Freddy Fermin’s one-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning Monday night lifted San Diego to a 5-4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, sealing the Padres’ spot in the National League playoffs.
Bryce Johnson was placed at second to start the inning and Jose Iglesias bunted him to third. Fermin lined the first pitch from Grant Anderson (2-6) into center to start a celebration in the middle of the field.
Rookie Bradgley Rodriguez (1-0) induced a double-play ball from Jackson Chourio to escape a bases-loaded spot in the top of the inning as San Diego (86-71) clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year.
The Padres also pulled within 2 1/2 games of the idle Los Angeles Dodgers (88-68) in the National League West and 2 1/2 games of the idle Chicago Cubs (88-68) for the NL’s top wild-card spot.
Rodriguez earned his first major league win in his fifth appearance.
Each team scored in the 10th inning. Sal Frelick’s fielder’s-choice bouncer plated Brice Turang to put Milwaukee ahead, but San Diego equalized on Gavin Sheets’ fielder’s-choice grounder that scored Luis Arraez.
Diamondbacks’ wild-card must go through Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks begin a three-game series on Tuesday facing varying degrees of postseason certainty.
The Dodgers (88-68) clinched a playoff spot on Friday, and their magic number to win the National League West for the 12th time in 13 seasons sits at three after the San Diego Padres (86-71) won late Monday night. Los Angeles has a minuscule chance of passing the Philadelphia Phillies (92-64) to join the Milwaukee Brewers (95-61) as the two NL teams with a first-round playoff bye.
According to Fangraphs, the D-backs’ odds to slip into the NL playoffs improved to 6.5 percent over the weekend as they took two of three against the Phillies. However, at 79-77, they still must pass the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds (both 80-76) with six games remaining. The Reds hold the tiebreaker over both.
“A lot has to go right for us,” Arizona right fielder Corbin Carroll said. “Each one of these games obviously matters a ton. Have to take it one game at a time and, at the same time, not let it create unneeded pressure and just still play free like we have been playing this last few weeks.”
Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 3.29 ERA) will face Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (13-8, 5.02) in the series opener on Tuesday.
Ohtani has made 13 pitching starts this year since returning to the mound in June, having recovered from elbow surgery. None of the outings has been longer than five innings, but his latest was his best. He struck out five in five no-hit innings on Sept. 16 but did not get a decision in the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Phillies.
Ohtani, who has 53 homers and leads the majors with 85 extra-base hits, is a virtual lock to win his third straight MVP award — two with the Dodgers, one with the Los Angeles Angels — and fourth in five years.
“Our guys are playing playoff-caliber baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.