San Diego, CA
Padres must wait to clinch postseason berth, but bigger goals remain within reach
SAN DIEGO — At 1:27 p.m. Sunday, the out-of-town scoreboard in right field at Petco Park was updated to reflect a result that had just gone final more than 2,000 miles away. Atlanta 5, Miami 4. The Padres thus learned they could not clinch a postseason berth until Tuesday at the earliest.
Then, with no visible change in collective demeanor, they went on to observe what has become a familiar routine.
They came back from a deficit. They won, maintaining the majors’ highest success rate in the second half. They secured the franchise’s first 90-victory season since 2010. The latest capacity crowd in downtown San Diego did not seem to care that it came at the expense of a team that made the worst kind of history.
“People talk about scoreboard watching, and I understand it. The scoreboard I watch is at home in left-center. It’s our scoreboard. It’s about what we do,” manager Mike Shildt said after the Padres rallied in the eighth, prevailed 4-2 and handed the Chicago White Sox their 120th loss.
“Those players on the field, they got to the big leagues by getting it done on the field, and that’s what this is about. It’s about us taking care of our business, and we’re not looking for anything other than what we can control.”
And the Padres (90-66) still control something potentially seismic. Sunday’s result in San Diego, combined with a subsequent walk-off in Los Angeles, kept the Padres three games behind the Dodgers. Tuesday, the two teams will meet in a series at Chavez Ravine that could all but decide the National League West. The Dodgers have won the division in 10 of the past 11 seasons. The Padres have not won it since 2006. More than a possible first-round bye is at stake.
“We want it,” Jurickson Profar said. “We’re going there and bringing our ‘A’ game.”
We swept and did our laundry today 😌 pic.twitter.com/fUv4Oa4RdQ
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 22, 2024
The Padres did not require that level of performance against the White Sox. San Diego’s regular-season home finale drew the 56th sellout of the year (and brought the club’s single-season attendance record to 3,314,593). The White Sox, on their way to all-time ignominy, lost their 56th game this season after having a lead.
Amid a three-game sweep, the supposedly hapless visitors still managed to push the Padres. Shildt was compelled to deploy multiple high-leverage relievers in each win. White Sox right-hander Sean Burke, making his second big-league start, threw six innings of two-hit ball in the series finale. Chicago took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth before Luis Arraez delivered a tying pinch-hit RBI double, Profar supplied a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for insurance.
Against a famously overmatched opponent, the need for such dramatics would have been more troubling if the Padres weren’t already 36-21 in comeback games, 47-41 against above-.500 teams and an MLB-best 39-17 since the All-Star break. Now, they are a 90-win club for the first time in the decade-long tenure of general manager A.J. Preller.
“A.J. deserves a lot of credit. But our players ultimately get the credit,” Shildt said. “They’re the ones out there executing. But it’s a very complete roster. We’ve been able to demonstrate how to win games a lot of different ways. We do play a lot of close games; we’ve been able to execute and be on top of most of them.”
After last season’s historic failures in high-leverage situations, few people outside the organization predicted that the Padres would turn things around in such convincing fashion.
“That’s something that we worked for since day one in spring training,” Profar said. “Very happy that we’re showing it. A lot of people didn’t believe in us, but we trusted each other and kept building every day.”
Just six months ago, the Padres gathered on their home field to honor the life of late owner Peter Seidler. Late Sunday afternoon, the players lingered on the same field, applauding the type of crowd that didn’t consistently fill Petco Park until Seidler spent unprecedented sums of money trying to bring San Diego its first major sports championship.
“This is what Peter built. We’re just taking care of it,” Tatis said. “We’re definitely doing it for him on the front line. But these fans are showing up, the city. It’s just a beautiful time right now in San Diego.”
The Padres must take care of more business to ensure postseason baseball returns to this city. They hold a three-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the National League’s first wild card, a berth that would come with home-field advantage against the second wild-card team. San Diego will conclude the regular season next weekend with three games at Chase Field.
But, first, a potentially seismic series at Dodger Stadium awaits. A division title remains within reach.
“Los Angeles and Arizona, it’s gonna prepare us for the playoffs,” Profar said.
“Everybody knows we’re ready to play baseball, we’re ready to win this division,” Arraez said. “We’ll go to L.A. and compete with those guys. We just need to continue to play hard and then stay together. If we stay together and stay healthy, we can do a lot of good things.”
“It’s been an amazing year playing in front of these fans,” Manny Machado said. “And we’re gonna continue to play in front of them for the next couple weeks and hopefully the next month and a half.”
(Photo of Jurickson Profar tossing his bat after hitting a solo home run: Denis Poroy / Getty Images)
RAMONA (CNS) – Four rare western spotted skunks were released back in the wild after weeks of rehabilitation and socialization at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, officials announced Wednesday.
The successful release marks a major milestone for a species rarely seen in wildlife rehabilitation. The group included one orphaned skunk that was flown more than 400 miles by Flying Tails Animal Rescue from Sierra Wildlife Rescue in Northern California to join an orphaned group in Ramona, according to the SDHS.
The four skunks were returned to a carefully selected, remote habitat in Valley Center after reaching the necessary weight and developmental milestones to thrive on their own.
Western spotted skunks are a rare sight for the Humane Society’s Project Wildlife team. While the wildlife center typically handles hundreds of striped skunks each year, admitting six spotted skunks from different litters in one season is unusual. Spotted skunks are generally found in remote forested areas and are not as common in urban neighborhoods, officials said.
“We have never seen this many western spotted skunks in a single season before,” said Autumn Welch, wildlife operations manager at the Ramona Wildlife Center. “Because they are more reclusive than striped skunks, they require very specific care and even more secluded release sites to ensure they can stay wild.”
Socialization is critical for orphaned spotted skunks. During their stay at the Ramona Wildlife Center, the group became a bonded unit — exploring, digging and sleeping together, according to SDHS officials. Experts say these social cues prevent habituation to humans and teach the orphans natural skunk behaviors.
While four members of the group have returned to the wild, two spotted skunks remain in care at the facility. The smallest skunk was moved to an outside pre-release habitat and introduced to a slightly older skunk in late June.
Wildlife officials said by keeping the pair together, the wildlife team ensures the younger skunk will have a companion to learn from until they are both ready to be released, likely within the next month or two.
Anyone who finds an injured, sick or orphaned wild animal is encouraged to visit sdhumane.org/wildlifehelp or call 619-299-7012.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A 33-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 325 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two 6-year-old girls, in addition to a slew of other felony sex abuse charges, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Christopher T. Gardner was convicted of 15 felony sex abuse charges, which included molesting the two girls, who were relatives of his, over a five-year period.
The abuse reportedly first came to light when one of the victims told a friend in confidence during a sleepover that she had been touched inappropriately. The friend then told her mother, who contacted law enforcement.
After Gardner was arrested, a third victim came forward, who was also a relative. Now a young adult, the victim said that when she was 7-8 years old, Gardner sexually assaulted her.
During the nine-day trial, the first two victims reportedly testified to multiple vulgar acts of sexual abuse by Gardner.
“Predators who rob children of their innocence and inflict lifelong trauma do not belong in our communities,” DA Summer Stephan said. “This sentence sends an unmistakable message to abusers: you will be held accountable. I am deeply grateful to our specialized sexual abuse prosecution team for their dedication in bringing a measure of justice to the survivors.”
Thursday, July 9
• La Jolla Town Council: 6 p.m., La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. lajollatowncouncil.org
Friday, July 10
• La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club: 6:45 a.m., UC San Diego Faculty Club, 270 Muir Lane. lajollagtrotary.org
• Kiwanis Club of La Jolla: noon, La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. kiwanisclublajolla.org
Sunday, July 12
• La Jolla Open Aire Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Girard Avenue at Genter Street. (858) 454-1699. lajollamarket.com
Monday, July 13
• La Jolla Library Book Club: 1:30 p.m., Community Room, La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. The July book is “Fresh Water for Flowers” by Valérie Perrin. sandiego.events.mylibrary.digital/event?id=316631
• La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., La Jolla Recreation Center, 615 Prospect St. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
• Laughmasters Toastmasters: 6:30 p.m., online. Email jrmmt@cox.net.
Tuesday, July 14
• San Diego Blood Bank blood drive: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Hensel Phelps Construction Co., 9404 Genesee Ave. Donors must be 17 or older, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in good health. Photo identification is required. (619) 400-8251. sandiegobloodbank.org
• Rotary Club of La Jolla: noon, La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St. rotarycluboflajolla.org
• Co-op Toastmasters Club: noon, online at bit.ly/46W13bx (meeting ID: 849 4320 0407, passcode: cccu2020). (669) 900-6833. toastmasters.org/find-a-club/00001125-coop-club
• La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., online. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
Wednesday, July 15
• Torrey Pines (La Jolla) Rotary Club: noon, online. torreypinesrotary.org
• La Jolla Shores Association: 6 p.m., Martin Johnson House, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 8840 Biological Grade. lajollashoresassociation.org
Thursday, July 16
• La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club: 6:58 a.m., La Jolla Shores Hotel, 8110 Camino del Oro. Call Cheryl Collins at (760) 936-3272 or Steve Cross at (619) 992-9449.
• San Diego Blood Bank blood drive: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sanford Burnham Prebys (patio outside Buildings 6 and 7), 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road. Donors must be 17 or older, weigh at least 114 pounds and be in good health. Photo identification is required. (619) 400-8251. sandiegobloodbank.org
• La Jolla Shores Permit Review Committee: (pending items to review), 4 p.m., online. Email info@lajollacpa.org.
Friday, July 17
• La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club: 6:45 a.m., UC San Diego Faculty Club, 270 Muir Lane. lajollagtrotary.org
Did we miss listing your community event? Email calendar information to Noah Lyons at noah.lyons@lajollalight.com by noon Thursday for publication in the following week’s edition. ♦
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