LOS ANGELES — Manny Machado stood shirtless in the center of the Dodger Stadium clubhouse, champagne and beer flowing down his back, black Gucci sunglasses over his eyes. Moments earlier, the San Diego Padres had secured a spot in baseball’s postseason by narrowly winning a triple play over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in an unprecedented turn.

And as is so often the case with this group, Machado, the star third baseman who started the stunning 5-4-3 game on Tuesday night that secured a 4-2 victory that left Shohei Ohtani on the brink, took center stage.

“How much better?” Machado asked rhetorically. “In a tough position, with Ohtani in the on-deck circle — we make a triple play to end the game against one of the best teams in baseball.”

That triple play — on a sharp grounder to left field by Miguel Rojas, who initially bunted with runners on first and second and no outs in the bottom of the ninth — was just the third to end a game in the last 30 years. The Padres, not surprisingly, became the first team in major league history to clinch a playoff spot with a game-ending triple play, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

It was the latest and most telling example of the magical performance of the past two months.

Following the death of their beloved, generous owner, Peter Seidler, the Padres cut salaries by a third this offseason. Juan Soto was traded to the New York Yankees; Blake Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, and Josh Hader, the five-time All-Star closer, left in free agency.

The Padres were 50-49 at the All-Star break. Since then, they’re among the best in the majors at 41-17 — and everything seems to be clicking at just the right time. Their lineup, bolstered by the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. after a 10-week absence, is the best contact team in the majors. Their rotation, boosted by the return of Yu Darvish from a three-month layoff, figures to be dominant heading into October. And their bullpen, bolstered by the midseason additions of Tanner Scott and Jason Adam, may be the deepest in the NL.

After missing a star-studded team in 2023, the Padres are in the playoffs for the third time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. And they have a slim chance to win the NL West, trailing the Dodgers by two games with five games remaining — including two from L.A.

“Obviously, there are a lot of great teams out there,” Padres general manager AJ Preller said of his club’s chances in October, “but we feel like we’re just as dangerous as anybody. It’s a complete team. Every night, someone else steps up. I’m so proud and so happy to be with this group. They deserve it. We’re looking forward to a big run.”

The Padres are still led by a star-studded core in Machado, Darvish, Tatis, Xander Bogaerts and Joe Musgrove. But Preller found ways to bolster the group on a shoestring budget, trading front-line starter Dylan Cease in March and acquiring two-time batting champion Luis Arraez in May. Along the way, Jurickson Profar (signed for $1 million), Jackson Merrill (a 21-year-old rookie who transitioned to center field) and Jeremiah Estrada (claimed on waivers before becoming a dominant reliever) have made surprise contributions that make the 2024 Padres one of the most versatile units in the sport.

“This group,” Tatis said, “is special.”

And Machado set the tone.

His season got off to a slow start after midseason elbow surgery, with his OPS sitting at .654 in late May. Since then, he’s hitting .296/.344/.548. The Padres are on the rise, then. Padres coaches and teammates acknowledged late Tuesday night that Machado is one of the few who can pull off a triple play of that style, coming back to step on third base and then darting to second to even try.

Moments after he had carried out the task, he found himself standing in the middle of a cramped locker room, decorated with purple and blue lights. A tattooed message on his soaked upper back was fitting for these Padres:

“The sky is the limit.”

“The team that we have, nobody counted us out,” Machado said. “And here we are. It’s a compliment to this team. This coaching staff, this training staff that keeps us healthy. It’s an incredible moment, man. This moment is incredible. But I think this whole team here thinks the job is not done yet. We’re going to enjoy tonight, enjoy this game, enjoy the celebration, but the job is not done yet.”