Padres walk off Brewers in extras to clinch playoff spot in back-to-back years
The San Diego Padres are postseason bound once again.
San Diego booked its ticket after beating the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 in 11 innings on Monday at Petco Park.
The Padres are enjoying their most successful stretch in franchise history, having appeared in the postseason four times over the last six seasons. It's just the second time the franchise clinched a playoff spot in back-to-back years (2005-06).
Padres' performance since 2020
| Year | W-L | PCT | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 86-71 | .548 | |
| 2024 | 93-69 | .574 | Lost NLDS (3-2) |
| 2023 | 82-80 | .506 | |
| 2022 | 89-73 | .549 | Lost NLCS (4-1) |
| 2021 | 79-83 | .488 | |
| 2020 | 37-23 | .617 | Lost NLDS (3-0) |
Freddy Fermin was the hero Monday in San Diego. The deadline addition lined the first pitch he saw from Grant Anderson into center field to plate automatic runner Bryce Johnson with one out in the 11th, sparking on-field celebrations after the come-from-behind win.
THE @PADRES WALK IT OFF INTO THE #POSTSEASON! 😤 pic.twitter.com/2BeekKP9Jz
— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2025
Jose Iglesias keyed the comeback with a leadoff bomb in the fifth off Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. The Padres trailed until the seventh inning when three-time batting champ Luis Arraez drove in Iglesias to make it 3-3. The two teams traded runs in the 10th inning before Fermin ended it one frame later.
San Diego occupies the second wild-card spot and heads into its final five games of the regular season trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2.5 games for first place in the NL West. The Dodgers hold the tiebreaker over the Padres after winning the season series 9-4. San Diego hasn't won the division since 2006.
The NL playoff field is almost set, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Brewers, and Dodgers having already secured spots.
The Padres will most likely travel to Wrigley Field to face the Cubs in the wild-card series if they're unable to win their division.