Padres sweep Braves, setting up NLDS showdown with Dodgers
By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO — Kyle Higashioka’s solo homer started a five-run rally against Max Fried with two outs in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to sweep the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday night.
Manny Machado added a two-run double with the bases loaded and Jackson Merrill, a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, followed with a two-run triple as the sellout crowd of 47,705 – the largest in Petco Park history – roared.
The Padres, who would love to win a World Series title in memory of late owner Peter Seidler, head up the freeway to face Shohei Ohtani and the NL West rival Dodgers in an NL Division Series beginning Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers and Padres have squared off in the NLDS round twice in the previous four years, with the Dodgers sweeping them in 2020 on a neutral field in Arlington, Texas, and the Padres eliminating the 111-win Dodgers in four games in 2022.
Robert Suarez pitched a perfect ninth for the save. As soon as pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud’s foul pop settled into Higashioka’s mitt for the final out, the crowd started chanting “Beat L.A.!”
Fried and Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove exited early with apparent injuries. Fried left after the second inning. He was hit on the left hip by a ball off the bat of Fernando Tatis Jr. two batters into his outing. Musgrove left with two outs in the fourth after throwing two slow curveballs to Matt Olson.
After the Padres took a 5-1 lead in the second, Jorge Soler hit a solo homer in the fifth and Michael Harris II had a two-run shot in the eighth.
Fried, who took the loss, got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. He then allowed five runs on six straight hits with two outs in the second. Dylan Lee took over to start the third.
Musgrove threw two slow curves to fall behind Olson 2-and-1 with two outs in the fourth and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Padres manager Mike Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them, and Musgrove came out.
Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, had two stints on the injured list with right elbow inflammation this season, costing him a total of 63 games. His second stint sidelined him for 2½ months.
Higashioka became the first Padres catcher to homer in consecutive playoff games. He hit a solo shot in a 4-0 win on Tuesday night. He also homered for the New York Yankees at Petco Park in the 2020 AL playoff bubble, against Tampa Bay in a an AL Division Series game. He was obtained along with right-hander Michael King in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees on Dec. 7. Higashioka started the season as the backup but eventually became the starter.
Musgrove fell behind 1-0 after just three batters. Marcell Ozuna’s sacrifice fly brought in Harris, who doubled into the right field corner on Musgrove’s first pitch and advanced on Ozzie Albies’ groundout.
After the homer by No. 9 hitter Higashioka, singles by NL batting champ Luis Arraez, Tatis and Jurickson Profar loaded the bases. Machado brought in two runs with his double to left, and Merrill tripled to center.
Soler homered to straightaway center leading off the fifth against Bryan Hoeing, who got the win. Harris homered off Jason Adam.
More to come on this story.