The Braves’ top pitcher, NL Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale, was back home in Atlanta because of a back injury.
Max Fried, who started his career with the San Diego Padres and won the deciding game in the 2021 World Series for the Braves, was in the trainer’s room by the third inning.
Despite this, the Braves worried the full crowd at Petco Park by cutting San Diego’s lead to just one run on Wednesday night. However, the Padres secured a 5-4 victory, completing a two-game sweep of their NL Wild Card Series and ending a very difficult season for Atlanta.
The injury-ridden Braves faced many challenges throughout the year but still made it to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive time, even though their six-year dominance in the NL East came to an end.
“We won 89 games. I’m so proud of those guys,” manager Brian Snitker said. “I just told them that. It’s amazing what they did, I think, to put ourselves in contention. We had a chance here. We got in the tournament.
“Get a hit yesterday, hit today, who knows, we may be playing tomorrow,” Snitker said. “But we’re not. It’s the way this thing is. That’s how fragile this is and how hard it is. You just remember how hard it is in this long season for things to go right for you.”
Sale was pulled from the second game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on Monday due to back spasms. Atlanta needed to win that game to make the postseason, and he was left off the roster for the Wild Card Series.
Then, just two batters into Fried’s game on Wednesday, he faced another injury. He was hit on the left hip by a grounder from Fernando Tatis Jr., which bounced away, allowing Tatis to reach base. Fried was checked by a trainer but continued to pitch. He loaded the bases but managed to get out of that situation.
In the second inning, Fried got the first two batters out before No. 9 hitter Kyle Higashioka hit a home run into the left-field stands to tie the game at 1. The Padres then followed up with five more hits, quickly bringing the score to 5-1.
