LOS ANGELES — Through the common season, the Padres put collectively among the finest offenses in franchise historical past. By way of their first 5 postseason video games, they scored 30 runs.
Then San Diego’s lineup went dormant on the worst doable time, and the season ended with back-to-back shutout losses. The Dodgers handed the Padres a 2-0 defeat on Friday evening at Dodger Stadium within the decisive Sport 5 of the Nationwide League Division Collection.
“They did an incredible job on the opposite aspect pitching,” third baseman Manny Machado mentioned. “We’ve got to present credit score when it’s due. We simply couldn’t string alongside some hits. We had some alternatives. We couldn’t get it via. We fell quick.”
The Padres, who had solely two hits (each singles) within the last recreation, ended their season with 24 consecutive scoreless innings. It was their longest drought of 2024, together with the common season.
That was additionally the longest postseason scoreless stretch in Main League Baseball in 33 years. The 1991 Braves had been held and not using a run for 26 innings by the Pirates within the NLCS.
Atlanta nonetheless gained the NL pennant that 12 months and went to the World Collection.
These Padres are going dwelling for the winter.
“I’m going to say dangerous timing,” proper fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. mentioned. “The boys had been going on the market and placing powerful at-bats. Man, credit score to all people who deserves credit score. Clearly, they pitched good. It’s so simple as that. We gave our greatest battle.”
Here is a take a look at what went incorrect:
• Tatis was having an out-of-this-world postseason whereas going 10-for-18 (.556) with 4 dwelling runs and a 1.970 OPS via his first 5 postseason video games of 2024. However after his second-inning homer in Sport 3, he went 1-for-10 regardless of hitting some balls arduous. It was Tatis who made the ultimate out of the Padres’ season by grounding to 3rd base.
• Machado hit a two-run homer in Sport 1 of the NLDS however was 4-for-21 (.190) total within the collection.
• Luis Arraez gained the NL batting title for the third season in a row and went 3-for-9 vs. the Braves in two NL Wild Card Collection video games. However Arraez completed 4-for-22 (.182) within the NLDS.
• In an 8-0 loss in Sport 4, the Padres had been 0-for-9 with runners in scoring place.
• Within the last 24 innings, San Diego put the leadoff batter on base solely 4 instances.
“That’s type of been our bread and butter, when our leadoff man will get on,” mentioned second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who was 3-for-22 (.136) within the postseason. “We competed. I assumed we had some good at-bats. We simply couldn’t get the large hit in an enormous spot.”
What modified? A lot of it was how the Dodgers utilized their pitchers. Supervisor Dave Roberts used 17 pitchers to cowl these last 24 scoreless innings. That included going with a bullpen recreation of eight relievers in Sport 4.
“Their bullpen is certainly one in all their strengths,” catcher Kyle Higashioka mentioned. “We had been having an excellent time towards their starters within the three video games previous to this. So I feel their bullpen got here up clutch for them. We couldn’t determine them out on the plate in the long run. We couldn’t string sufficient hits collectively to place runs on the board.”
Stated Tatis: “That bullpen recreation, it was simply completely different than every other recreation we performed this 12 months. Seeing a special arm each inning was type of like winter ball type. Nevertheless it’s powerful. They’ve good arms in that bullpen. Credit score to them for making the kind of pitches that they made.”
Roberts went again to utilizing a starter for Sport 5 in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gave up two third-inning singles and a second-inning stroll in an in any other case clear evening. Then the Los Angeles bullpen went again to work to complete the job.
“Whenever you name a quantity, name a reputation, it is as much as these guys to go on the market and carry out. And I give all of the credit score to these guys,” Roberts mentioned. “And you’ll have no matter plan or script individuals can speak about, but it surely comes right down to the gamers. And people guys made performs, made pitches and made us all look good. From Yoshi at present to the bullpen, if you happen to’re speaking a few collection MVP, it is our bullpen, clearly.”
It was a shocking ending for a Padres membership that led MLB in batting common for the primary time ever and was eighth in runs. The workforce additionally had the league’s finest contact price and lowest strikeout price.
All for naught within the NLDS.
“On the finish of the day, stuff didn’t go our approach,” Tatis mentioned.
