Padres' Jackson Merrill Predicted Game-Ending Triple Play

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 27, 2024

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Since Jake Cronenworth took over second base for the Padres in 2020, he and third baseman Manny Machado have maintained an ongoing conversation throughout games.

“If it's a hard-hit ball, when you're playing in, we're going to turn [a triple play],” Cronenworth said. “That was the first opportunity we got.”

On Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the opportunity presented itself.

The San Diego Padres made baseball history becoming the first team to clinch their place in the postseason by turning a triple play and center fielder Jackson Merrill predicted the whole thing.

A TRIPLE PLAY! TO SECURE A SPOT IN THE POSTSEASON! UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/NfbCRgt0Y6

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 25, 2024

“I told Tati during the pitching break, ‘Hey, triple play right here,’ ” Merrill said late Tuesday night. “I was just throwing it out there, freeballing it, but (expletive) that’s what happened.”

Said Tatis, taking a quick break from Tuesday’s celebration to laugh about his young teammate’s prediction come true: “He did; he did call it. It was crazy. I just laughed because I know how crazy this game is. It was amazing.”

The chaotic ninth inning reached its peak when the Dodgers scored a run and had the tying runs on base, with Shohei Ohtani waiting in the on-deck circle. Miguel Rojas, hitting ninth for Los Angeles, had squared up to bunt earlier in the at-bat.

Anticipating another bunt attempt, the Padres set up their bunt defense on the next pitch. But instead, Rojas swung and sent a hard grounder toward Machado at third base.

“As soon as he hit it, I'm like, ‘Let's go,’” Machado said. “I was playing in. That play, you have to be perfectly aligned right against the base, you have to tag third base really quick. It just happened to be perfect.”

Rojas took the result pretty hard after the game.

“I feel like I had an opportunity to get the bunt down early on that at-bat, but I couldn’t get the job done there,” Rojas said. “Just because the way they were playing on defense, I think it made sense for me to swing the bat there. I’m totally confident that I can get to a fastball. Unfortunately, I hit it on the ground.”

The Padres needed to win on Tuesday and were able to come through during an inning where closer Robert Suarez was struggling. He had allowed three straight singles to open the inning and Shohei Ohtani lingered on deck.

The play was reviewed but the call was upheld and led to a playoff-clinching celebration in the visiting dugout and eventually, clubhouse, at Dodger Stadium.