<img alt="New York Mets v. Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2LXZvXIZFIGxARossOs5IDQnJqc=/0x0:4541x3027/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73623775/2175104179.0.jpg">
Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Atlanta cliched a Wild Card spot on Monday and will start the Wild Card series on Tuesday in San Diego. After the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies on March 29, it was difficult to think that 160 games later, Atlanta’s postseason hopes would come down to the 162nd game of the of the 2024 campaign - the second game of a doubleheader, at that. But it did.
The Braves will head to San Diego to play the Padres in the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series after defeating the New York Mets in the last game of the regular season. The San Diego Padres finished their regular season with a 93-69 record, good for second place in the National League West, and clinching the top Wild Card position.
Atlanta ended 2024 with an 89-73 record, second in the National League East, and as the second of three Wild Card teams in the NL.
The San Diego starting rotation was anchored by new addition Dylan Cease who made 33 starts for the Padres. Michael King, who made 30 starts, ended up as the co-ace after Yu Darvish made only 16 starts and Joe Musgrove took the mound 19 times. Their bullpen was led by closer Robert Suarez, who collected 36 saves, and left-handed reliever Adrián Morejón who saw action in 60 games. Fellow lefty Yuki Matsui and right-hander Jeremiah Estrada also appeared in more than 60 games each with Estrada striking out a team-best 13.9 per nine innings.
Offensively, the team was paced by outfielder Jurickson Profar, who had a break-out season that included his first All-Star Game selection. Outfielders Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Jackson Merrill joined third baseman Manny Machado and National League batting average leader Luis Arráez to form a balanced offensive attack.
The Braves and Padres played seven times this season with Atlanta winning three of those affairs. The Braves dropped three-of-four to the Padres in Atlanta in mid-May with the Braves winning two games in a three-game series in San Diego in mid-July. Notably, Chris Sale - who may not pitch in the Wild Card Series - took a loss in each of the two series with the Padres accounting for two of his three losses during the regular season.
The best-of-three Wild Card series debuted in 2020 but became a permanent postseason addition in 2022.
Watch Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Wild Card series between the Braves and Padres on ESPN at 8:38PM Eastern.
The game can also be heard on the Braves Radio Network and ESPN radio. Games can be streamed via ESPN and MLB.TV, where available.
<img alt="New York Mets v. Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2LXZvXIZFIGxARossOs5IDQnJqc=/0x0:4541x3027/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73623775/2175104179.0.jpg">
Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Atlanta cliched a Wild Card spot on Monday and will start the Wild Card series on Tuesday in San Diego. After the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies on March 29, it was difficult to think that 160 games later, Atlanta’s postseason hopes would come down to the 162nd game of the of the 2024 campaign - the second game of a doubleheader, at that. But it did.
The Braves will head to San Diego to play the Padres in the best-of-three National League Wild Card Series after defeating the New York Mets in the last game of the regular season. The San Diego Padres finished their regular season with a 93-69 record, good for second place in the National League West, and clinching the top Wild Card position.
Atlanta ended 2024 with an 89-73 record, second in the National League East, and as the second of three Wild Card teams in the NL.
The San Diego starting rotation was anchored by new addition Dylan Cease who made 33 starts for the Padres. Michael King, who made 30 starts, ended up as the co-ace after Yu Darvish made only 16 starts and Joe Musgrove took the mound 19 times. Their bullpen was led by closer Robert Suarez, who collected 36 saves, and left-handed reliever Adrián Morejón who saw action in 60 games. Fellow lefty Yuki Matsui and right-hander Jeremiah Estrada also appeared in more than 60 games each with Estrada striking out a team-best 13.9 per nine innings.
Offensively, the team was paced by outfielder Jurickson Profar, who had a break-out season that included his first All-Star Game selection. Outfielders Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Jackson Merrill joined third baseman Manny Machado and National League batting average leader Luis Arráez to form a balanced offensive attack.
The Braves and Padres played seven times this season with Atlanta winning three of those affairs. The Braves dropped three-of-four to the Padres in Atlanta in mid-May with the Braves winning two games in a three-game series in San Diego in mid-July. Notably, Chris Sale - who may not pitch in the Wild Card Series - took a loss in each of the two series with the Padres accounting for two of his three losses during the regular season.
The best-of-three Wild Card series debuted in 2020 but became a permanent postseason addition in 2022.
Watch Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Wild Card series between the Braves and Padres on ESPN at 8:38PM Eastern.
The game can also be heard on the Braves Radio Network and ESPN radio. Games can be streamed via ESPN and MLB.TV, where available.
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