Padres turn game-ending triple play to book playoff spot

The San Diego Padres righted the ship and are heading back to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2023.

San Diego stamped its ticket on Tuesday by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2, with the game ending on a triple play courtesy of Miguel Rojas. Shohei Ohtani was on deck when the game ended.

Jake Cronenworth gave the visitors a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run after Ohtani scored on a throwing error by Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the first.

Bogaerts made up for his gaffe in the fourth on an RBI single. Cronenworth then collected his third RBI of the affair, driving in Bogaerts on a double to left to make it 4-1.

The Dodgers halved the advantage in the bottom of the ninth thanks to an RBI single from Enrique Hernández. Rojas then slapped a grounder to Manny Machado at third, who stepped on the bag and went around the horn for the game-ending triple play. The decision was upheld after a replay review.

The Padres entered the All-Star break one game above .500 but have put together one of the best second halves of any team in the majors (41-17).

"We're going to enjoy tonight, enjoy this game, enjoy the celebration," Machado said, per Beth Harris of The Associated Press. "But the job's not finished yet."

San Diego even has a chance to catch the Dodgers and win the NL West division. The Padres trail their California rival by two games in the standings with five games remaining on the schedule. Two of those contests are against the Dodgers.

The Padres' turnaround came after they traded All-Star outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees in the offseason and hired manager Mike Shildt following Bob Melvin's departure to the San Francisco Giants.