The Padres clinched a postseason spot in wild fashion, turning a game-ending triple play against the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth. Up three runs with runners on first and third and nobody out, Padres pitcher Robert Suarez looked shaky. Two hard hits put the Dodgers in business, and a broken bat grounder cut the lead to two. Shohei Ohtani loomed on deck. Miguel Rojas came up and showed bunt on the first pitch but pulled back, missing a chance to move the tying run into scoring position. That decision would haunt the Dodgers.
On the next pitch, Rojas hit a sharp grounder to third. Manny Machado fielded it clean, stepped on the bag, threw to second, and Jake Cronenworth fired a perfect strike to first to complete the rare triple play. Seconds later, the umpires reviewed all three outs and confirmed the call. Dodgers fans in the stadium reacted with disbelief, many visibly crushed. Meanwhile, the Padres mobbed Machado and congratulated Suarez, who escaped the jam and secured the playoff berth. Ohtani never got the chance to swing. The entire play took just over four seconds.