SAN DIEGO — Ryan O’Hearn’s grand slam was one of San Diego’s three home runs while Randy Vásquez and two relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Padres beat the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers 7-0 on Tuesday in what could be a playoff preview.
The loss by the Brewers (95-63) assures no 100-game winners in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-14. The Brewers’ magic number for clinching the best record in the majors and home-field advantage throughout the postseason is down to two over Philadelphia.
The Padres have won four straight, including the first two games in this three-game series. They clinched a postseason berth with a 5-4, 11-inning win on Monday night.
San Diego pulled within 1 1/2 games of the Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League’s top wild card and the right to host a best-of-three series next week. If the current standings hold, the Padres and Cubs would meet in a wild-card series, with the winner to face the Brewers.
The Padres entered the night 2 1/2 games behind the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Vásquez (6-7) was brilliant for seven innings, allowing just one single and two walks. Wandy Peralta allowed two singles in the eighth and Yuki Matsui allowed a single in the ninth.
Lefty Bruce Zimmermann (0-1) lost in his Brewers and season debut.
Zimmermann loaded the bases in the first on two singles and a walk before O’Hearn’s one-out grand slam to right field. It was his second career slam and his 17th home run this season.
Luis Arráez hit a two-run home run off the right field foul pole with one out in the second, his eighth. Jose Iglesias had a solo shot in the eighth off Tobias Myers.
Key stat
O’Hearn’s slam was the Padres’ fifth this season and second in a week.
Injury update
Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. missed his second straight game with an illness on Tuesday, while shortstop Xander Bogaerts was activated from the 10-day injured list.
Tatis is still suffering from nausea, fever and chills, manager Mike Shildt said before the game.
Tatis missed Monday night’s 5-4, 11-inning win that clinched the Padres’ fourth playoff berth in six seasons. Manny Machado included Tatis in the clubhouse celebration via FaceTime on his phone.
Bogaerts had been on the injured list since Aug. 29 with a fractured left foot.
Up next
Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (13-2, 3.25 ERA) and Padres RHP Dylan Cease (8-12, 4.64) are scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale.
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