Padres' Dylan Cease 'Blown Away' By 'Baseball City' San Diego

The fans at Petco Park have showed up this season.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The fans at Petco Park roared on Wednesday as the San Diego Padres defeated the Atlanta Braves in two games to seal their entry to the National League Division Series. The fans chanted "Beat LA" as the Padres officially advanced to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

The atmosphere at Petco Park has been incredible throughout the season, including during the Padres win over Braves on Tuesday.

“The atmosphere yesterday was amazing," Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease told reporters before Wednesday's game, via Sammy Levitt. "We were all expecting it to be that way because it feels like every game it's that way. There was definitely a next level of intensity and energy there. I’m blown away by how much of a baseball city San Diego is. I had no idea before I came here, but it really feels like everybody is behind us. It's a great feeling, we want nothing more than to deliver winning to this city and fanbase. We've all really enjoyed it. "

Dylan Cease: “I’m blown away by how much of a baseball city San Diego is.” pic.twitter.com/9rAB1iff2a

— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) October 2, 2024

Cease is in his first season playing for the Padres. He was traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Padres right before the team departed for Seoul, South Korea for their first series of the season.

While the city of San Diego might primarily be known for beaches and good weather, they have been supportive baseball fans, especially this season. The Padres have the fourth best attendance in all MLB, averaging 41,117 fans per home game, per ESPN. The Padres had similarly strong attendance last season in 2023, ranking third in MLB.

This is a stark contrast to what Cease would have seen had he not been traded from the White Sox. The White Sox had bottom-10 attendance in MLB during each of the last two seasons.

During Wednesday's Wild Card series clinching victory over Atlanta, the Padres set a Petco Park attendance record with 47,705 fans coming to the stadium, per Levitt.

Tonight’s attendance at Petco Park: 47,705

Highest attendance ever at this stadium, and it’s absolutely rocking tonight. pic.twitter.com/kZNE8wQyCV

— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) October 3, 2024

Fans will gather once again at Petco Park on Tuesday when the Padres host the Dodgers for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. If the series goes for more than three games, Petco Park will also host Game 4. With the Padres playing again in the NLDS, and against their biggest division rival, it wouldn't be surprising to see Petco Park break their record from Wednesday during the NLDS.