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Padres Notes: Magic Number Shrinks, Ethan Salas Makes History, Casey Mize Playing Himself Off Playoff Roster

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pinch hitter Ethan Salas (8) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during the tenth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pinch hitter Ethan Salas (8) celebrates after hitting a walk-off single during the tenth inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the Miami Marlins in walk-off 7-6 fashion on Saturday night to improve to 86-69 on the year.

With the win, the Padres passed the Philadelphia Phillies and now hold the No. 5 seed in the National League playoff race. Both the Padres and Chicago Cubs are 86-69, but Chicago won the season series, giving them the tiebreakers. The Padres' magic number to clinch a postseason spot is now three.

Right-hander Casey Mize had another rough outing as he allowed five earned runs in just three innings of work. The trade deadline acquisition hasn't pitched six-or-more innings since Aug. 16, his second time doing so in a Padres uniform.

Fortunately, the Padres offense battled back, and Ethan Salas was the hero, hitting his first career walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th inning.

He became the youngest player to hit a walk-off since Manny Machado in 2012.

Salas, who's just 20 years old, recently revealed his mindset about his meteoric rise to the majors and how he has stayed consistent and grounded during this stretch. It not only seems to have helped the young backstop, but it appears to be helping the Padres and their recent winning ways.

“I mean, it’s just going out there and trying to have fun,” Salas said. “When you’re thinking about winning and winning the game, it’s selfless. You’re not thinking about what you did that day or what personal goals you have. It’s more like it doesn’t matter how I do today as long as we get the win. And obviously, you’re trying to do good and put your two cents in to help the team win. But it’s a lot more selfless, and you kind of lean on your guys a little more, and you just enjoy the game a lot more.”

Finally, it is no secret how dominant the Padres' bullpen has been this season, but there is an under-the-radar hurler that could prove to be the X-factor in October. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 2.35 ERA on the year across 69 innings of work.

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Ethan Salas Hits First Career Walk-Off as Padres Vault Past Phillies in Wild-Card Race

Padres Fans Will Love Ethan Salas' Mindset at 20 Years Old

Padres' 'Under-the-Radar' Reliever Could Single-Handedly Change Their Postseason Fate

Padres Announce Lineup Without Key Starter for Saturday's Game vs Marlins

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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