Padres NL Wild-Card Opponent Finalized After Wild Ending to Season

Valentina Martinez | 8 Hours Ago

Jul 14, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pinch-hitter Luis Campusano (12) is congratulated by shortstop Ha-Seong Kim (7) after hitting a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

It's official. The San Diego Padres will face the Atlanta Braves in a best-of-three wild card series starting Tuesday night.

The Braves defeated the New York Mets 3-0 in their second game of Monday's doubleheader. One victory was all Atlanta needed to clinch their spot in the postseason.

The Padres concluded their regular season Sunday afternoon with an 11-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since then, San Diego awaited their next opponent.

Ahead of the dramatic doubleheader Monday, Jackson Merill expressed his excitement to watch the two-game thriller.

“I’m excited as hell to watch this doubleheader tomorrow,” Merill told MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. “I know we lost today, and my main goal is winning everyday. Obviously, I wish we would’ve won.

“But now, having all of them tied and tomorrow is very important to everybody, I think that’s really good. I think it’s good for baseball. I think it’s good for us.”

The outcome of the doubleheader had several playoff implications as the Braves, Mets, and Diamondbacks awaited their fate.

Since the Braves split the series with the Mets, Atlanta clinched the fifth seed. The Mets took Game 1 with a wild 8-7 triumph.

The Mets scored six runs in the eighth inning. A hit from Mets second baseman Jose Iglesias tied the game at 3. A homer from Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo sent a hush over for the crowd at Truist Park.

Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies' hit a double that brought three runners in to regain the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Atlanta entered the final frame with a one run lead over the Mets.

The lead evidently wasn't enough as Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer to put the Mets back on top.

In order for the Mets to snag the fifth seed, New York had to execute the sweep.

The Padres lost five of seven games against the Mets this season, while the club won four of seven meetings against the Braves.

Since there was a three-way tie between the Mets, Braves, and Diamondbacks, the outcomes of each game mattered.

The Braves and Mets both sat at 88-72 ahead of their doubleheader Monday. Arizona needed one of the clubs to win twice in order to be propelled into the playoffs. Therefore, the Diamondbacks have been eliminated from postseason contention.

Now that the Padres know who they'll be facing Tuesday, San Diego enters the wild-card round with an advantage over Atlanta.

After playing a doubleheader Monday, the Braves will have to face a rested Padres club the following day.