The Padres long shot playoff chances are still far from over.
The San Diego Padres were almost officially eliminated from MLB playoff contention on Wednesday night in San Francisco, but a 5-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park kept the Padres alive. A loss to the Giants would end any chance the Padres had of making the playoffs.
The Padres rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to win the game and preserve their playoff hopes.
By scoring 3 runs in the 10th inning, the Padres won their first extra-inning game this season. Back then, they were 0-12 in extra-inning games, tying the 1969 Montreal Expos for the all-time worst mark in extra-inning games in a season.
With a 79-80 record heading into this weekend’s 3-game series against the Chicago White Sox, it is mathematically possible for the Padres to catch any of the 3 teams ahead of them (Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs) to compete for National League wildcard spots.
The Padres entered the season coming off an appearance in the National League Championship series, with a payroll of nearly $253 million, one of the highest in all of baseball, and much talk of winning the World Series for the first time in history. in the franchise.
However, the Padres struggled to find consistency throughout the season and were never threatened in the National League West or the wildcard race. The last time the Padres went 500 this season was May 11, when the team was 19-19. The only months this season the Padres played more than 500 baseballs were September, April and July.
The franchise faces an uncertain off-season, as decisions loom over the future of manager Bob Melvin and President of Baseball Operations AJ Preller. Melvin and Preller have additional years on their contracts, but this underachieving season, filled with internal conflicts, could lead to one or both being dismissed.
The Padres franchise is still looking for its first World Series championship, and last played in the World Series in 1998.