Machado, Padres head into postseason after beating Diamondbacks 12-4 for 3-game sweep

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado hit an RBI single during the five-run first inning and homered leading off the third for the San Diego Padres, who got a final tune-up for the postseason by routing the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep.

San Diego heads to Chicago for a best-of-three NL wild-card series against the Cubs starting Tuesday. The teams split the season series 3-3, with each team going 2-1 at home. It’ll be the first time they’ve met in the postseason since the 1984 National League Championship Series, when the Padres rallied from an 0-2 deficit to beat the Cubs in five games and advance to their first World Series.

San Diego is 3-0 all-time in wild card series. However, they’ve struggled on the road this season, going 38-43 away from Petco Park.

The Padres (90-72) recorded consecutive seasons of 90 or more wins for the first time. It was the sixth time they've reached that benchmark.

Two seasons removed from playing in the World Series, Arizona finished 80-82, a drop of nine wins from last season.

The Padres jumped on Brandon Pfaadt (13-9) for five straight hits to open the first, with every baserunner scoring. Machado had an RBI single, Jackson Merrill an RBI double and Xander Bogaerts a two-run double. Jake Cronenworth had a sacrifice fly.

Machado homered to left leading off the third, his 27th.

Arizona's Ketel Marte hit his third leadoff homer of the season, off JP Sears (9-11). Geraldo Perdomo knocked in a run in his final at-bat to become the first Arizona shortstop to post 100 RBIs.

San Diego set club records with total attendance of 3,437,201 and 72 sellouts.

Key moment

Sears got a nice ovation leaving the mound after allowing two runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Key stat

With 95 RBIs, Machado is one of five players to record at least four seasons with 95 or more RBIs since 2021.

Up next

Padres: RHP Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.87 ERA) is expected to start against Chicago in Tuesday's NL wild card series opener at Wrigley Field.

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