The San Diego Padres pulled off an extraordinary feat on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, as they completed a game-ending triple play against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This victory not only clinched a playoff berth for the Padres but also kept their hopes alive for winning the NL West title.
This impressive win, which marked the Padres’ fifth consecutive victory, brought them within two games of the division-leading Dodgers with just five games left in the regular season.
As the ninth inning unfolded, it seemed like a challenging situation for the Padres after closer Robert Suarez allowed a run following three consecutive singles from Will Smith, Tommy Edman, and Kiké Hernández. With a narrow 4-2 lead, the Padres faced a difficult situation with runners on first and second and no outs, as Miguel Rojas stepped up to bat with Shohei Ohtani waiting on deck.
However, the Padres turned the tables with a remarkable play:
A ground ball hit by Rojas straight to third baseman Manny Machado initiated a triple play, which was confirmed after a replay review.