[Sundance]

Note: I forgot to do an update for the last month of the season. Oops!

NL Wild Card
San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
Blake Snell (3-1) vs Logan Webb (8-5)

Snell finally started looking like himself over the course of the last month of the season, so when it came down to deciding who would start this game, my options were to hand over the ball to the veteran, or give it to one of our youngsters. I opted to go with Snell, and he repaid my trust in him.

A lead off double to start the game put Snell in a bit of a bind. The runner would advance to third ground out, then eventually score on a strike 3 passed ball. But after that initial blow, Snell would collect himself and shut the Giants’ lineup down. He pitched six innings, giving up that lone first inning run, and striking out 7.

We got our offense going in the bottom of the fourth with singles from Machado, Abrams, and Verdugo, giving us a 2-1 lead. We would score every inning after that, including a 3-run bomb by Machado in the 6th that would put the game out of reach.

Unfortunately, we didn’t quite close out the game the way I would have liked. The Giants attempted a comeback and knock around Kela (4 runs in 1.1 innings) and Belen (1 run in .2 innings). Thankfully Elledge and Johnson would come in and put an end to things.

Final Score: 10-5
Player of the Game: Manny Machado (4-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI)

AL Wild Card

Houston Astros (1) vs Cleveland Indians (0)

NL Division Series

San Diego Padres vs Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1 in Milwaukee
James Paxton (16-7) vs Brandon Woodruff (12-11)

It’s difficult to win when you’re playing from behind, even more so in the playoffs. But that’s the situation we found ourselves in the opening game of our series against the Brewers. James Paxton took the hill and looked pretty average. He labored through 6 innings of work with 102 pitches, 9 K, 3 BB, and 3 R. We got to the opposing starter early and often, but we just couldn’t seem to bring our runners across the plate to score. We struck for 10 hits off of Woodruff, but managed just 1 run. By the time both starters were pulled, the score was 1-3.

Our offense found a bit of life in the 7th and 8th innings. Miller hit a 2-out triple and was knocked in by a Marcano single. Four singles in our half of the 8th would bring in another two runs, giving us the lead, 4-3. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to close things out as the Brewers answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game.

At the end of nine innings, the score was all tied up at four a piece, so off to extra innings we went. Things would remain deadlocked at 4 until the 12th. Marcano got things started with a lead off walk and was followed up with a single by Machado, putting runners on the corner. Marcano would score on a sacrifice fly from Dickerson. Abrams singled to put two runners on, and Verdugo brought in Machado with a single. Runners now on second and third with one out. A double from Kim would bring in both runners to score, and a two-out single by Gallagher would bring in Kim. We ended the innings by bringing across 5 runs.

Ohtani took the hill to see the game out, and he made things interesting to say the least. He gave up a lead off single, and a 2-out, 2-run home run to Keston Hiura. Thankfully for us, that was all the offense the Brewers could muster. It took extra innings, but Game 1 goes to us!

Final Score: 9-6 (12)
Player of the Game: Alex Verdugo (3-5, 2 doubles, 2 R, 2 RBI)

Game 2 in Milwaukee
Chris Paddack (11-8) vs Freddy Peralta (9-7)

Giving up 1st inning leads is really a trend I would prefer not to see. The Brewers made the first strike with a little small ball. A lead off single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI double would give them an early lead. However, Paddack would quickly settle down after that. In fact, that early one aside, both offenses seemed pretty anemic following the previously night’s flurry of offense. Both starters would have excellent outings, with Paddack giving up 1 run over 6 innings, and Peralta giving up 1 run over 7. It would come down to the bullpens to decide this one.

In the top of the 8th, Manny Machado would step up and hit a solo shot off of Brent Suter. Nothing like adding a little October heroics to your potential MVP resume. That run proved to be the difference as Green and Elledge would close out the game for us and hold the lead.

Final Score: 2-1
Player of the Game: Chris Paddack (6.0 IP, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 R)

Game 3 in San Diego
Ryan Weathers (7-8) vs Tarik Skubal (4-9)

With a chance to close out the series in front of the home fans, our boys were ready for this one. We came out of the gates flying, scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI single from Machado and a 3-run home run by Verdugo. Weather took the hill and looked like an old veteran, not a 23 year old in his first full season with the club. The youngster tossed 6.1 innings, racking up 10 K and giving up 2 runs.

By the end of the third, it was 5-2. That score would hold for most of the game. The Brewers tried to make things interesting in their half of the 9th. Johnson would give up a solo home run to Joey Gallo, but the Brewers couldn’t build any momentum off of it. We’re finally advancing to the next round!

Final Score: 5-3
Player of the Game: Alex Verdugo (2-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI, Series MVP)

Los Angeles Dodgers (2) vs Atlanta Braves (3)

AL Division Series

Tampa Bay Rays (1) vs Houston Astros (3)

Seattle Mariners (2) vs Minnesota Twins (3)

NL Championship Series

San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves

Game 1 in Atlanta
James Paxton (16-7) vs Mike Soroka (12-7)

Picking up right where we left off, we came out of the gates swinging against the Braves. 1 lead off single from Miller, and RBI triple from Marcano, and an RBI single from Machado would give us an early 2-0 lead. The Braves would get one back in the 3rd, but we would tack on another 3 in the 4th to extend our lead.

We would keep adding to our lead with runs scored in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. Paxton wasn’t at his best, but he did more than enough to limit the Braves’ offense.

Final Score: 10-3
Player of the Game: Ian Miller (4-6, 2 R, 3 RBI)

Game 2 in Atlanta
Blake Snell (3-1) vs Eduardo Rodriguez (12-8)

Today’s game was a perfect example as to why I’ve spent the last couple of seasons building, and building, and building up our bullpen. Snell was bad. In fact, he was down right awful - 6 runs in just 2.2 innings of work. Normally, an outing like that would doom a team. But the number one pen in the league had something to say about that. 8 different relievers would combine to see the rest of the game out, and they would surrender just 2 runs in the process.

And our bats had a few thoughts of their own to add. We scored four runs of our own through the first four innings to keep ourselves within touching distance. A 4-run eighth would finally close the gap and tie things up. As previously mentioned, our bullpen would hold strong and we would push this game into extra innings.

In the top of the 11th, Marcano would get on base with a 2-out single. Machado would follow that up with a 2-run bomb to give us the lead. Dare I say, do we have a new Mr. October on our hands?

Final Score: 10-8 (11)
Player of the Game: Ha-Seong Kim (3-5, 1 double, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI)

Game 3 in San Diego
Chris Paddack (11-8) vs Max Fried (16-7)

After the offensive explosion of Game 1, this one must have seemed like a bore. Both pitchers started off strong, but it was us that struck first. In the bottom of the fourth we got things started with a lead off single from Marcano. Dickerson would add a 2-run double from Dickerson and a sacrifice fly from Abrams would give us a 3-0 lead.

Paddack looked dominant on the hill. He gave up just 1 unearned run and struck out 12. Our relievers would come in and shut them down for the rest of the game. Should we get our brooms ready?

Final Score: 4-1
Player of the Game: Chris Paddack (6.1 IP, 1 R, 1 B, 12 K)

Game 4 in San Diego
Ryan Weathers (7-8) vs Chris Bassitt (12-3)

You always want to be prepared for the unexpected, but losing your starting pitcher to injury in the first inning is something you’re never really prepared for. Unfortunately, that’s the position the Braves found themselves in. Bassitt was removed from the game after giving up a single to Marcano. Former Padres reliever Craig Stammen came in and did not fare well. We scored four runs off of the reliever, which was capped off by a 2-run home run by Verdugo.

The Braves tried to rally with a pair of runs in the top of the second, but we crushed any hopes of a comeback by adding on three more runs in the second in response. We had an absolute field day with their relievers, the highlight of which was a grand slam from Machado in the fifth. The brooms were out and we celebrated with a blow out. We’re going to the World Series!

Final Score: 16-3
Player of the Game: Manny Machado (2-4. 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, Series MVP)

AL Championship Series

Houston Astros (2) vs Minnesota Twins (4)

World Series

San Diego Padres vs Minnesota Twins

Game 1 in Minnesota
James Paxton (16-7) vs Luis Castillo (12-7)

Despite having a terrific regular season, Paxton has not looked the same in the playoffs. Our ace struggled today, giving up 4 runs and 5 walks in 6.2 innings of work. We were able to get to their starter, but playing from behind was always going to make this tough.

Our boys gave it one heck of a shot though. We scrapped our way back to tie things up at 4 a piece with a pair of runs scored over the last two innings of the game. Headed into the bottom of the ninth with the game tied, we handed the ball over to our closer, Pierce Johnson, to take the game into extra innings for us. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Kyle Schwarber would hit a game winning, 2-run walkoff to give Minnesota the first game.

Final Score: 4-6
Player of the Game: Jake Cave (2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI)

Game 2 in Minnesota
Blake Snell (3-1) vs Kenta Maeda (9-5)

There’s a very concerning trend developing that we’ll get into in a second. This game was a dream for the batters, and a nightmare for the pitchers. Both teams came out swinging, and our every attempt to take the lead was immediately answered by their lineup. With all these callbacks, I wasn’t sure if I was at a ball game or at the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Headed into the 9th, the game was all tied up at 6. We started off our half of the inning with a pair of lead off walks from Marcano and Machado, and a 2-run double from Abrams. With the knowledge that we have one of the best bullpens in the league, we headed into the bottom of the 9th confident that we were going to shut the door and tie up the series.

The Twins had other plans. Remember that concerning trend I mentioned? Well, it seems that once again, we have a closer that has developed the yips. Johnson came in to close this one out and promptly blew the lead on a 2-run double. He followed that up by blowing the game by giving up a 2-run walkoff home run.

Two games, two walk off home runs. I’m not sure what to do about Johnson at this point.

Final Score: 8-10
Player of the Game: Jake Cave (4-5, 1 double, 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI)

Game 3 in San Diego
Chris Paddack (11-8) vs Noah Syndergaard (10-7)

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before - it’s hard to win when you’re playing from behind. Oh, you’ve heard that one? Well, the great thing about this year’s team is that playing from behind doesn’t seem to matter. This year’s squad never seems to give up. Despite going down 0-1 to start the game, Paddack quickly settled down, and the lineup went to work reclaiming that lead.

After giving up that early run, Paddack found his groove and threw a gem. We would tie things up with a solo shot from Marcano in the third, take the lead with an RBI single in the 4th, and then extend our lead with another solo shot from Marcano in the 5th.

And that’s all it took. Paddack led the way and our bullpen took care of the rest. I did drop Johnson from the closer role. Elledge has taken over and nabbed his first save in his first attempt.

Final Score: 3-1
Player of the Game: Chris Paddack (7.2 IP, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K)

Game 4 in San Diego
Ryan Weathers (7-8) vs Riley O’Brien

It’s amazing what some home cooking can do. The boys came alive at the plate in front of the home crowd. We racked up two runs on three singles to start the game. Weathers gave up a pair of runs, but we retook the lead in the third with a pair of runs of our own. In the 4th, we extended our lead backed by a 2-run home run from Marcano. That makes three dingers in two games for our first baseman.

Our bullpen would surrender one more additional run, but in the end, it didn’t matter much. The series is all tied up as we look to pull ahead in our final game in San Diego.

Final Score: 8-3
Player of the Game: Tucupita Marcano (2-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)

Game 5 in San Diego
Jacob Nix (4-8) vs Luis Castillo (12-7)

Going into the final game in San Diego, the Twins decided to throw out Castillo on short rest to try and stop our momentum. It was a gamble that paid off. Both offenses were stalled as both Nix and Castillo threw the ball pretty well.

The Twins were able to get a run in the second with a solo shot from Schwarber. However, other than that, the inexperienced Nix was able to keep the Minnesota batters at bay. Unfortunately, it was our bullpen that let us down this time. Kela came in to start the 6th and gave up a quick two runs. He has not looked good this postseason. His ERA is up at 9.64. Verdugo would close the gap with a 2-run homerun in the 7th, but that’s all we could muster.

The series goes back to Minnesota with the momentum in the Twins’ favor.

Final Score: 2-3
Player of the Game: Jacob Nix (5.0 IP, 1 R, 6 K)

Game 6 in Minnesota
James Paxton (16-7) vs Kenta Maeda (9-5)

Despite not being at his best, with the series on the line there was no other arm we could turn to other than our ace’s. And once again, despite still not being at his best, Paxton found a way to get the job done. Thankfully, he didn’t need to pitch like an ace because our offense decided to show up today.

We got things started with a solo shot from Machado in the first. He now has 7 HR this postseason. We added two more runs in the 2nd with a 2-run single from Gallagher, and another two runs in the 3rd from a 2-run homer from Verdugo. He leads the team with 23 RBI in the postseason.

The Twins would get a couple back, but our offense was not letting them back into this game. We would tack on an additional six runs over the rest of the game to seal the deal.

Final Score: 11-3
Player of the Game: Alex Verdugo (5-5, 1 double, 1 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, tied NL playoff game record with 5 hits)

Game 7 in Minnesota
Chris Paddack (11-8) vs Noah Syndergaard (10-7)

Now it was our turn to take a risk. Rather than go with the schedule Snell, I opted to go with the hot hand for this game - Chris Paddack. Paddack had just a 0.90 ERA headed into this game, so with the series on the line, I threw my faith behind him.

It wasn’t a pretty outing by the 27 year old, but he grinding things out and kept us in a position where we could compete. We struck first with runs in the top of the 2nd and top of the 3rd. Jake Cave, who has had a heck of a series for the Twins, got things started for them with a solo shot in their half of the 3rd. They would tack on two more runs that inning, taking the lead 2-3.

But Padres never say die! We took back the lead with 2 runs in the 4th, another in the 5th, and capped things off with a 2-run homer from Machado in the 6th. After giving up his fourth and final run in the 7th, our new set up of Johnson - Green - Elledge came in and sealed the deal.

We’ve finally done it! We’re bringing the trophy home to San Diego!

Final Score: 7-4
Player of the Game: Luis Campusano (3-4, 1 R, 2 RBI)

Series MVP: Alex Verdugo (13-27, 2 HR, 12 RBI)