Padres clinch playoff berth with walk-off win vs. Brewers - ESPN

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres are headed back to the playoffs for the fourth time in six seasons.

The Padres clinched a playoff berth with a 5-4, 11-inning win against the three-time NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.

Freddy Fermin, acquired from Kansas City at the trade deadline on July 31, singled in automatic runner Bryce Johnson with one out in the 11th to set off a wild celebration in front of a sellout crowd of 42,371 at Petco Park.

The Padres pulled to within 2½ games of the idle Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race and 2½ games behind the idle Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League's first of three wild-card spots.

Manny Machado, shirtless, wearing sunglasses and drenched with beer and champagne, says he feels good about the team's chances in the playoffs.

«Everything is different. But we've got heart,» Machado said. «Everybody wants it. It's always a challenge. Baseball's a challenge. It's hard.»

Fermin was being interviewed when Machado stopped by and poured a shot of tequila into his mouth.

«I believe with this staff we have, we are going to the World Series,» said Fermin, a catcher. «It is very special, this moment. I don't have words for this moment. Very special. First step, we've got to keep rolling this.»

The Padres' road appears to be tougher than last year, when they swept the Atlanta Braves in a home wild-card series to earn a shot at the rival Dodgers. San Diego led 2-1 before their bats went so cold that they didn't score in the last 24 innings as they lost the series in five games. The Dodgers went on to win the World Series.

«What this group has done this year, and even last year, to put this into place, and for us to go to the postseason two years in a row for