<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/padres-news-xander-bogaerts-issues-epic-jackson-merrill-claim-huge-game-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'Padres’ Xander Bogaerts issues epic Jackson Merrill claim after huge Game 2 outing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Xander-Bogaerts-issues-epic-Jackson-Merrill-claim-after-huge-Game-2-outing.jpg"></figure><h1>Padres’ Xander Bogaerts issues epic Jackson Merrill claim after huge Game 2 outing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-07T12:35:13-07:00">October 7th, 12:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T12:35:31-07:00">October 7th, 12:35pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With tensions rising in Dodger Stadium, it was easy to overlook the marvelous effort that standout rookie Jackson Merrill put together in Sunday’s 10-2 win over the Dodgers. His rapid ascent is notably continuing in the MLB playoffs, in the midst of arguably baseball’s most intense rivalry today. The All-Star outfielder has flaunted his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-jackson-merrill-teammate-freak-playoff-heroics">renown nerves of steel</a> often enough for people to realize that he is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5824575/2024/10/07/padres-nlds-jackson-merrill/" rel="noopener">not merely on a hot streak</a>.</p><p>Merrill is built for the moment. Just ask Xander Bogaerts, another player who knows how it feels to produce at a high level in the playoffs at only 21 years of age.</p><p>“Man, that guy is different,” the veteran shortstop said after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-jurickson-profar-message-san-diego-fans-ugliness-dodger-stadium">a chaotic Game 2</a> of the NL Division Series, per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin. “It ain’t luck. It ain’t pretending. He knows he’s a bad dude, and he feels it, and he believes it, and that’s who he is.”</p><p>While Bogaerts missed almost two months of action with a shoulder fracture, he witnessed Merrill quickly cement himself as one of the most clutch hitters in the game. The 2021 first-round draft pick is still answering the call during the most important time of the year.</p><h2><b>Is Jackson Merrill already the Padres’ X-factor?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Padres-Jackson-Merrill-rounds-the-bases.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Merrill went 3-for-5 with one home run and three RBIs in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-how-manny-machado-rallied-together-heated-game-2-dodgers">Padres’ series-tying victory</a>. Superb outings by Fernando Tatis Jr. (3-for-4, two homers and three RBIs) and starting pitcher Yu Darvish (one earned run in seven innings) prevented the shortstop-turned-center fielder from being a Game 2 hero, per se, but he is still making a thunderous statement.</p><p>Bogaerts is right. Merrill is not stumbling his way into big hits. He is a key reason why San Diego is back in the MLB playoffs after a disappointing 2023 season. When the two-time World Series champion, Tatis and other Padres stars were sidelined with injuries, this stellar athlete helped keep the club in contention. Now, they are two home wins away from slaying the Dodgers and returning to the NL Championship Series.</p><p>Jackson Merrill may soon be rewarded for his invaluable contributions, which include a .292 batting average, 24 home runs and an outstanding <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jackson-merrill-701538?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlb" rel="noopener">11 outs above average</a> in center, via Baseball Savant. In a year when the MLB was introduced to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pirates-news-paul-skenes-perfect-admission-dominant-rookie-season">one of the most electric pitchers</a> in recent memory, it is a testament to Merrill’s greatness that he has a legitimate chance to win NL Rookie of the Year.</p><p>Regardless of the outcome of that race, he is already earning respect from people all around the sport. That especially includes the Dodgers pitching staff. Merrill and the Padres will once again try to bury their in-state nemesis when LA rolls into Petco Park on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Padres’ Xander Bogaerts issues epic Jackson Merrill claim after huge Game 2 outing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/padres-news-jackson-merrill-jokes-idiot-jurickson-profar-trolled-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Padres’ Jackson Merrill jokes about ‘idiot’ Jurickson Profar after he trolled Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Padres-news-Jackson-Merrill-jokes-about-idiot-Jurickson-Profar-after-he-trolled-Dodgers.jpg"></figure><h1>Padres’ Jackson Merrill jokes about ‘idiot’ Jurickson Profar after he trolled Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-07T07:48:02-07:00">October 7th, 7:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-07T07:48:02-07:00">October 7th, 7:48am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Game 2 of the NL Division Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers had so many moments, there was too much to cram into one article. The postgame shakedown provided fun and intriguing quotes from both sides, ranging from the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-manny-machado-beauty-heated-exchange-jack-flaherty">rift between Manny Machado and Jack Flaherty</a> to Jurickson Profar’s troll job in the bottom of the first inning.</p><p>Profar deked everyone in Dodger Stadium when he robbed a home run from Mookie Betts. The ball was driven into the left field seats, only for Profar to snag it out of a sea of hands to secure the out. The Padres outfielder waited a few seconds before revealing he caught the ball, leaving everyone watching stunned as he tossed it back to the infield.</p><p>His San Diego teammates <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5823803/2024/10/06/padres-dodgers-jurickson-profar-mookie-betts/" rel="noopener">enjoyed that moment</a> as much as Profar did.</p><p>“Bro, he’s an idiot,” Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill said, per The Athletic. “That was hilarious, though. He’s having fun. He’s playing like a little kid, and I love that.”</p><p>Profar added a pair of base hits to his box score, though he was one of two Padres starters who did not score in their 10-2 triumph. Still, Profar contributed on both sides of the ball and endured a tough stretch of treatment from the fans later in the game.</p><p>People in the crowd began to throw objects onto the playing field – <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-mike-shildt-blasts-dodgers-fans-throwing-objects-field-game-2">including baseballs in Profar’s direction</a> – during the seventh inning with the game still close (4-1 Padres lead). The game was stopped for about 10 minutes while the debris was cleaned up and Dodger fans booed at the mess they created.</p><h2><b>Padres ride dominant win home for Game 3</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Tatis-Merrill-Padres-dugout.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The victory and the nature in which it was done is huge for San Diego’s confidence the rest of the series. With home-field advantage rolling the Padres way for the final three games, they have an opportunity to put the Dodgers away at home just as they did in the 2022 NLDS.</p><p>The Padres carried a wire-to-wire win in Game 2, scoring in the first inning and never trailing. Their power explosion in the eighth and ninth innings showed they’re capable of busting a game open in the blink of an eye.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-how-manny-machado-rallied-together-heated-game-2-dodgers">San Diego hit four home runs</a> in the final two innings, scoring six runs to extend their lead to nine before Los Angeles put one on the board in the bottom of the ninth.</p><p>Momentum is huge in a five-game series and it can turn on a dime with any given pitch. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-fernando-tatis-sounds-off-beautiful-energy-heroics-braves">Padres have all the momentum</a> in this series but the Dodgers have the talent and charisma to lock back in. Game 3 essentially becomes a must-win for both sides as it will be extremely difficult to win two straight against opposition of this caliber.</p><p>It was inevitable for this series pitting two great rivals against each other to get a little chippy. Tensions boiled in Game 2 at Chavez Ravine. The repsonse from the San Diego crowd Tuesday will speak volumes to the nature of the two fanbases. Of course, things will be easier for Padres fans if San Diego can duplicate its Game 2 performance.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Padres’ Jackson Merrill jokes about ‘idiot’ Jurickson Profar after he trolled Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/padres-news-jackson-merrill-teammate-freak-playoff-heroics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jackson-Merrills-teammate-labels-him-a-freak-amid-playoff-heroics.jpg"></figure><h1>Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-03T08:20:27-07:00">October 3rd, 8:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-03T08:20:27-07:00">October 3rd, 8:20am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Diego Padres<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-david-peralta-bottle-popping-celebration-nl-wild-card"> swept the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series</a>. They were led by rookie centerfielder Jackson Merrill, who knocked in two runs in the Padres’ Game 2 win. After the game. Merrill’s Padres teammates spoke glowingly about the rookie <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41579663/padres-finish-braves-nl-wild-card-dodgers-await-nlds" rel="noopener">after the game</a> to ESPN’s Buster Olney.</p><p>“A superstar,” Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth said. “A freak.”</p><p>Merrill capped off a thrilling third inning with a two-run triple to make the score 5-1. It was the sixth consecutive two-out hit by the Padres. Merrill says that shows how tough the team has been all season long.</p><p>“That’s a band of brothers right there,” Merrill told Olney. “First inning, we get bases loaded, no outs and we don’t score. But we don’t look back, we move forward. Six straight two-out hits! I don’t think that happens very often. That’s what you call a band of brothers, just working together trying to pack on the runs.”</p><p>Now, the Padres face their division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-five division series. Last year, Los Angeles was swept in the Division Series by the Diamondbacks. They must move beyond that for their offseason moves to pay off. This will be Shohei Ohtni’s first playoff series, which will be must-watch television.</p><h2><b>Padres’ chances in the National League playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jackson-Merrill-on-San-Diego-Padres.jpg"><figcaption>Denis Poroy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>According to FanGraphs, the Dodgers/Padres series is the <a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds" rel="noopener">tightest of the division series</a>. The Dodgers have a 50.2% chance to win the series because of these teams’ regular season series. The Padres won eight of the 13 games between the teams including the one that clinched their spot in the playoffs.</p><p>Merrill was the key to the Padres’ season this year. After missing the playoffs last season, they traded Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees. Both of those outfielders were everyday players for the team. Merrill was drafted as a shortstop and filled their roles perfectly.</p><p>While Merrill had a terrific season, he is not expected to win the National League Rookie of the Year. Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is favored to win the award because of his sub-2.00 ERA this season. Despite his lack of hardware, Merrill is key to the Padres’ future. Whether it is in the outfield or infield, his bat brings another great weapon to their lineup.</p><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-jackson-merrill-sends-subtle-warning-ahead-of-massive-dodgers-series"> Dodgers did not scare Merrill</a> this season. He went 16-46 for a .348 average with a .840 OPS. The Padres’ rookie also hit a home run and drove in four runs in the 12 games he played against LA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/padres-jackson-merrill-sends-subtle-warning-ahead-of-massive-dodgers-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Padres’ Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jackson-Merrill-sends-subtle-warning-ahead-of-massive-Dodgers-series.jpg"></figure><h1>Padres’ Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-03T05:45:00-07:00">October 3rd, 5:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-03T05:45:00-07:00">October 3rd, 5:45am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Diego Padres advanced to the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and rookie sensation Jackson Merrill <a href="https://x.com/annieheilbrunn/status/1841700828349972649" rel="noopener">got real on</a> what the win means for him and the team.</p><p>“It’s another step in the process. That’s what it means,” Jackson Merrill said, via Annie Heilbrunn of 97.3. “We’re not done. Like you don’t get a trophy for winning a Wild Card series. You don’t get anything for winning a Wild Card series, you know? So we’re not done.”</p><p>Obviously, Merrill <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-kyle-higashioka-first-san-diego-catcher-complete-feat">and the Padres</a> have their goals set higher than just winning the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Braves came into this series with a lot of injuries and just fought hard in a doubleheader on Monday against the New York Mets just to get into the playoffs. San Diego was not far off of beating out the Dodgers for the National League West division title.</p><p>Many believe <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-david-peralta-bottle-popping-celebration-nl-wild-card">the Padres are</a> as dangerous as anyone in the National League, and Merrill’s comments indicate that the team believes they are as well. It will be a great battle between two rivals in the NLDS, and the Padres will try to replicate what they did in 2022 when they upset the Dodgers.</p><h2><b>Padres set up well entering Dodgers series</b></h2><p>Often times, a Wild Card team entering the NLDS is not set up optimally to compete in that round due to the starting rotation being out of order. The Padres’ rotation is out of order, but they have the depth to still be set up well going into Game 1 against the Dodgers on Saturday. San Diego has Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish set to go in the first two games.</p><p>Hopefully, Joe Musgrove’s elbow problem that caused him to leave Game 2 against the Braves is not a serious issue, and he can pitch in the NLDS as well. If not, Michael King, who was dominant in Game 1 against the Braves and was one of the big pieces of the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees, should be able to go in Game 3 or 4 of the series.</p><p>In Game 1, Cease will go up against Jack Flaherty of the Dodgers, who was a big trade deadline pickup. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound in Game 2 for Los Angeles, while it is undecided who will get the ball in Game 3.</p><p>Either way, it will undoubtedly be a great series to watch between two of the best teams in MLB.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Padres’ Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/padres-jackson-merrill-makes-franchise-history-with-just-one-swing-vs-braves');   ga('set', 'title', 'Padres’ Jackson Merrill makes franchise history with just one swing vs. Braves');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Padres-news-Jackson-Merrill-makes-franchise-history-with-just-one-swing-vs.-Braves.jpg"></figure><h1>Padres’ Jackson Merrill makes franchise history with just one swing vs. Braves</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-01T19:40:25-07:00">October 1st, 7:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-01T19:40:25-07:00">October 1st, 7:40pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The San Diego Padres have a superstar on their hands in Jackson Merrill. After putting together a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-jackson-merrill-beat-paul-skenes-2024-nl-roy-award">Rookie of the Year campaign</a> in the regular season, he made franchise history in his first postseason game. He is the youngest player in Padres history to record a playoff hit, <a href="https://x.com/MLBPipeline/status/1841284613106291142" rel="noopener">according to</a> MLB Pipeline.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">With this 102.5 mph single, Jackson Merrill becomes the youngest member of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Padres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Padres</a> organization (21 years, 165 days) with a postseason hit! <a href="https://t.co/KChZRCsl0C">pic.twitter.com/KChZRCsl0C</a></p><p>— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1841284613106291142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Merrill was a shortstop prospect who came in and stabilized the Padres’ outfield this season. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-winter-meetings-biggest-winners-losers">trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees</a>, they needed outfielders. Merrill stepped up and played 149 games in centerfield while dominating at the plate. His .292 batting average was second on the team and his .826 OPS was third.</p><p>Merrill is not favored for the Rookie of the Year award. Not even a 90 RBI season could beat out Paul Skenes’ 1.96 ERA. But Merrill now gets the postseason bump for casual fans across the country and performing well in October will make him a star. The Padres are already full of them, with Fernando Tatis, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado on the roster as well.</p><h2><b>Jackson Merrill can lead the Padres to the World Series</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jackson-Merrill-with-San-Diego-Padres.jpg"><figcaption>Denis Poroy-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With no teams over 100 wins in Major League Baseball, the field is wide open for anyone to make the World Series. That includes the Padres, who enter the postseason as one of the hottest teams in baseball. Since the All-Star break, they are 43-20, by far the best mark in the league. Merrill is hitting .316 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs in that stretch.</p><p>While they were not able to catch the Dodgers in the standings, they fared well against the NL West champions this season. The Padres went 8-5 against them, which included winning the game that clinched their playoff berth. If they beat the Braves in the Wild Card Series, San Diego will play LA in a best-of-five Division Series.</p><p>Don’t expect <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/padres-news-jackson-merrill-becomes-first-mlb-player-to-accomplish-clutch-feat">Jackson Merrill to shy away from the spotlight</a> this October. He has shown this year that he can shine in the big moments. He became the first rookie to have multiple games with a game-tying or go-ahead home run in a multi-home run game. While that is an ultra-specific mark he set, it shows how clutch he is and how unafraid he is of the big moment.</p><p>The Padres play Game 2 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night and if they win, they will advance to play the Dodgers. They have been to the National League Championship Series as recently as 2022 but have not made the World Series since 1998. Merrill and crew are looking to bring the first title to San Diego.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.333	2	6	0.926	2

2024 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.333	2	6	0.926	2

Jackson Merrill

Latest Jackson Merrill News

Padres’ Xander Bogaerts issues epic Jackson Merrill claim after huge Game 2 outing

Padres’ Jackson Merrill jokes about ‘idiot’ Jurickson Profar after he trolled Dodgers

Jackson Merrill’s Padres teammate labels him a ‘freak’ amid playoff heroics

Padres’ Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series

Padres’ Jackson Merrill makes franchise history with just one swing vs. Braves

Jackson
Merrill