Padres take over the city

Toreros show their support for the Padres

SAVANNAH ALARCON / SPORTS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

San Diego is known to tourists for their beaches, popular attractions, nightlife and sports. The biggest sports team to represent the city is the San Diego Padres. The Padres are an American baseball team that were formed in San Diego in 1969 and have been a part of the National League’s West Division. They are one of the three teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) that have not won a World Series Title. 

This year was looking a bit different. The Padres went up against the New York Mets in a wild card series. They ended up clinching the series with a 2-1 win, which led them to play their big rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres and Dodgers have always had very intense games that the coaches, players and fans love to watch. In the regular season, the Dodgers won 111 games, while the Padres only won 89. 

In an interview for an NBC Sports  article, Dave Roberts, head coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers commented on the team’s ability.

“We are winning the World Series this year, to put it on record,” Roberts said. 

This was no challenge for the Padres. They went in with their heads held high and ready to put up a fight. In the first game of the series, the Padres lost to the Dodgers 5-3. However, the San Diego Padres had an amazing comeback to win the next three games in a row to win the series 3-1, taking out the Dodgers in the playoffs. 

The last time The Padres advanced this far was in 1998. The atmosphere in San Diego that night was unimaginable. 

Mikayln Emanuelli, USD sophomore and ball girl for the Padres, illustrates her perspective.

“It has been one of the most amazing things I’ve been able to experience. The crowd, players, games and atmosphere were unforgettable. It was an experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

San Diego has been on a hot streak and the Toreros are loving it. Many students have brought out their Padres gear to show their support and how excited they are for the Padres. 

Ashley Daughtery, USD junior and lifetime Padres fan, showed her excitement. 

“I am so excited about the Padres winning. Watching them compete and win is so good for the city. It has been something my family and I have been waiting for.  It is something I have been looking forward to, and I am so happy to watch them hit their potential.” 

Many of the Toreros are going to games and showing their support for the Padres. 

Sadly, Toreros will have to put their attire away till next season. On Saturday, Oct. 22,  they lost to the Phillies. Although the Padres made impressive strides to make it to the World Series, it was not enough. But that does not discourage the fans or players one bit. USD senior Sebastian Burke explained his thoughts on the Padres losing. 

“They lost but honestly it was so cool to watch them play and beat teams that they were not supposed to. It just makes me so excited for next year.”

While the Padres may have lost big this season, USD is excited to see what is in store for the Padres in the coming seasons. 

This autumn brought many unexpected turns to the Padres expected lineup, including the suspension of crowd favorite player Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Even through this tumultuous turn of events, it is still impressive to see how the Padres were able to overcome the unexpected setbacks and beat their rival team, the LA Dodgers. 

Toreros cannot wait to see what is ahead for the Padres after witnessing this shocking upset at the end of this season.