Game-ending triple play lifts San Diego Padres over LA Dodgers into playoffs
Manny Machado connected on a game-clinching triple play on Tuesday night, and the San Diego Padres secured a spot in the playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jake Cronenworth hit an early two-run homer for the streaking Padres, securing at least a National League wild card with five games remaining in the regular season. They moved within two games of Los Angeles with two games remaining in their pivotal series at Dodger Stadium.
After the Dodgers scored once in the ninth inning, they had runners on first and second when Miguel Rojas hit a sharp grounder to Machado at third, stepped on the bag and went around the horn for a triple play that ended it.
San Diego’s game celebration was postponed when the Dodgers appealed the out call at second base, but after a replay of the game the call was upheld.
The second-place Padres have won four straight and nine of 10. San Diego leads the tiebreaker against Los Angeles with an 8-3 record in head-to-head games.
The magic number for the Dodgers remained four points and that gave them the division title.
San Diego’s four runs came with two outs before 50,369 fans who created a playoff atmosphere for the opener of the massive three-game series. They chanted “MVP! MVP!” at Shohei Ohtani while mercilessly booing Fernando Tatis Jr. and Machado, a former Dodger.
Cronenworth had no RBIs in September until he produced three against the Padres’ biggest rivals, including his 12th career home run against the Dodgers. He had not had an extra-base hit in his previous 50 plate appearances.
Padres starter Michael King (13-9) allowed one unearned run and three hits in five innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out three and walked two.
San Diego extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single by Xander Bogaerts and an RBI double by Cronenworth.
The Dodgers got on the board in the first inning when Bogaerts’ errant throw to shortstop scored Ohtani, who led off with a ground-rule double on the first pitch he saw. It was his 95th extra-base hit of the season, a franchise record.
Mookie Betts was safe at first base when Bogaerts’ routine grounder ended up in the Padres’ dugout, allowing Betts to move to second.
Rookie starter Landon Knack (3-5) gave up four runs and five hits in four innings for Los Angeles. He struck out four and walked one.
The right-handed pitcher began to decline in the fourth inning, when he needed 39 pitches after throwing just 38 in the first three innings. Knack had a balk and a wild pitch, and the Padres stole a base in the inning.
The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the second inning when Betts struck out.