SAN DIEGO — The Padres were one loss away from a trip in Cancun, without their All-Star nearer, and after blowing leads in both video games in Milwaukee .
But on Tuesday evening in Game 3, this time, they didn’t blink.
With Tom DeLonge of the band Blink 182 watching from behind home plate, the San Diego Padres held off the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, surviving a tense sport to stave off elimination and trim Milwaukee’s lead in the National League Division Series to 2-1.
Their reward? Another elimination sport on Wednesday evening.
At this level, they’ll take it.
San Diego struck first against former Dodgers’ pitcher Dustin May after Samad Taylor — inserted into the lineup when Gavin Sheets was scratched with a neck challenge — singled and stole second.
Fernando Tatis Jr. introduced him home with a groundout before Manny Machado punched a two-out RBI single into left for a 2-0 lead.
Nick Pivetta gave the Padres precisely what they needed early, but Milwaukee started its inevitable push in the fourth when William Contreras launched a solo homer to left, then took his time circling the bases and gestured between second and third as Petco Park serenaded him with boos.
The Brewers tied it in the next inning by stealing a run from beneath San Diego’s nostril.
With Cooper Pratt at third, Jackson Chourio lifted a shallow fly to left. Pratt tagged anyway, difficult Dustin Harris’ arm, and scored when Harris’ throw arrived without enough mustard on it.
Unlike the sizzling canine being devoured all through the stadium by the sellout crowd of 47,708 at Petco Park.
For a Padres crew that had watched Milwaukee steal both video games at American Family Field, it felt ominously acquainted for the Friars.
But reliever Yuki Matsui escaped a bases loaded jam and Jake Cronenworth put a stop to Milwaukee’s momentum by leaping on a JoJo Romero first-pitch sweeper in the backside of the fifth for a leadoff homer that restored San Diego’s 3-2 lead.
The Padres added another run in appropriately chaotic fashion when former Yankee Miguel Andujar shattered his bat on a grounder to shortstop.
The damaged lumber practically discovered Xander Bogaerts, but he managed to keep away from the splintered bat and the ball, while Pratt’s one-hopper to first wasn’t scooped cleanly by Brewers’ first baseman Jake Bauers and Bogaerts raced home for an insurance coverage run.
Milwaukee made it 4-3 on Christian Yelich’s two-out RBI single in the seventh, guaranteeing every remaining pitch would carry the weight of San Diego’s season.
And with Mason Miller unavailable after being positioned on the Postseason Paternity List earlier Tuesday, the Padres reached for an unconventional fire extinguisher.
Michael King.
The Game 2 starter came roaring out of the bullpen to help end what Pivetta and the Padres began, turning a beginning pitcher into an emergency postseason weapon with San Diego’s season hanging in the steadiness.
Desperate? Absolutely.
October doesn’t award type factors for bullpen management. It only asks whether you’re still taking part in tomorrow.
The Padres are.
What it means
San Diego finally punched back.
The Padres still path the Brewers 2-1 and still have no margin for error, but Milwaukee missed its first alternative to finish this collection. Now Petco Park gets another October evening Wednesday, with San Diego probably selecting between Robbie Ray and veteran Walker Buehler for Game 4.
Turning level
Milwaukee had just embarrassed San Diego by scoring Pratt from third on Chourio’s shallow fly, tying the sport and seemingly stealing the momentum again.
Cronenworth needed precisely one pitch to steal it back.
Did you see that?
There is no roof at Petco Park — and one Padres fan needed Milwaukee to know it.
After Ty France’s potential go-ahead homer struck an overhead obstruction at American Family Field in Game 1, a fan arrived Tuesday with a signal delivering the good reminder:
“In San Diego there’s no roof to save you.”
Up next
The Padres and Brewers return to Petco Park Wednesday evening for Game 4, with Milwaukee getting its second alternative to clinch the collection.
San Diego’s pitching plan stays the greatest query. Ray could return after beginning Game 1, while Buehler gives the Padres another option, or they could go with an opener.
Whatever the alternative, the task is refreshingly uncomplicated now.
Win Wednesday and ship this factor back to Milwaukee.
Lose, and begin packing for Cancun.
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