You could make an argument—and a rather convincing one at that—that the Padres were playing with house money. Regardless of the final outcome, the long-suffering Friars had already exceeded our wildest expectations, advancing to their first league championship series in a quarter century on the strength of wins over the Mets and Dodgers, clubs that combined for 212 regular-season victories. The Padres’ improbable run came without the help of their star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who, since August, has been serving a PED suspension, furthering the degree of difficulty.
But even with all that in mind, the Padres can’t help but be disappointed by how their season ended, squandering an eighth-inning lead to the Phillies in Sunday’s NLCS Game 5. It would be different if the Padres were punching above their weight class, struggling to keep up against a vastly superior opponent. But San Diego had its chances Sunday, including with one out and two men on in the ninth against rattled veteran David Robertson, who, prior to being lifted for Game 3 starter Ranger Suarez, was a loose cannon, struggling mightily with his command while pitching through a downpour at rain-drenched Citizens Bank Park. It was at that moment that slumping outfielder Trent Grisham, for reasons we’ll never understand, decided it would be a good idea to drop a bunt down the third-base line, willingly surrendering himself as the second out of the ninth inning.
The gambit might have made sense if it had happened an inning or two earlier, but dialing up a sacrifice bunt with San Diego down to its last two outs in an elimination game is one hell of a choice, one that Padres fans will be lamenting for the rest of time. It should be noted that Grisham, leading up to that at-bat, had been 0 for his last 19, including 0-for-2 against Suarez Friday night. Grisham led MLB with eight bunt hits during the regular season and may have been trying for another, banking on his speed, the damp conditions (not ideal for fielding) and, above all, the element of surprise. And while the bunt did advance teammates Brandon Drury and Ha-Seong Kim, who moved up 90 feet to second and third base, respectively, that doesn’t make Grisham’s decision any less infuriating, donating to the Phillies’ World Series cause with a costly out the Padres will never get back.
Maybe Grisham would have gotten out anyway, rendering this all a moot point. But this loss will hurt more than most, with plenty of missed opportunities to look back on including an inning earlier when manager Bob Melvin, rather than opting for All-Star closer Josh Hader (who the Padres gave up half their farm system for at the trade deadline), let Robert Suarez face eventual series MVP Bryce Harper, who has feasted off right-handers all season (.300/.371/.553 in 291 plate appearances).
With perspective, the Padres, once the playoff dust settles, will look back on 2022 with fond memories in acknowledgment of one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. Still, it feels like they had another card to play, letting their season die on the vine with regrettable mental errors that could have been avoided.
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