The San Diego Padres turned it on at the right time, getting hot as the regular season winds down. Now, the club could be the top-seeded Wild Card team if they finish strong.
The San Diego Padres are playing their best baseball of the season and it came at just the right time.
Not long ago, San Diego was in a neck-and-neck race with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League. It looked like the two clubs' postseason dreams would come down to their final regular-season series, when they meet at Petco Park for a three-game set.
However, the Padres decided that they did not want to settle for the last WC Spot, and put their foot on the gas. Going 11-1 in their last 12 games, San Diego put itself at the top of the NL WC standings entering Saturday and is tied with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs at 85-69.
Now, with eight games remaining as of the morning of Saturday, Sept. 19, San Diego has a real shot at securing the No. 1 WC Spot.
Our hosts, Lucas and Bob, are incredibly high on the club and as Lucas puts it, the destiny is in their hands.
However, San Diego cannot afford to take their foot off the gas. The Diamondbacks are not out of contention, though there is more breathing room for the Padres.
The road ahead is not easy for San Diego, strictly talking about their schedule. The aforementioned regular-season finale against Arizona could have implications on the postseason, and the Padres face the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 22.
There are a lot of moving parts in the postseason equation; however, the D-Backs could bounce themselves out of contention if they fail to win games against the New York Yankees or Colorado Rockies in the week or so leading up to their bout against the Padres.
The Phillies are amid a series against the New York Mets, then face the NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers followed by a series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Entering Saturday, the Cubs lost one game against the Cincinnati Reds, then host the Miami Marlins and wrap up the regular season against the Boston Red Sox.
This NL WC race is essentially up for grabs, but it's looking like the three teams to punch their ticket will be the Padres, Cubs and Phillies. With all records square as of the morning of Saturday, Sept. 19, this race will be one to monitor closely.
Bob explains how San Diego could wind up hosting one of these WC matchups, should the club get into the postseason.
Listen to the full episode for the breakdown of how the Padres can host a postseason series at Petco Park and what to expect coming down the stretch.
