SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 429-foot home run to straightaway center field leading off the third inning got the sellout crowd of 47,712 at Petco Park revved up and waving their yellow rally towels.
That was pretty much the extent of the excitement for those fans as the Padres once again fell short of winning their first World Series.
Tatis’ second homer of the postseason tied the game at 1, but the Milwaukee Brewers went on to win 3-1 Wednesday night to take their best-of-five NL Division Series in four games.
Manny Machado nearly tied it with a two-run homer in the eighth, but Garrett Mitchell made the catch at the center-field fence to rob him.
With the crowd on its feet still hoping for a comeback, pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets struck out to end it and the Brewers had a muted celebration on the field.
San Diego had only three hits.
While the top-seeded Brewers head home to get ready to host the Padres’ biggest rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Padres head off into an uncertain offseason.
New owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones brought an exciting vibe to the team when they took over in late August. Now it’s up to them to back general manager A.J. Preller in trying to get San Diego that elusive World Series title.
The Padres haven’t been to the Fall Classic since making it for a second time in 1998. They didn’t win either one.
This year, their third consecutive 90-win season carried them into the playoffs for the third straight autumn, both club records.
They did it behind rookie manager Craig Stammen, a surprise hire last fall after Mike Shildt retired less than two weeks after the Padres were eliminated by the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in the wild-card round.
The Padres struggled so much during the first half that fans wondered if Preller would trade fireballing closer Mason Miller. But he kept Miller and the Padres turned it on in the second half to reach the postseason.
They beat the Cubs in two games at Petco Park last week to sweep their Wild Card Series before losing two close, riveting games in Milwaukee.
San Diego stayed alive with a 4-3 win Tuesday night in which Michael King, the Game 2 starter, earned a two-inning save on one day of rest to extend the season one more night.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
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