Padres’ best plan to save their season might sound crazy: Do absolutely nothing

Read the original at New York Post ↗
New York Post · collected 2026-10-06 · by Michael Duarte

Quick Summary

The article suggests that the San Diego Padres should avoid drastic changes and instead maintain their usual approach as they face the Milwaukee Brewers in Games 3 and potentially 4 at home during the National League Division Series. Despite trailing 2-0 after two losses filled with unfortunate events, the Padres have a strong home record, winning 28 of their last 34 games at Petco Park, including a recent sweep against the Cubs. The article emphasizes that staying calm and sticking to what has worked for them is crucial as they prepare to face Nick Pivetta in Game 3.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

The San Diego Padres are facing an uphill battle in their National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers after losing Games 1 and 2, putting them 2-0 behind. As they prepare for Game 3 at Petco Park, writer Michael Duarte suggests a surprising strategy: doing nothing different to combat the pressure. The idea is rooted in Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy," emphasizing the need to stay calm and maintain their usual approach rather than making drastic changes. Despite trailing, the Padres have an opportunity to shift momentum back to Milwaukee for Game 5 if they can win at home.

Written for “Padres Season Strategy” on 2026-10-06, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
45
claim-shaped sentences
Uncertain
9%
4 of 45 hedged
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Correction & hedging signals
64.5
corrections and hedging in what we collected; not a measure of accuracy
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
Narrative spread
1
articles carrying this framing
Analyzed 2026-10-06 · how these are computed

Story

📰 Padres Season Strategy
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 9% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New York Post
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 22 📰 publisher trust 64
“The articles discuss different stages and strategies of the Padres' playoff series, not the same specific incident.”
Fox News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 8% hedged 2 of 25 📰 publisher trust 69
“Article A describes Game 2 of the NLDS where the Padres lost to the Brewers in Milwaukee. Article B provides strategic advice for the Padres ahead of Game 3 at Petco Park, indicating a different game.”

Publisher

New York Post · 7298 article(s) · 23 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 23 correction(s)
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Who wrote this

Michael Duarte
40 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 As the San Diego Padres head home to the friendly confines of Petco Park for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers it would behoove them to take a page out of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi comedy series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
🔮 Aaron Donald appears ready to bring some reinforcements to a Rams defense that just proved it could survive without him on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
🔮 “Happy I could come through with that hit there,” Chourio said through an interpreter.
🔮 So late in the third quarter, with the Rams trailing the Eagles 20-10 and their season seemingly circling the drain, McVay gathered the entire offense together around him on the sidelines and delivered an impromptu sermon that sparked a fourth quarter comeback that we could be talking about come January and February as the moment that changed the season.
🔮 PHILADELPHIA — Maybe the rain didn’t wash away the Rams’ season.
🔮 San Diego could challenge whether the ball struck the structure over fair or foul territory, but not whether France had been robbed of a likely go-ahead homer.
🔮 Maybe the Padres like facing the National League Central Division.
🔮 The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle will not play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field after back soreness kept the 35-year-old out of practice throughout the week.
🔮 Puka Nacua is back on the practice field and expected to play on Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
🔮 What it means San Diego advances to the NLDS for the second time in three years and third time in five seasons, where the Padres will face the Milwaukee Brewers beginning Saturday.
Also by Michael Duarte
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 40 articles by Michael Duarte →

Topics

Brewers Game 3 Milwaukee Padres San Diego

Subjects

Padres ORG · 12× San Diego GPE · 8× Milwaukee ORG · 6× Brewers ORG · 3× Miller PERSON · 3× Misiorowski PERSON · 2× Adams PERSON · 1× Douglas Adams’ PERSON · 1× the Milwaukee Brewers ORG · 1× the San Diego Padres ORG · 1×

Narrative

Then do it again. Do that, and suddenly the series shifts back to Milwaukee for Game 5, where the team carrying all the pressure will be wearing blue and yellow and not brown. Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X California Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-06
🔮 As the San Diego Padres head home to the friendly confines of Petco Park for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers it would behoove them to take a page out of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi comedy series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Claims (45 extracted, 4 hedged)

As the San Diego Padres head home to the friendly confines of Petco Park for Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers it would behoove them to take a page out of Douglas Adams’ sci-fi comedy series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” asserted
it → head → Galaxy
That’s the phrase famously written on the cover of Adams’ fictional guide and it needs to become the mantra of this Padres team if they want to make history and get back into this series. asserted
they → ’ → series
The Padres do not need to reinvent themselves. asserted
Padres → need → themselves
They don’t need a closed-door meeting, a fiery speech from Craig Stammen or some dramatic lineup shakeup designed to jolt a season suddenly dangling over the edge. asserted
They → need → edge
They need to do something much harder when panic is pounding on the door. Nothing. asserted
panic → need → door
In fact, keep everything as normal as you possibly can. uncertain
you → keep → everything
The Padres return to Petco Park trailing the Brewers 2-0 in the NLDS after two losses that felt less like baseball games and more like elaborate ways for the universe to torture San Diego. asserted
universe → return → Diego
In Game 1, the Padres led 2-0 before Milwaukee rallied. asserted
Milwaukee → lead → Game
Then, with San Diego down to its final two outs, Ty France seemingly launched a go-ahead two-run homer off Trevor Megill — only for the baseball to strike a cable hanging from the roof at American Family Field and fall back into play for an out. asserted
baseball → launch → out
Twenty-four hours later, San Diego somehow found an even crueler way to lose. asserted
Diego → find → way
The Padres carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth with Mason Miller, baseball’s most terrifying closer, on the mound. asserted
Padres → carry → mound
Miller had been pumping triple-digit fastballs past Milwaukee hitters all weekend and touched 104 mph in the bottom of the ninth. asserted
Miller → pump → ninth
But after Miller issued three walks, the Brewers loaded the bases for Jackson Chourio. asserted
Brewers → issue → Chourio
Chourio, initially overwhelmed by Miller’s velocity, survived long enough to adjust. asserted
Chourio → overwhelm → velocity
With two outs and two strikes, he lined a 102 mph fastball up the middle for a two-run walk-off single. asserted
he → line → single
That’s not one, but two gut punches to the Padres in two games. asserted
That → ’ → games
But here’s the silver lining for San Diego: the Padres could have and arguably should have won both of those games. uncertain
Padres → ’ → games
That is why Stammen shouldn’t walk into his clubhouse Tuesday and pretend something is broken and in desperate need of fixing. asserted
something → walk → fixing
His message should be simple: You’ve already shown you can beat these guys three times in a row. asserted
you → show → row
San Diego swept Milwaukee at Petco Park in August. asserted
Diego → sweep → August
The Padres have won 28 of their past 34 games there, including a staggering 23-5 home record across August and September, including their wild-card sweep against the Cubs. asserted
Padres → win → Cubs
So forget the fact that teams that win the first two home games of a Division Series have gone on to win 33 of 36 times. asserted
that → forget → times
Forget that 92% figure that is staring San Diego straight in the face. asserted
that → forget → face
History isn’t taking the field on Tuesday. asserted
History → take → Tuesday
And suddenly, the pitching matchups look much friendlier for the Padres. asserted
matchups → look → Padres
Pivetta, the ace of San Diego’s 2025 staff, gets Game 3 against Dustin May. uncertain
Pivetta → get → May
Survive that and the Padres can turn to Walker Buehler or Robbie Ray in Game 4. asserted
Padres → survive → Game
Win again, and Michael King — dominant in both of his postseason starts — could be waiting for Jacob Misiorowski in a winner-take-all Game 5 when all the pressure will be on Milwaukee. uncertain
pressure → win → Milwaukee
Yes, Milwaukee owns baseball’s best record. asserted
Milwaukee → own → record
And yes, the Brewers’ bullpen has been suffocating San Diego through two games, but the Padres bullpen is better. asserted
bullpen → suffocate → games
Worry about him when you see him. asserted
you → worry → him
Starting on Tuesday night, the Padres season needs to be nine innings long. asserted
season → start → night
It needs to be taken inning by inning, pitch by pitch. asserted
It → need → pitch
Win the small battles, focus on the present moment, and you will win the war. asserted
you → win → war
Win Tuesday and suddenly it’s 2-1. asserted
it → win → Tuesday
Win Wednesday and all that pressure San Diego carried home gets packed into Milwaukee’s luggage for the flight back to Wisconsin. asserted
Diego → win → Wisconsin
Baseball players love talking about having short memories. asserted
players → love → memories
Now would be a wonderful time to prove it. asserted
time → prove → it
Forget Miller losing command at precisely the worst possible moment. asserted
Miller → forget → moment
Because desperation has a funny way of convincing good teams they suddenly need to become somebody else. asserted
they → have → teams
…and 5 more, not listed.
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