Padres Clinch Wild-Card Playoff Spot With Walk-Off Win Over Brewers

The San Diego Padres secured a postseason berth with a dramatic 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in 11 innings, highlighted by Freddy Fermin's walk-off RBI single. The victory clinched at least a National League wild-card spot for the Padres, marking their fourth playoff appearance in six seasons and narrowing the NL West lead held by the Los Angeles Dodgers to 2 1/2 games. Despite trailing twice during the game and overcoming adversity against the NL Central champion Brewers, the Padres maintained their playoff hopes with key contributions from players like José Iglesias and right-hander Nick Pivetta, who recorded a career-high 190 strikeouts this season. The Padres are projected to face the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three wild-card series, with the winner advancing to play the Brewers in the division series. San Diego's season featured a major midseason roster overhaul and several All-Star relievers, though offensive slumps and defensive highlights marked their campaign. The team aims to either capture the NL West title or secure the wild card as the regular season concludes.