It took 159 games, but the San Diego Padres have finally found their way back to October.
They had reached as a Wild Card in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and beat the St. Louis Cardinals before being knocked out by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But for the first time since 2006, San Diego has made it to October in a full, 162-game season.
The Padres sit at 87-72 and lead the Philadelphia Phillies by a game for the second Wild Card spot.
This afternoon, the Padres tweeted a video of their champagne celebration in the clubhouse following yesterday’s game with the Chicago White Sox.
How was our night? Thank you so much for asking, we'd love to tell you 😎 #CaptureTheMoment pic.twitter.com/cg1oC8Dbq6
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 3, 2022
Padres Are In
The Padres can now soak up the moment.
After a catastrophic collapse late last season, the Padres have redeemed themselves.
San Diego had held an 8.5-game lead over St. Louis for the final Wild Card spot in August.
But St. Louis went on a 17-game winning streak while the Padres collapsed.
This time, it’s a different story.
The Padres didn’t collapse this season.
Instead, they’ll prepare to take on either the Cardinals or the New York Mets in the Wild Card round which kicks off Friday.
The additions of Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Brandon Drury, and Josh Hader have finally paid off and have helped the Padres get to where they want to go.
It’s going to be fun to watch this young squad in October.
Even with Fernando Tatis Jr. sidelined due to a suspension, this team is dangerous.
They can hit as good as almost any team in the league and they could be a major threat to win their first ever World Series title.
For now, they’ll celebrate making it, but the work will continue on Friday.
NEXT: The Padres Were Finally Able To Let Loose Sunday