SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres’ enthusiasts, with tears in their eyes and their voices quivering, stood in their seats Saturday night time, took out their mobile phones, and snapped footage and video for posterity.
It came about.
It actually came about.
The Padres, after 54 years of lifestyles, in spite of everything slayed the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, their hated competitors 90 miles north at the I-5 Freeway.
The Padres, in one of the best moments in San Diego sports activities historical past, knocked off the Dodgers, 5-3, in entrance of a wild sellout crowd at Petco Park, advancing to the National League Championship Series in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Follow each and every recreation: Live MLB Scores
The Dodgers, who gained 111 regular-season video games, tied for the fourth-most in baseball historical past, are going domestic.
It will move down as one of the best upsets in baseball historical past with the Padres completing 22 video games in the back of the Dodgers in the NL West standings, simplest to get up and win the one video games that shall be remembered.
It was once the primary time since 1906, when the Chicago White Sox gained the World Series over the Cubs, {that a} workforce completed with 22 fewer victories than their opponent and gained their postseason sequence.
MANNY: Padres’ $300 million guy has San Diego able to birthday party
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: Our professionals make their postseason selections
The Padres’ crowd, which wildly waved their brown and yellow towels and chanted “Beat LA!’’ all night time, stood in disbelief when the general out was once made, attempting to fathom what transpired.
Music blared during the ballpark, with the stadium scoreboard lights up, and the enthusiasts attempted to cheer as loud as their lungs would permit.
It proved to be somewhat problematic.
You see, it’s a little bit difficult to cheer when tears are streaming down your face, witnessing an tournament you by no means dreamed conceivable.
The Padres, for the primary time since 1998, are going to the National League Championship Series.
They will play the Phillies, and feature home-field merit, too, taking part in Game 1 Tuesday night time at Petco Park.
It would possibly take the entire 72 hours for the birthday party to finish, enthusiasts to sober up, and for everybody in San Diego to totally digest what came about.
“How the Mighty Have Fallen!’’ the scoreboard flashed with a fan appearing off his signal, adopted by way of the mantra that reverberated during Southern California: “Beat LA!”
It was once a loopy day from the beginning, with the sport behind schedule 31 mins by way of rain, with the Padres exploding for his or her greatest inning in postseason historical past with a five-run 7th, just for the skies to open once more with rain pouring down.
Not a unmarried fan left.
They weren’t about to leave out this second, with former Padres celebrity Jake Peavy letting everybody know he was once going to move birthday party in the Gaslamp Quarter, and everybody was once loose to sign up for him.
“I’m going to be partying till the wee hours,’’ Peavy stated, “I’m going to stumble onto a Delta flight.
“I feel it is about time that we commence speaking about San Diego as a game the town. We’ve misplaced the Chargers. This is the one recreation in the town. The Padre enthusiasts are completely appearing out, from Del Mar on down. I’ve been in all places since I’ve been right here the previous few days. It feels excellent. It feels electrical.
“These individuals are able.’’
While the Padres had been partying, the Dodgers had been in mourning, nonetheless attempting to know the way their dream season grew to become right into a dwelling nightmare. They couldn’t purchase a take hold of hit, going 2-for-28 since Game 1 with runners in scoring place. They couldn’t get a hold of a key pitch, and had no clue how to assault the Padres’ vaunted bullpen.
“Baseball,’’ Dodgers All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman stated, “once in a while issues occur.’’
It came about all proper.
The Padres sellout crowd was once there to witness it.
And won’t ever overlook it.
The Padres are going to the NLCS, the Dodgers are going domestic.
A competition was once born.
Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale
