Padres Clinch, Rout Brewers; Rotation Concerns Remain

The San Diego Padres clinched a postseason berth and then beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7–0 Tuesday, highlighted by Ryan O’Hearn’s first‑inning grand slam and additional homers from Luis Arraez and José Iglesias. Randy Vásquez allowed one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings, and Wandy Peralta and Yuki Matsui closed out a four‑hit shutout. The win — San Diego’s fourth straight after clinching the night before — pulled the Padres within 1½ games of the Chicago Cubs for the top National League wild‑card and kept them within striking distance of NL West‑leading Los Angeles. Milwaukee’s loss (95‑63) eliminated the possibility of consecutive 100‑win teams and left the Brewers with a two‑game magic number over Philadelphia for the majors’ best record. The Padres rested high‑leverage relievers and activated Xander Bogaerts while Fernando Tatis Jr. remained out sick as they managed October workloads. Still, questions remain about postseason rotation depth beyond anchors Nick Pivetta and Michael King, with Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Vásquez needing late‑season validation for key October roles.