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WATCH: San Diego Padres Offense Breaks Dam Against Atlanta Braves in Wild Card Game

Kyle Higashioka, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill helped the San Diego Padres come back to lead the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of a National League Wild Card Series.

Teren Kowatsch

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves in a Wild Card game on Tuesday at Petco Park.
San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves in a Wild Card game on Tuesday at Petco Park. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
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For the second day in a row, the San Diego Padres offense made itself known early in the game.

The Padres scored five runs in the second inning alone in Game 2 of a National League Wild Card series on Wednesday at Petco Park in San Diego.

The Braves led 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning after Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the first and Max Fried got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first.

In the bottom of the second and with two outs, San Diego catcher Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run for the second to tie the game at 1-1.

The Padres loaded the bases after Higashioka's homer and Manny Machado hit a go-ahead, two-RBI double to give his team a 3-1 lead.

Then, in the very next at-bat, San Diego's National League Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Merrill cleared the based with a two-run triple that gave the Padres a 5-1 lead through two innings.

There was still a lot of time for Atlanta to make a comeback and force an if-necessary Game 3 in the NL Wild Card round.

But two innings in, it looks like all the momentum lies with the Padres.

San Diego is chasing its first NL pennant since 1998 and its first World Series title in franchise history.

The Braves are trying to win their second World Series title since 2021 and cement themselves as the pinnacle of the National League.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

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