Watch: Padres clinch playoff spot on game-ending triple play

Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Manny Machado fielded a grounder, stepped on third base and fired to second to start a game-ending triple play, helping the San Diego Padres seal a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and clinching a playoff spot.

The stellar sequence occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning of the 4-2 victory Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Machado and the Padres clinched at least a wild-card slot, but also remain in a tight battle with the Dodgers for the National League West division title. The Padres are set to make just their third postseason trip since 2006.

"It's taken an entire organization to get where we are at today," Machado told reporters. "It's been fun playing behind them [the pitchers]."

Catcher Will Smith started what appeared to be a Dodgers rally with a single off relief pitcher Robert Suarez in the first at-bat in the bottom of the ninth. Center fielder Tommy Edman followed with another single, which pushed Smith to third base. Second baseman Enrique Hernandez singled four pitches later, bringing in Smith and cutting the deficit to two.

Veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas then settled in for the final at-bat of the night. Suarez found the strike zone with a 97.5-mph fastball to start that exchange. He then heaved in a 99.6-mph heater, which found the inside portion of the zone. Rojas turned on the offering, smacking it toward Machado in front of third base.

The veteran infielder easily gloved the grounder, stepped on third and fired to Jake Cronenworth, who recorded the second out at second. Cronenworth then threw to first baseman Donovan Solano, who caught the ball before Rojas reached first for the third and final out of the game.

Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani scored off a throwing error for the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. Cronenworth then hit a 358-foot, two-run homer to give the Padres a lead in the top of the second. They never lost that advantage.

Shortstop Xander Bogaerts plated left fielder Jurickson Profar with an RBI single in the top of the fourth for a 3-1 Padres lead. Cronenworth brought in Bogaerts with an RBI double in the next at-bat.

Padres starter Michael King allowed just one hit after the second inning. The Padres bullpen then held up until allowing Hernandez's RBI single, but the triple-play ending preserved the playoff-clinching triumph.

King allowed three hits and one run over five innings.Suarez allowed three hits and one run in the ninth to earn his 35th save of the season.

Cronenworth went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Bogaerts also registered two hits for the Padres.

The Padres (96-66) sit two games behind the Dodgers (93-64) in the National League West. The Dodgers will host the Padres in the second-game of the three-game series at 10:10 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.