By BERNIE WILSON Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres are headed back to the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons.
The Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 5-4, 11-inning win against the three-time NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Freddy Fermin, acquired from Kansas City at the trade deadline on July 31, singled in automatic runner Bryce Johnson with one out in the 11th to set off a wild celebration in front of a sellout crowd of 42,371 at Petco Park.
The Padres pulled within 2 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race and 2 1/2 games behind the idle Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League’s first of three wild card spots.
Manny Machado, shirtless, wearing sunglasses and drenched with beer and Champagne, says he feels good about the team’s chances in the playoffs.
“Everything is different. But we’ve got heart,” Machado said. “Everybody wants it. It’s always a challenge. Baseball’s a challenge. It’s hard.”
Fermin was being interviewed when Machado stopped by and poured a shot of tequila into his mouth.
“I believe with this staff we have, we are going to the World Series,” said Fermin, the catcher. “It is very special, this moment. I don’t have words for this moment. Very special. First step, we’ve got to keep rolling this.”
The Padres’ road appears to be tougher than last year, when they swept the Atlanta Braves in a home wild-card series to earn a shot at the rival Dodgers. San Diego led 2-1 before their bats went so cold that they didn’t score in the last 24 innings as they lost the series in five games. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series.
“What this group has done this year, and even last year, to put this into place, and for us to go to the postseason two years in a row for the first time since 2005-06, is truly special,” second baseman Jake Cronenworth said.
If the current standings hold, the Padres would visit the Cubs for a best-of-3 wild-card series. The winner would move into the division series against the Brewers, who clinched their third straight division title on Sunday and are in the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons.
It’s been an interesting season for the Padres, who led the division for much of April before slipping back as they played .500 ball in May and sub-.500 ball in June. The Dodgers never could open a big lead, but the Padres never could regain the lead, except for brief stretches in August.
General manager A.J. Preller pulled off a major overhaul at the trade deadline on July 31, acquiring reliever Mason Miller from the Athletics, catcher Freddy Fermin from Kansas City and outfielders Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano from the Orioles.
The Padres became the first big league team to send three relievers to the All-Star Game when Jason Adam, closer Robert Suarez and left-hander Adrián Morejón were selected for the Midsummer Classic. Adam went down with a season-ending quadriceps injury on Sept. 1.
The Padres were prone to offensive slumps, particularly on the road.
But there were some defensive highlights, including several home run robberies by right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis missed the clincher with an undisclosed illness, but Machado included his teammate in the postgame celebration via FaceTime on his phone.
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