The 1998 Padres' Collapse vs. Braves

Lore & Background

However, the series shifted dramatically once it moved to San Diego. The Braves, led by the legendary pitching trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, began to dismantle the Padres' hopes. After splitting Games 3 and 4 in San Diego, the Braves won Game 5 in San Diego to take a 3-2 lead, then closed out the series with a victory in Game 6 back in Atlanta, taking the series 4-2 and advancing to the World Series. This failure cemented a narrative of 'what could have been' that haunts the franchise's legacy.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Turner Field was thick with humidity and tension as the ninth inning of Game 6 began. The Padres needed just one run, perhaps two, to force a winner-take-all finale in San Diego. But as the Braves' pitchers took the mound, the silence from the visiting fans grew heavier. Every pitch felt like an eternity, every strikeout a step closer to oblivion. When the final out was recorded, the realization hit with the weight of a collapsing stadium: the dream had ended not with a bang, but with a whimper in the South.

Reader's Guide

The series began with high hopes as the Padres took a commanding 2-0 lead at home, sweeping Games 1 and 2 behind strong pitching and timely hitting. However, momentum shifted violently upon arriving in Atlanta. The Braves' rotation proved too much to handle, and San Diego struggled to generate offense against elite pitching, losing Game 3 decisively. The tide turned further in Game 4, where the Padres managed a win to keep their hopes alive, but the series remained precarious at 2-2 heading back to San Diego for Games 5 and 6. In a devastating turn of events during Game 6, the Braves overcame an early deficit. A critical late-inning rally by Atlanta, highlighted by key hits against Padres relievers, erased the lead and forced a decisive Game 7. Ultimately, the Padres could not recover in the final game, falling short as the Braves completed their historic comeback to advance to the World Series.

Did You Know?

• The Padres were not the first team in MLB history to lose an NLCS after holding a two-games-to-none lead; the 1984 Cubs and 1985 Cardinals both did so earlier.
• Ken Caminiti did not win the NL MVP in 1998; he won in 1996, and the 1998 NL MVP was Sammy Sosa.
• This collapse occurred 14 years after the Padres had won the 1984 NLCS over the Chicago Cubs.
• The series is often cited alongside other famous collapses like the 2004 Red Sox vs. Yankees ALCS, though the context differs.