How Juan Soto, Josh Hader and more helped the Padres finally beat the Dodgers

SAN DIEGO — The players came together to form a haphazard circle in the middle of the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse, at times bouncing to hip-hop and spraying champagne in unison. Peter Seidler, the owner, stood off to the side, close enough to witness the madness but far enough to be spared from it. Ten years ago, Seidler, the grandson of celebrated Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, purchased this franchise with outsized expectations: the goal of the Padres taking over both their city and their division.

Saturday night — punctuated by the 5-3 victory that eliminated the mighty Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Division Series — represented the manifestation of that vision.

All they had to do to make it happen was risk everything.

Seidler pointed to Manny Machado, by that point shirtless and drenched in alcohol.

“He was the big chip,” Seidler said. “And now it’s a place where all players wanna play.”

In February 2019, the Padres signed Machado to a $300 million contract that shocked the industry and forever changed the perception of their franchise. As the Padres’ offense languished through most of this past summer, it was Machado who kept them afloat, playing almost daily and producing like an MVP. His performance helped lead them back into the postseason, and once they got there, it was their two boldest trade additions who lifted them.

Juan Soto, quite possibly the biggest midseason acquisition in baseball history, produced the game-tying hit and later came around to score in the five-run seventh inning that produced an epic comeback.

Josh Hader, who had arrived in another blockbuster trade two days earlier, closed it out in the ninth, sending the Padres into the NL Championship Series for the first time since 1998.

“They’re phenomenal players,” Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said. “That’s why we made the trades, honestly. It’s pretty simple — they’re the best at what they do in the world. If you’re gonna beat a team…