By Ricardo Lopez Juarez
03 Oct 2024, 03:51 AM EDT
Thanks to a five-run rally in the second inning, all after two outs, The San Diego Padres advanced to the divisional round of the National League playoffs by beating the Braves of Atlanta 5-4 and take the wild card series two games to zero.
After this result, the Los Angeles Dodgers already know that their first opponent in the playoffs will be San Diego, one of their traditional rivals in the Western Division and which two years ago eliminated them in the same instance. The Dodgers did the same to the Padres in the 2020 postseason.
When the 27th out fell this Wednesday, Petco Park stadium shook with collective shouts of “Beat LA!, Beat LA!” to encourage his Padres to beat the mighty Dodgersthe best team in the Major Leagues in the 2024 campaign. San Diego, in fact, earned its ticket to the postseason on September 24 by beating the Dodgers with a triple play on the last play.
The Padres have won 8 of 13 games against the Dodgers this season and the best-of-five series promises to be spectacular. The first meeting will be on Saturday at 5:38 pm Pacific in Los Angeles.
Manny Machado turned San Diego fans upside down
After the Braves went up 1-0 in the first inning, the Padres’ offense exploded in the second inning with six straight hits after two outs against pitcher Max Fried. And that would be enough.
Kyle Higashioka tied the score with a home run, Manny Machado put the Padres ahead with a two-run double in the left corner and rookie sensation Jackson Merril extended the lead with a two-run triple against the center wall.
The Braves rowed against the current and managed to get closer with home runs by Cuban Jorge Soler in the fifth and by Michael Harris with two runs in the eighth, but they fell short.
San Diego starter Joe Musgrove left the game in the fourth inning with an apparent elbow injury.
Astros and Orioles were eliminated in the American League
In the other games on Wednesday he highlighted that two of the favorites of the American League were eliminated by sweep in the wild card round
The Houston Astros fell at home 5-2 against the Detroit Tigers and thus saw their incredible seven-year streak of reaching the American League Championship Series stopped. Later, the Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 2-1 to eliminate them to the disbelief of the fans in Baltimore.
Detroit will face Cleveland and Kansas City will face the NY Yankees in the division series.
And at night, the Milwaukee Brewers came from behind to defeat the New York Mets 5-3 and tie the best-of-three series, which will be defined this Thursday in Milwaukee and where the Philadelphia rival will emerge Phillies.
Keep reading:
– Dodgers confirm La Opinión report that Fernando Valenzuela is sick
– The incredible feat of pitcher with Mexican roots Jeremiah Estrada, of the Padres
– Padres starter Dylan Cease pitched just the team’s second no-hitter