San Diego, CA
Padres turn triple play to beat Dodgers, secure playoff berth
LOS ANGELES — There would be a review. The Padres had to wait.
But a triple play would stand, and they would get to celebrate.
The replay review ultimately confirmed that a grounder by Miguel Rojas, fielded by Manny Machado and thrown to Jake Cronenworth and then on to Donovan Solano ended a 4-2 victory.
A TRIPLE PLAY! TO SECURE A SPOT IN THE POSTSEASON! UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/NfbCRgt0Y6
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 25, 2024
The Padres gathered for a low-key celebration on the infield.
Lockers covered by plastic and several dozen bottles of champagne awaited them in the visitors clubhouse.
With Tuesday’s victory at Dodger Stadium, the site of so much frustration for the Padres in recent years, there was elation.
The Padres are headed to the postseason for the third time in five years and for the eighth time ever.
In beating the Dodgers for the eighth time in 11 meetings this season, the Padres moved within two games of the National League West leaders with two games remaining in this series and five games left in the regular season.
So, with a postseason berth in hand, the Padres are now pushing for a bye in the first round.
On a night that began with a buzz in the air before the visitors quieted the 50,000-plus spread around the massive ballpark, the Padres engineered their 38th comeback victory of the season.
They took a 2-1 lead on Jake Cronenworth’s two-run homer in the top of the second and added two runs in the fourth inning when Cronenworth doubled in a run and Xander Bogaerts drove in another with a single.
Michael King allowed just an unearned run in five innings before five relievers closed out the Padres’ 91st victory.
The Dodgers went up early when Shohei Ohtani hit King’s first pitch down the right field line, where it bounced on the grass and then into the seats beyond the short wall in the corner, and then scored when Bogaerts’ sailed a throw on a Mookie Betts grounder over diminutive first baseman Donovan Solano and into the camera well next to the Padres’ dugout. That gifted Ohtani, who had stayed at second, home and put Betts on second.
After Freddie Freeman lined out, Teoscar Hernández singled to move Betts to third before Max Muncy flied out to shallow left field.
The defense (and Betts) then helped out King.
On a 1-2 pitch to Will Smith, Hernández took off for second and stopped about 10 feet short of the bag when catcher Kyle Higashioka’s throw arrived in front of him. Betts took a couple steps toward home at that point before retreating — but not in time to beat the throw from Cronenworth and tag by Manny Machado.
Cronenworth’s two-out homer over the short wall in right followed Jackson Merrill’s one-out single.
Two innings later, Bogaerts helped atone for his gaffe, and Cronenworth made Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack pay for one.
Just when it seemed Jurickson Profar’s lead-off double might go for naught after Machado struck out and Merrill flied out, Bogaerts singled past diving Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas to make it 3-1.
Boagerts went to second base on a balk by Knack, when the rookie stepped off the rubber to throw to first base and had to hold up because Freeman was not covering the bag. Two pitches later, a double by Cronenworth drove in Bogaerts.
Padres pitching took over from there.
King was at 54 pitches through two innings before getting through the third inning on 10 pitches and the fourth on 15.
Adrián Morejón was warming up as King began the bottom of the fifth.
King got Rojas on a groundout and Ohtani on a fly ball to left field that Profar, playing back, ran up 74 feet and dove to catch. The inning ended when Merrill leaped to catch a drive by Betts near the top of the wall in center field.
Morejón got two quick outs to start the bottom of the sixth before a single and a walk. That brought Mike Shildt from the dugout to replace Morejón with Jeremiah Estrada, who got Tommy Edman to pop out on one pitch.
With the left-handed-hitting Ohtani due up third in the bottom of the seventh, lefty Tanner Scott was next up.
That prompted the Dodgers to go with pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández, who bats from the right side. He lined a single into left field before Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play and Scott struck out Ohtani on three pitches.
Jason Adam retired Betts, on another diving catch by Profar and Freddie Freeman before Teoscar Hernández doubled. Muncy ended the inning with a fly ball to left field.
The Dodgers got a run on three straight singles off Robert Suarez before the final play.
Originally Published:
San Diego, CA
Man fatally struck by hit-and-run vehicle in San Diego
A man in the Mission Bay Park community of San Diego was fatally struck Sunday morning by a hit-and run vehicle, authorities said.
The victim was also struck by a second vehicle and that motorist stayed at the scene to cooperate with officers, the San Diego Police Department reported.
The initial crash occurred at about 2:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of West Mission Bay and Sea World drives.
The pedestrian was in the southbound lanes of the 2000 block of West Mission Bay Drive when he was struck by a silver vehicle also in the southbound lanes. That vehicle fled the scene, continuing southbound, police said.
A 28-year-old man driving his vehicle southbound ran over the downed pedestrian.
“That driver remained at the scene and is not DUI,” according to a police statement. “The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Anyone with information regarding the initial crash was urged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
San Diego, CA
Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records
San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.
The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.
Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.
El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.
Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.
Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.
Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.
Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.
Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.
Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.
San Diego, CA
Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title
OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.
“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.
So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.
With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.
The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.
Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”
One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.
“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”
Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.
Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.
“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.
As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.
Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”
That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.
The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.
“She’s a great player,” said Brown.
“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”
Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.
“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”
Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.
Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.
About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”
Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.
“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.
Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.
“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”
-
World4 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers
