SAN DIEGO – Kyle Higashioka’s solo home run started a five-run rally against the ailing Max Fried with two outs in the second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to beat the Atlanta Braves with a 5-4 win in Game 2 of their N.L. Wild Card Series on Wednesday evening.

Manny Machado added a two-run double with the bases loaded and Jackson Merrill, a top candidate for NL Rookie of the Year, followed with a two-run triple as the sold-out crowd of 47,705 – the largest in Petco Park history – roared .

The Padres, eager to win a World Series title in memory of late owner Peter Seidler, will take to Interstate 5 to take on Shohei Ohtani and the NL West rival and top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Series starting Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

San Diego eliminated the Dodgers by 111 wins in a 2022 NLDS.

Robert Suarez threw a perfect ninth for the save. As soon as Higashioka caught pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud’s foul pop for the final out – the catcher had to step over first baseman Donovan Solano, who also went for it – the crowd started chanting “Beat LA!”

“This team has always shown the ability to be resilient and never give up,” Higashioka said. “That’s an honor for all the boys. Just coming up with good at-bats no matter what.”

Fried and Padres starter Joe Musgrove left early with injuries. Fried left after the second inning. He was hit on the left hip by a ball from Fernando Tatis Jr.’s bat. two batters in his appearance. Musgrove left with tightness in the right elbow with two outs in the fourth after throwing two slow curveballs to Matt Olson.

Padres manager Mike Shildt had no update on Musgrove, other than to say it was the same part of the elbow that sidelined the big right-hander earlier this season.

“Luckily we were in the lead,” Shildt said. “His exit with two outs in the fourth was a challenge, but we found solutions and the bullpen rested and played its role in bringing him home.”

After the Padres took a 5-1 lead in the second, Jorge Soler hit a solo homer in the fifth and Michael Harris II had a two-run shot in the eighth.

Fried, who took the loss, emerged from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. He then allowed five runs on six consecutive hits with two outs in the second.

“The longer he was there, the worse he got,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.

Dylan Lee took over for Atlanta and started the third.

Musgrove threw two slow pitches to trail Olson 2-1 with two outs in the fourth and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them and Musgrove came out.

Musgrove, who grew up in the suburb of El Cajon, was on the injured list twice this season due to right elbow inflammation that cost him a total of 63 games.

His second stint sidelined him for two ¹/₂ months.

“It would be irresponsible to delve too deeply into this,” Shildt said. “He said he would do everything he could – I didn’t leave anything out of the way for Joe Musgrove – to get back.

‘Something just didn’t feel right in his elbow. Structurally they think it’s okay, but we will get more evaluations as we go.”

Higashioka became the first Padres catcher to homer in consecutive playoff games. He hit a solo shot in a 4-0 win on Tuesday night.

He also homered for the New York Yankees at Petco Park in the 2020 AL playoff bubble against Tampa Bay in a Division Series game.

He was acquired along with right-hander Michael King in the blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees on December 7.

Higashioka started the season as a backup, but eventually became the starter.

Musgrove fell behind 1-0 after only three batters. Marcell Ozuna’s sacrifice fly brought in Harris, who doubled into the right-field corner on Musgrove’s first pitch and advanced on a grounder by Ozzie Albies.

After the homer by No. 9 hitter Higashioka, singles by NL batting champion Luis Arraez, Tatis and Jurickson Profar loaded the bases. Machado drove in two runs with his double to left, and Merrill hit a triple to center.

Soler immediately homered to center in the fifth inning against reliever Bryan Hoeing, who got the win. Harris homered off Jason Adam, but the devastated Braves couldn’t quite come back.

“I have about as much pride in a team as I’ve ever had,” Snitker said. “We won 89 games. It’s amazing what they did. We had a chance. We participated in the tournament. If we get a hit here or there, maybe we’ll play tomorrow. But we are not.”