — These Padres specialize in the dramatic. They win games they shouldn’t win. They’ve taken the NL West race to the wire, when nobody expected them to.

But even by their standards, they turned that drama up a notch — or three — on Tuesday night:

They turned a game-ending triple play at Dodger Stadium to clinch a postseason spot, leaving Shohei Ohtani in the on-deck circle.

“Couldn’t script that any better,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt.

Manny Machado’s brilliant around-the-horn triple play ended a tense, 4-2 Padres victory at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, setting off raucous celebrations in the visiting clubhouse. It marked the first game-ending triple play any team has turned to end a game that clinched a spot in the postseason. It’s also just the ninth triple play in Padres history, and the first since a similar around-the-horn turn from Chase Headley in 2010.

Miguel Rojas — who had squared to bunt earlier in the at-bat — hit a sharp grounder to Machado. The superstar third baseman stepped on the bag before firing to Jake Cronenworth at second, who turned and threw to Donovan Solano at first.

“As soon as he hit it, I’m like ‘Let’s go,’” Machado said.

And with that, the Padres had secured their spot in the postseason after missing out in 2023. In the aftermath, a champagne-soaked Machado was asked about beloved late owner Peter Seidler, who passed away last November. Machado was quick to say, “He’s been with us all year.” Then he added this …

“In a tough spot there with Ohtani in the on-deck circle, we turn a triple play to end the game, against one of the best teams in baseball?” Machado added. “I mean, he’s looking upon us.”

With the win, the Padres continued to apply pressure in their quest for their first National League West title since 2006. The Dodgers’ lead is down to two games, the lowest that number has been since mid-August.

“There’s more to be had than just a Wild Card spot,” said rookie phenom Jackson Merrill. “We’ve still got a chance at this [division title], and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Indeed, the Padres have bigger goals this year. Heck, they have bigger goals this week.

But every single one of those goals begins with them first securing a place in the 2024 postseason.

“It’s a beautiful, wonderful start,” Shildt said. “You’ve got to get in the playoffs to win it all. It’s just about taking care of business from here on out.”

Rest assured, the pursuit of a division title remains the focus this week. On that front, the Padres already control their own destiny. With a sweep of L.A., they would move into first place, courtesy of the head-to-head tiebreaker they’ve already locked up.

But keeping the big picture in mind, the Padres still had reason to pause and celebrate on Tuesday. And celebrate they did. They doused each other in the visiting clubhouse, then spilled back onto the field for a team photo.

Machado was one of the late arrivals for the photo. The rest of his teammates chanted his name until he arrived.

“That dude gets heckled more than anybody here,” Merrill said. “Nobody likes him. It’s awesome to see him come here, just be himself and dominate. I love it.”

These are — very clearly — not last year’s Padres.

After the disappointment of 2023 — and an offseason that saw them trade Juan Soto and lose a chunk of their pitching staff — the Padres entered the season on the sport’s periphery. Few expected them to be neck-and-neck with L.A. into the season’s final week. With a core full of superstars, the Padres always had a postseason-caliber ceiling. But the question marks were plentiful.

They’ve since answered nearly every one of those questions.

Their depleted outfield? Profar and Merrill became All-Stars out of nowhere. Their wide-open rotation? Michael King arrived in the Soto trade, and Dylan Cease arrived using the top prospect from the Soto trade. (Fitting, maybe, that King worked five excellent innings in the clincher.)

“It’s a good ballclub here, man,” Machado said. “We enjoy each other, playing every single day. … We lost some key guys in our team. But guys have stepped up big time.”

Even still, for much of the first half, the Padres merely treaded water. They lost the first game after the All-Star break to fall to 50-50. Then?

“Everything clicked,” Profar said.

They’ve since reeled off a 41-16 run that qualifies as the best such stretch in franchise history.

“Surprised? With the group of guys we have? No,” Profar said. “It’s a surprise if we didn’t do it. Like last year. That’s more of a surprise than what we did — and what we’re going to do — this year.”

What they’ve done is reach the postseason for the third time in five years and the eighth time in franchise history.

What they’re going to do? Stay tuned. October could be a wild ride.