Padres’ Ethan Salas walks off Marlins in extra innings

The walk-off hit marked the first of Salas’ MLB career. The 20-year-old catcher also became the youngest player to record a walk-off RBI since Manny Machado did it for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012.

Salas joined the Padres on September 1 and has quickly earned opportunities in crucial situations. Manager Mike Shildt turned to him with the game on the line, and Salas responded with a clean base hit against an 0-2 pitch.

The victory also mattered for San Diego’s playoff position. The Padres improved to 86-69 and reduced their magic number to three to clinch a third consecutive postseason appearance.

San Diego has also won 12 of its last 13 games, keeping the Padres firmly in the National League wild-card race alongside the Chicago Cubs. With only a handful of regular-season games remaining, every win carries importance.

The Padres will continue their series against Miami on Sunday at Petco Park before beginning another late-season push toward October. Salas’ walk-off gives San Diego another timely contribution from its young catcher as the Padres close in on a playoff berth.