By Ed Piper
Congratulations to the San Diego Padres, who climaxed an exciting division series with the rival Dodgers with a 5-3 win Sat., Oct. 15, at Petco Park to take the NLDS, 3-1, and go on to the league series against the Phillies beginning Tues., Oct. 18.
It is the Padres' first trip to the NLCS since 1998. Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth had the big hits Saturday night in the madhouse that was Petco Park. Their crucial blows keyed a wild seventh-inning rally in which manager Bob Melvin's crew scored five runs to erase a 3-0 L.A. lead and go on to take a 5-3 victory to clinch the series.
While Manny Machado carried the team with his bat during stretches of the season, and Yu Darvish on the mound stood out for the San Diegans, it has been the experience and steadiness of Melvin who has been the difference maker from last year's squad.
Kim, a Korean Baseball Organization star for six years before coming to America, has become a cult hero for Padres fans. They serenaded him in Friday's and Saturday's games with chants of "Ha-Seong Kim, Ha-Seong Kim". Such a well-behaved individual in the traditional Asian mold, that must thrill his heart as he bats leadoff against left-handers and replaces the suspended Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop.
Padres fans' other chant during the NLDS was "Beat L.A." Even during the ninth inning, as closer Josh Hader mowed down Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman in order, fans at Petco were prominently shown on camera on the national broadcast screaming "Beat L.A." It seemed to work.
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