Padres refuse to die as unlikely heroes save their season against Brewers

SAN DIEGO — The Padres were one loss away from a vacation in Cancun, without their All-Star closer, and after blowing leads in both games in Milwaukee .But on Tuesday night in Game 3, this time, they didn’t blink.With Tom DeLonge of the band Blink 182 watching from behind home plate, the San Diego Padres held off the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3, surviving a tense game to stave off elimination and trim Milwaukee’s lead in the National League Division Series to 2-1. Their reward? Another elimination game on Wednesday night.At this point, they’ll take it.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story San Diego struck first against former Dodgers’ pitcher Dustin May after Samad Taylor — inserted into the lineup when Gavin Sheets was scratched with a neck issue — singled and stole second.Fernando Tatis Jr.

brought him home with a groundout before Manny Machado punched a two-out RBI single into left for a 2-0 lead.Nick Pivetta gave the Padres exactly what they needed early, but Milwaukee began its inevitable push in the fourth when William Contreras launched a solo homer to left, then took his time circling the bases and gestured between second and third as Petco Park serenaded him with boos.The Brewers tied it in the next inning by stealing a run from underneath San Diego’s nose.With Cooper Pratt at third, Jackson Chourio lifted a shallow fly to left.Pratt tagged anyway, challenging Dustin Harris’ arm, and scored when Harris’ throw arrived without enough mustard on it.

Unlike the hot dogs being devoured throughout the stadium by the sellout crowd of 47,708 at Petco Park.For a Padres team that had watched Milwaukee steal both games at American Family Field, it felt ominously familiar for the Friars.But reliever Yuki Matsui escaped a bases loaded jam and Jake Cron...