San Diego’s Petco Park was filled with euphoria on Wednesday night when the Padres clinched their spot in the National League Division Series ( NLDS) after beating the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in Game Two of the Wild Card Series.
The win not only secured their passage to the next phase of the playoffs but also gave way to an iconic scene at the stadium: the 47,705 fans in attendance, the largest crowd in Petco Park history, broke out in a unified chant of “Beat LA! Beat LA!”
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The Padres’s win was not without tension. The final inning was filled with nerves as star closer Robert Suarez, known for his powerful arm, took the mound. With pitches reaching 102 miles per hour, Suarez sealed the victory by retiring the batters in order.
Robert Suarez and the decisive moment for the San Diego Padres
With a fastball that reached 102 MPH, Suarez dominated the final inning, maintaining a one-run lead and securing the Padres’s passage to the Division Series. Suarez’s performance was not only key for the team but also served as a reminder of the Padres’s potential to compete against the best teams in the league.
The matchup against the Dodgers won’t be easy, but with the momentum of this victory and the passionate support of their fans, the Padres have reason to dream big. The fans at Petco Park made it clear that they are ready for an intense series and that they believe in their team’s ability to beat the powerful Los Angeles team.
“Beat LA!”: A cry that reflects the rivalry
The “Beat LA!” chant is more than just a chorus for Padres fans. It’s an expression of the long and heated rivalry between San Diego and Los Angeles. The rivalry has been brewing for years, fueled by the teams’ geographic proximity and competitiveness in the NL West.
Every time the Padres and Dodgers face off, emotions run high, and this time will be no exception. After securing their spot in the NLDS, the Padres now head to Dodger Stadium to take on the top-ranked team in the National League in what promises to be an exciting and action-packed series.
Shohei Ohtani, one of the Padres’s breakout stars, will be a formidable opponent for the Padres. However, San Diego comes into the series confident of having left a team as competitive as the Braves behind, and with a fan base that has committed to supporting their team every step of the way.
The Astros and Orioles were eliminated in the American League
In Wednesday’s other games, it was notable that two of the American League favorites were eliminated by a sweep in the wild-card round.
The Houston Astros fell 5-2 at home to the Detroit Tigers, ending their incredible seven-year streak of reaching the American League Championship Series. Later, the Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 2-1 to eliminate them to the disbelief of the fans in Baltimore.
Detroit will face Cleveland and Kansas City will face the NY Yankees in the division series.
And at night, the Milwaukee Brewers came from behind to defeat the New York Mets 5-3 and tie the best-of-three series, which will be decided this Thursday in Milwaukee and from which the Philadelphia Phillies’s rival will emerge.
