Kyle Higashioka wasn’t smiling as he rounded the bases on Tuesday night or when he hit another home run off Max Fried in the second inning on Wednesday to tie the game. He hit forearms with Luis Arraez and Manny Machado and hit five-pointers with Fernando Tatis Jr. The post-homer celebrations are muted compared to the histrionics of his teammates. This also applies to his meetings with reporters after the game.

That was the case throughout the regular season, whether it was a regular home run or a walk-off job.

There was no reason to think it would be any different in October, but…

“I mean, I’m always happy when I hit a home run,” Higashioka said late Tuesday night, perhaps starting to smile in some way. “But I also have to stay pretty composed because I know I have to be there for (Robert) Suarez in the next half-inning and make sure I do my best and don’t think about anything offensive for him when he’s out.” There.

“We have a job to do, so to speak. For me it’s about just staying calm.”

Really, that’s how Higashioka found his way here in the first place.

He was selected in the seventh round out of Huntington Beach Edison High School in 2008 and struggled through 10 minor league seasons before being called up to the Yankees for the first time in 2017. In New York, he was never more than a No. 2 starter, not even in the starting lineup this season as a backup to Luis Campusano, and was stuck in a .128/.146/.234 start during the first two months of the season only played 17 games.

Higashioka hit his second home run of the season on June 1, the start of a groundbreaking month (8 HRs, 1.131 OPS) that, along with Campusano’s thumb injury, resulted in the 34-year-old veteran losing his starting job.

Production improved. The demeanor remained the same whether Higashioka was struggling with a new team in April and May, hitting a home run in mid-summer or hitting it like he did in Tuesday’s Blast, the second postseason shot of his career.

“Pretty stoic, but he’s fired up,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We must not confuse this. Higgy is on fire. But he keeps everything very balanced.”

But whatever satisfaction the Padres’ rise in the rankings brings Higashioka, not to mention what he could earn in free agency this offseason, is secondary to what it means for the Padres’ October push.

Of course it is.

“I’m just happy that I can contribute to the team’s success, and to do that you have to play well,” said Higashioka. “But I think the biggest thing for me is being on a winning team. I think as a catcher, one of the most important factors is whether you do a good job or not when the team wins. We just hope it stays that way.”

Waldron’s flowers

With Joe Musgrove And Yu Darvish Missing a large part of the season is no exaggeration Matt Waldron – with a 2.63 ERA over 13 starts between mid-May and just after the All-Star break – kept the season going.

The knuckleballer stumbled when he hit August in his first full year in the majors and was eventually replaced in the rotation by a left-hander Martin Perez.

Waldron, however, finished strongly at Triple-A El Paso, remained available at the Peoria Sports Complex and was called up on the final day of the regular season as a sign of gratitude for his part in the second season. best regular season in franchise history.

But the real reward came Tuesday when Waldron stood at first base to introduce himself in front of the largest crowd in Petco Park history.

“Oh my God,” Waldron said. “It was incredibly different than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. I had an adrenaline rush the whole time. Being with these guys is the best days I’ve ever had in my life. I want more of it. It makes me hungrier.

“The postseason is a whole different level. It really is a dream come true.”

Remarkable

• Omitted from Braves wild card squad, LHP Chris Sale (Back) hasn’t thrown yet but is “making progress and feeling better,” Atlanta’s manager said Brian Snitker said. Sales are progressing day by day.

Originally published: October 2, 2024 at 4:12 p.m