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Padres Notes: Magic Number Shrinks, Roster Move Incoming, Fernando Tatis Makes History

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) scores in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Sep 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) scores in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies, 9-2, on Thursday and improved to 84-69 on the year.

Michael King struck out six across as many innings and allowed two earned runs and two walks on the way to win No. 12 on the year. Dustin Harris had a three-hit, three-RBI outing; Ty France and Xander Bogaerts (who hit a 441-foot home run and an RBI triple in the second inning) also had three hits; and Jake Cronenworth and Samad Taylor each had multi-hit afternoons.

With the win, the Padres' magic number is now down to six. That means any combination of six Padres wins or Arizona Diamondbacks losses will punch a postseason ticket for San Diego.

With a commanding four-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the final wild-card spot, the question now shifts to if/when the Friars will overtake the Chicago Cubs or Philadelphia Phillies, who hold just a one-game advantage over the Padres.

In other news, the Padres are expected to make a big roster move this weekend to bring a boost to the offense. Before a wrist fracture in July sidelined him, Miguel Andujar had an OPS of .888 in the 15 games before his injury, and added five home runs and 22 RBIs across the first half of 2026.

Finally, Fernando Tatis Jr. made incredible history with his 23rd home run of the season launched on Tuesday. For someone who went 55 games without a long ball to start the season — not to mention a slugging percentage of just .307 in that span — Tatis spoke about the work he put in to get back to a recognizable place in the batter's box.

“I just put a lot of work, and I work right,” he said, via The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee. “So  either way — if it happened or it did not happen — I was glad with my process because I know I have put all the work. I have done all the right homework, I have taken care of my body, and I have been really dedicated with it. So my process. That’s where I take a lot of pride in, and then the results, if the baseball gods want me there, with my talent, I know I have a pretty good chance.”

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

Padres Lineup Expected to Get Massive Boost This Weekend

Padres' Fernando Tatis Accomplishes Feat That's Never Been Done in MLB History

Padres Predicted to Retain 2 Key Pitchers Who Could Opt Out This Offseason

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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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