NEW YORK -- In so many ways, the Padres’ three-game series against the Mets at Citi Field this week was an appetizer for postseason baseball. And, hey, maybe the Padres will be able to draw on the experience when they’re playing a best-of-three Wild Card Series on the road. Because it sure looks like that’s where this is all headed.
San Diego dropped two of three at Citi Field this week, capped by a 6-1 loss on Thursday afternoon. With the Dodgers winning Thursday night, the Padres’ deficit has grown to three games -- and L.A. owns the tiebreaker. The Cubs, meanwhile, have run away with the top Wild Card spot.
Barring something unforeseen in the NL West race, the Padres seem destined to begin their postseason on the road -- probably against those Cubs at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers’ recent underperformance left the door open for San Diego to pursue its first division title in 19 years. The Padres simply haven’t been able to capitalize.
“Definitely missed opportunities,” said Fernando Tatis Jr. “I will not say it’s lack of effort, because we’re throwing everything out there.”
They sure did on Thursday. Manager Mike Shildt -- always aggressive in his bullpen usage -- was as aggressive as he’s been all season. Right-hander Randy Vásquez had thrown 2 1/3 decent innings on just 48 pitches, when Shildt emerged from the dugout and pointed his left finger toward the visiting bullpen.
It was the type of move you typically only see in October. But, well, the Padres’ bullpen was somewhat fresh, and they’re nearing a postseason clinch (which could come as soon as Saturday). Meanwhile, the lefty-hitting Brandon Nimmo was due up with runners on the corners. Left-hander Wandy Peralta has a propensity to induce ground balls.
“It wasn’t actually very complicated for me,” Shildt said afterward. “It didn’t work out as planned. But we talked last night about this being more of a playoff-type atmosphere. It’s a lineup more conducive to lefties. We trust Randy. … At that point, it’s about the best matchup to get out of the inning, keeping it where it’s at.”
Despite the matchup, the move backfired -- and quickly. Peralta hung a 1-2 changeup. Nimmo launched it over Tatis’ head into the right-field bullpen. The Mets had a four-run lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
“Clearly,” Shildt said, “the worst-case scenario is what happened.”
The move brought further spotlight on the Padres’ use of Vásquez. He’s been solid for most of the season -- but the club has rarely entrusted him with pitching deep into games. Vásquez has insisted that those decisions don’t frustrate him. But like any starting pitcher, he’d always prefer a longer leash.
“I wanted to go longer than I did,” Vásquez said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “But that’s just the decision of the manager.”
Among the factors cited by Shildt for Thursday’s quick hook: the Padres’ standing in the playoff picture. It’s not a move he’d have made in May, nor a move he’d have made with a taxed bullpen. But clinging to slim chances of a division title -- and facing a fellow playoff contender -- it was the right time to go for it, he said.
“We’re looking to win our division, and we know we’re down in the division,” he said. “So where does it leave us? It leaves us, right now, 2 1/2 games back with no tiebreaker. That’s the facts.”
It’s not their preferred reality, but it’s not too harsh a reality either. In the coming days, the Padres are still almost certainly bound to clinch their spot in the postseason. They lead the idle Diamondbacks -- the first team on the outside of the playoff picture -- by six games with nine to play.
Meanwhile, a division title remains unlikely but possible. If there were ever a time for the Padres to make up ground, it’ll be this weekend in Chicago against the last-place White Sox. But even winning the division wouldn’t come with the reward of a first-round bye.
The Phillies and Brewers seem destined for that. So, in effect, the Padres are aiming for a home Wild Card Series -- a worthwhile goal, given how well they’ve played at Petco Park this season, but not the end goal.
As such, Tatis quibbled with the notion that this week’s series felt like October baseball. Mid-September baseball with stakes? Sure.
“We know who we were playing,” Tatis said. “But I don’t think it felt like a playoff series.”
And then he added a qualifier: “Yet.”