LOS ANGELES — As their opponents basked in the glow of another division title on the field in front of them, several Padres lingered Thursday along the railing of Dodger Stadium’s visitors dugout, staring out at the celebration they had hoped would be theirs. The onlookers included veteran third baseman Manny Machado and rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill, two players who have been central in rewriting expectations in San Diego.
Afterward, inside a clubhouse that had recently hosted a different celebration, both of them insisted they had already moved on.
“We’re past it,” Merrill said. “We got three more games that actually are very important. So we’re past the division now.”
“There’s no disappointment,” Machado said. “We’re having a great season. We’re in the postseason.”
The Padres are — or they will be soon. Tuesday, inside the same room, they held a rager after clinching a playoff berth with an unforgettable display of defense. Still, there was no denying they had set their sights on a grander return to October. Consecutive losses over these past two nights, including Thursday’s 7-2 defeat, ensured it was not to be.
The Dodgers, for the 11th time in 12 years, are National League West champions. The Padres must wait at least another season to end a drought that dates to 2006.
“Very disappointed,” manager Mike Shildt said. “That’s the goal we set out for. Clearly, we put a good run at it. … But we move on.”
Late Thursday, as Shildt spoke, the Padres had begun turning their attention. A short flight to Phoenix awaited. There, the Padres will play three games at Chase Field. A single win would be enough to secure home-field advantage in the National League Wild Card Series, a matchup that might again pit them against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
A sweep by the Diamondbacks would mean there’s no guarantee that postseason baseball returns to Petco Park this season.
“I think everyone’s a little upset that we didn’t have a chance at the division going out to Arizona,” right-hander Joe Musgrove said. “But these are very important games coming up. … They’re very important games to win. So I think, mentally, everyone’s in a good place knowing that we can put this behind us and just go focus on finishing out strong.”
The Padres must at least focus on playing better than they did in three games at Dodger Stadium. They arrived at Chavez Ravine already having won the season series against Los Angeles for the first time since 2010. They split the first two games to keep alive a faint chance of winning the division.
For most of Thursday evening, the Padres felt emboldened. They scored the game’s first run in the fifth and another in the sixth. Musgrove cruised into the seventh with a low pitch count and a 2-0 lead.
Then, it all unraveled. Musgrove issued a leadoff walk. Dodgers catcher Will Smith smacked a tying home run as the building erupted. Shildt turned to his bullpen, which surrendered three more runs before the inning finally ended. The Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the eighth before middle reliever Yuki Matsui, pitching for the first time in 19 days, finally stopped the onslaught.
And this time, there was no familiar comeback magic. The Padres finished the series a combined 3-for-25 with runners in scoring position.
“I thought approaches were good,” Shildt said. “They’ve got some pretty good pitching over there. And congratulations to them. We’ve got to tip our hat to them winning the division. … But I take our guys against anybody in that situation. You know, we can’t perform every night. I’m really confident moving forward we’ll be on the good side of that.”
The Padres can afford to spend the next three days diverting some of their focus to Tuesday’s postseason opener, regardless of which team they face then. Yu Darvish has been announced as Friday’s starting pitcher. The team did not disclose who it plans (or hopes) to throw Saturday or Sunday. Perhaps Matsui will wind up with another relief appearance if Shildt seeks to rest several higher-leverage arms that have shouldered a significant workload in recent weeks.
But first, the Padres must try to win at least one game. That remaining goal helped temper whatever disappointment still lingered on the visiting side at Dodger Stadium.
“Dude, I mean, it’s been a hell of a year,” Machado said. “Look what we’ve done. Like I said (Tuesday night), a lot of people counted us out. A lot of people didn’t think we would be here, where we’re at right now. Didn’t think we would be playing baseball like we’ve been playing baseball this year. So, you know, we’re in the bonus. We’re in the bonus. So continue doing this, continue enjoying it. We got three games left, and then after that, it’s go time. We’ll continue to play baseball (like) we’ve been playing all year.”
Soon after Machado spoke, Merrill returned to his locker to find a costume laid across his chair. Nearby, teammates Alek Jacob and Brandon Lockridge had already donned Franciscan friar outfits — this year’s selection for the annual ritual known as rookie dress-up. It all looked a bit silly, although that was the point. Merrill acknowledged he was grateful he would not have to spend too much time looking silly; the flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix is relatively brief.
Still, a tinge of disappointment was detectable.
“It’s nicer,” Merrill said, “when you’ve got to dress up after a win.”
(Top photo of Manny Machado: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)
