'I'm so proud of those guys': Atlanta Braves' trying, injury-plagued season ends in wild card playoffs

The Padres closed out a 5-4 win for a two-game sweep of their NL Wild Card Series that ended a most trying season for Atlanta.
Members of the Atlanta Braves watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 2 of an NL Wild Card Series baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Braves’ best pitcher, NL Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale, was back home in Atlanta with a back injury.

Max Fried, who started his career as a San Diego Padres farmhand and won the clinching game in the 2021 World Series for the Braves, was in the trainer’s room by the third inning.

Still, the Braves put a scare into the sellout crowd at Petco Park by whittling San Diego’s lead down to one run Wednesday night. But the Padres closed out a 5-4 win for a two-game sweep of their NL Wild Card Series that ended a most trying season for Atlanta.