It’s now or never. Backs against the wall. Do or die time.
That’s how many are describing the situation the Padres are in going into tonight’s second game of their best of five game National League Divisional series against the Dodgers.
The team Padre fans most hate and the team considered the best in all of baseball right now, having won Tuesday, means the Padres are facing what sportswriters call a 'must-win' game. If they lose tonight in L-A, the Padres would need to win 3 straight games, two at Petco Park and the last one back in L-A.
But before everyone writes them off, everyone has to remember or look back to the year 1984.
Just like now, as it was then, most of the baseball experts didn’t give the Padres a broken bat chance of making it to the World Series. That 1984 team started their playoff run in Chicago against the Cubs, also in a best of five game series. And the Padres lost the first two games at Wrigley Field.
Dejected and written off, the Padres returned home to San Diego and their fans were waiting for them as the team bus pulled in to the parking lot at then Jack Murphy Stadium, thousands of them. Players at the time were both surprised and overwhelmed.
The newly-revived Padres went on to win the 3rd game, the 4th game and the 5th game to become the first team in the National League to win the pennant after being down two games to none.
And the 1984 Padres were on their way to the World Series for the first time in their history. Could history be waiting for them again here in 2022. Never say never!
Photo: Getty Images