Jackson Merrill Reacts to Padres Being Eliminated: 'It Ended Pretty Fast'

The Padres were eliminated from the postseason on Friday.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

As the ninth inning came to a close and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their Game 5 National League Division Series victory over the San Diego Padres on the field at Dodger Stadium, Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill rested his arms over the railing of the dugout in defeat. He looked out in the direction of the cheering Dodgers, who came back to win the final two games of the NLDS to advance to the NL Championship Series.

As a die hard Dodger fan. I love this kid. Much respect to Jackson Merrill. I want him to be a Dodger. pic.twitter.com/lI6AZlvxfO

— James_Brock (@JamesBrock1350) October 12, 2024

Jackson Merrill doing his best Stefon Diggs impression pic.twitter.com/Z4VoGoneWZ

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 12, 2024

“I just didn’t want to leave,” Merrill said, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “I wasn’t really sitting there grieving or sulking or anything. I was just sitting there wanting to stay on the field. It ended pretty fast.”

The Dodgers' win marked the end of a stellar rookie campaign from Merrill, who set the franchise rookie RBI record and became an All-Star. Throughout the 2024 season, the Merrill often came up clutch in the biggest of moments. From game-winning or game-tying home runs and RBIs in the late innings of games to playing with the composure of a seasoned veteran, Merrill played a pivotal role in the Padres becoming a playoff team and making it to the NLDS in the first place.

Yet with a 2-1 lead entering Game 4 of the NLDS, Merrill came up short, as did his teammates. The team known for pulling out wins when it mattered most and against the toughest of opponents during the season came up blank during their final two games, with the season on the line.

Over the final two games of the season, the Padres did not score a single run. The Dodgers bullpen shut one of the top lineups in baseball out in Game 4 before Yoshinobu Yamamoto paved the way for another scoreless result in Game 5. With a trip to the NLCS on the line in Game 5, the Padres only recorded two hits and one walk over the entire game. In seven at-bats during these two games, Merrill did not record a walk or hit. There would be no late-game heroics this time for San Diego.

After recording 21 runs during the first three games of the series — including a franchise postseason record six home runs in Game 2 — the Padres could not muster a run over the final two games, resulting in their disappointing exit from the playoffs.