The throw-in has become a playoff star and surely the Padres can catch Higgy with it.

Kyle Higashioka, San Diego’s unlikely postseason cog, hit his second home run in as many nights to help the Padres to a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday.

The Padres now face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opening game of the NL Division Series on Saturday, while the Braves head into the holiday season after losing two games.

However, San Diego heads north with a knot in its stomach after starter Joe Musgrove left the game after 3.2 innings with what the club described as tightness in his right elbow.

Musgrove, who allowed one run, was on the injured list twice this season because of an ailment to the same elbow, forcing him to miss 63 games.

As the Padres wait for news of Musgrove’s testing, they will ride the Higashioka wave.

The 34-year-old Higashioka has quickly become a favorite of San Diego fans and Padres bean counters. He’s a catcher and a great value on a one-year, $2.1 million deal.

San Diego manager Mike Shildt values ​​Higashioka on and off the diamond.

“Just the makeup, the quality of the persona, the anchor of who he is and how he approaches things in the clubhouse,” Shildt said. “He keeps a good mood, plays the guitar. He has a good sense of energy. He has a good sense of humor.

“He was just a real asset in the clubhouse, as advertised. And everything positive that people have said about him is true across the board, maybe even more so.”

When the Padres decided last offseason that superstar Juan Soto didn’t fit into their plans or budget, they looked for interested suitors.

The people in pinstripes raised their hands and a New York Yankees package that included Higashioka, an unheralded catcher, was sent to San Diego.

Higashioka was part of the bounty, but hardly the key piece. The Padres turned over their catching duties to junior Luis Campusano, with Higashioka taking on the backup role.

Higashioka, a child from California, returned home and blossomed in the sun. Campusano struggled, battled injuries, and soon Higashioka replaced him as the starter.

Even though Higashioka leads the Padres’ powerful batting line-up.

While pitchers fear dealing with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill, Higashioka ambushes them with his uncanny production.

“When it comes to us finishing at the bottom of the lineup, you can always count on the rest of the guys,” said Higashioka, who batted .400 in the playoffs, had two home runs and five RBIs and had an OPS of 1.933 . “ They wear the guy down every single shot on the mound.

“I think, especially as we get deeper into games, we’ve had good attacks and we’re usually pretty good at wearing people down and usually someone ends up doing some damage.”

That Higashioka’s memorable season comes after he spent a decade in the lower leagues of bus driving and fast-food wrapping wrestling only underscores his success at the end of his career.

He finally made it to the majors with the Yankees in 2019 and has largely been in the shadows since then. However, he did catch two no-hitters, even though he wasn’t known as a productive hitter.

Everything has changed since he pulled on the San Diego jersey and posted career highs in every major offensive category.

Since the calendar shifted from the regular season, he is the only Padres catcher to ever hit two home runs in the postseason.

Higashioka drew another rabid, sellout crowd Wednesday when he blasted a two-out home run in the second, keeping an inning alive that helped the Padres clinch their second NL Division Series in three years against the Dodgers win.

Five more hits and four more runs followed, thanks to a two-run double by Machado and a two-run triple by Merrill, increasing San Diego’s lead to 5-0.

There’s no getting around what Higashioka has meant to the Padres, which was underscored through the first 18 innings of the playoffs.

Not only did he hit a home run and score two runs in Tuesday’s win, but he also led right-hander Michael King to a seven-inning scoreless gem in which he struck out 12.

King was also acquired as part of the Soto deal, which emerged over 48 hours ago. He dominated in Game 1 and his old Yankees buddy flexed his muscles again in Game 2.

“We played together in the minor leagues,” King said. “And he’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had. He’s great to work with in a pitcher-catcher relationship.

“And to see him bomb like that, I’ve seen that since 2018. So he’s a special character that’s needed in every locker room. And he’s been a big part for us this year.”

The series ended with a foul appearing in Higashioka’s glove, causing the unsung Padre to ponder her next opponent and shout her favorite chorus.

“Beat LA, beat LA!”