SAN DIEGO — 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 San Diego Padres once again fell short of winning their first World Series.
Tatis' second homer of the postseason tied the score at 1, but the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Padres 3-1 on 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.
“So many emotions,” said Tatis, who didn't hit his first home run until May 30 but finished with a 25-25 season that included some spectacular home run-robbing catches in right field.
“This group is so special, man, and we went through so many downs and ups this year, and how we became one. We went through every battle and just stuck together. It was such an enjoyable group to play baseball together and to go through the rough times, and the only thing I can say is thank you to every single one of them.”
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.
“It stings right now, for sure,” said Machado, who chatted with the new owners in the clubhouse after the game.
The Padres 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.
Joe Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, didn't make his season debut until Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Cubs due to a prolonged recovery from Tommy John surgery. It was his first appearance since the Wild Card Series against Atlanta in 2024.
“I don’t think anybody’s satisfied with how the year ended, but I think everyone’s pretty proud of how we played,” said Musgrove, who pitched the final two innings Wednesday night. “Where we came from in May, June, being under .500, and Tati not even having a home run and Manny hitting .200, and then where we ended our year and how we finished strong at home and gave our fans something to be proud of.”
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