The San Diego Padres punched their playoff ticket in dramatic fashion Monday night, to the delight of a jubilant Petco Park.
Catcher Freddy Fermin hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th inning that scored Bryce Johnson and gave the Padres a 5-4 victory that clinched at least a wild-card spot in the NL playoffs.
The Padres are currently in position to secure the No. 5 seed in the postseason. San Diego (86-71) is 2.5 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West with five games remaining, all at home for the Padres.
Jose Iglesias is pumped after tying the game in the seventh inning on an RBI single. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Sean M. Haffey via Getty Images)
Trailing 4-3 in the 10th inning, the Padres tied it up when Gavin Sheets brought Luis Arraez home on a fielder’s choice.
The Brewers, who already clinched the NL Central and are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed, missed a chance to break the game open in the 11th inning. With the bases loaded, Jackson Churio grounded out into an inning-ending double play.
The Padres took it from there in the 11th inning. Jose Iglesias hit a sacrifice that advanced Johnson to third, setting up Fermin for the winning hit.
San Diego is in the playoffs for the second straight season and fourth time in six years.
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