Padres Clinch 2022 MLB Playoff Berth with Brewers Loss; Will Play in Wild Card Round

The San Diego Padres clinched a berth in the 2022 postseason after the Milwaukee Brewers fell to the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Sunday.

San Diego is currently second in the NL West with an 87-71 record.

The Padres have trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings all season, but their performance was more than enough to clinch a berth in the NL Wild Card Round.

That said, San Diego hasn't had the easiest of seasons.

It began the year without star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who was recovering from wrist surgery following a reported motorcycle accident.

When Tatis returned on a rehab stint with one of San Diego's minor league affiliates in August, MLB announced he had been suspended for 80 games because of a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

The 23-year-old tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Clostebol. In an apology, he said he was using a medication that contained the substance to treat a ringworm infection.

Ha-Seong Kim has replaced Tatis at shortstop and put together a respectable season, slashing .247/.321/.374 with 10 home runs, 56 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 147 games.

A number of other players have missed time on the injured list with various ailments, including Mike Clevinger, Blake Snell, Wil Myers and Manny Machado, and a handful of players missed time on the COVID-19 list.

One of the most significant aspects of San Diego's season came when it made a blockbuster move for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, though the deal hardly came cheap. In exchange, it sent the Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, shortstop C.J. Abrams, outfielder James Wood, right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana and first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit.

Soto has had a decent season in San Diego, hitting .238/.394/.401 with six home runs and 16 RBI in 49 games.

Bell, meanwhile, took over for Eric Hosmer, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox at the deadline, at first base. The 30-year-old is hitting .189/.305/.272 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 49 games. He'll need to be better if the Friars want to make a deep postseason run.

Other key contributors for the Padres include Machado, Jake Cronenworth and Jurickson Profar.

The Padres have the tools to win a championship, but it's going to be difficult for them to compete with teams like the Dodgers and New York Mets in the National League.