PHOTO: Fernando Tatis Jr. unleashes electric celebration as Manny Machado's walk-off homer sends record-breaking Petco Park crowd into frenzy
Manny Machado sent a home run flying into the stands on Friday night to win the game for the San Diego Padres against Arizona Diamondbacks. A record crowd at Petco Park had enjoyed a quality outing until the ninth inning when they were suddenly faced with an improbable loss.
They surrendered six runs to blow the lead and suddenly needed a miracle to win the game. Jurickson Profar, who is enjoying a stellar bounce-back season, blasted a tying home run in the bottom of the ninth. It set the stage for Machado to hit a huge home run to win it all. The crowd went wild.
Machado's teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. wasn't in uniform, but he was in the dugout and loved seeing his longtime friend win the game. He shared their joint celebration on Instagram in a since-expired story.
The two have been teammates with the San Diego Padres for several years, enjoying their fair share of clutch moments together. They celebrated this one in epic fashion and enjoyed one of the wildest wins this MLB season.
Manny Machado opens up on stunning walk-off home run
The San Diego Padres were cruising against the Arizona Diamondbacks, up five runs entering the ninth inning. That all fell apart, as the Diamondbacks tacked on six runs, including a grand slam.
Many teams would have collapsed under the weight of what had transpired. To suddenly need a miracle after having a game essentially locked up is not an easy transition, but Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar and the Padres did it.
Via MLB.com, Machado said:
“We're going to fight until that 27th out is made. Whether we’re making it in that last inning or we’re winning it in that last inning, we’re going to continue to fight.”
It was a crucial win for the Padres, who continue trying to climb into the NL playoff race. The team is currently five games over .500 and pushing for the MLB world to consider them true contenders. Wins like Friday's will do a lot for that narrative.