The Padres left Petco Park on Sunday with the kind of October luxury that was hard to imagine two months ago: a rested regular lineup, a rotation arranged for the week ahead and a 9-4 win over Arizona already in the books. San Diego finished 91-71, locking down home-field advantage for the National League Wild Card Series with one game to spare.
That finish carries real weight in franchise history. The Padres were sitting 11th in the NL in late July, three games under .500 and staring at a postseason chase that looked remote. They answered with a 41-18 run, turning the final stretch into a climb all the way to a 91-win season, tied for the fourth-highest total the club has ever posted.
For perspective, the franchise reached 90 wins only four times across its first 55 seasons. It has now done it in each of the past three years. This current stretch has made San Diego a familiar contender, even if the larger prize remains out there: the Padres are still seeking their first World Series title and their first National League pennant since 1998.
Sunday nevertheless offered a useful last look before the Wild Card Series begins Tuesday night. With several regulars receiving a breather, Gavin Sheets supplied the loudest moment. Activated from the injured list Saturday, Sheets opened the fourth inning by driving a 423-foot home run into the beach area beyond right-center field.
It was the sort of swing the Padres had missed while Sheets dealt with a plantar plate tear in his left foot. His production slipped during July and August as he played through the injury, which may still require offseason surgery. But four weeks away from the club has calmed the issue enough for Sheets to look much closer to his usual self at the plate.
That matters for a postseason bench built around matchups. If he is healthy, Sheets figures to have a place on the playoff roster, whether as the designated hitter against right-handed starters or as a left-handed pinch-hitting option when a game tightens late. His ability to handle right-handed pitching gives San Diego another potential impact bat in October.
Randy Vásquez gave the Padres another encouraging final note on the mound. The right-hander worked six innings of one-run ball against the Diamondbacks, allowing three hits while throwing 68 pitches. He filled the zone all afternoon, landing 54 strikes.
Vásquez completed the regular season with a 3.90 ERA in 32 appearances, including 23 starts, after spending much of the year quietly stabilizing a staff that had to navigate plenty of movement and uncertainty. His immediate October assignment remains unclear. He could be carried as a long reliever, though the Padres’ willingness to let him cover six innings Sunday also leaves open questions about how they intend to deploy him.
However the roster is arranged, Vásquez has earned consideration. The same can be said for Sheets, whose healthy swing arrived at exactly the right time. The regular season is over now, and San Diego has bought itself a chance to begin the next one at home.
