In the Major League Baseball playoffs, a team very often goes as far as its superstars will carry it. It took a while but the Padres finally had their most accomplished player give them the jolt they needed.

Manny Machado came up big when his team needed it most, launching a two-run home run in the 5th inning to back a fantastic group effort by San Diego's pitching staff and push the Padres to a 3-0 win and extending their National League Wild Card series to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday at Wrigley Field.

The Friars got a run in the 1st inning when they did something they could not do in Game 1: score a runner from 3rd base. Jackson Merrill lofted a fly ball to the warning track in right field, allowing Fernando Tatis Jr. to tag and score for a 1-0 Padres lead.

Dylan Cease exorci

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