Wild Card picture compresses as Padres' late rush falls short
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SAN DIEGO -- Since the All-Star break, the Padres have been the best team in baseball. They’ve turned in a remarkable two-month stretch -- comebacks galore, outstanding individual performances, seemingly daily sellouts at Petco Park.
And now, they’ll have three weeks to make sure it pays off in the form of a playoff berth.
To be clear, that’s not a foregone conclusion. On a 91-degree Sunday afternoon, San Diego dropped its third game in four days -- a 7-6 loss to the Giants at Petco Park. The Padres trailed by six runs but their latest attempt at a late comeback came up just short.
In the process, their lead over the Braves and Mets -- the two teams tied for the final Wild Card spot in the National League -- dwindled to two games. It’s the closest the Padres have been to the postseason cut line since Aug. 5.
That’s a product of the red-hot Mets, who had won nine straight entering play Sunday. For the most part, the Padres have played well lately, this weekend notwithstanding.
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Still, there’s no denying the precarious nature of the current Wild Card picture. The Padres are atop that race. They lead the Mets and Braves by two games and the Diamondbacks by a game (ahead of Arizona’s series Sunday Night Baseball finale in Houston).
Four teams. Three spots. The Padres are in the best position among that group. But that earns them nothing on Sept. 8.