MLB

Field of Dreams: Padres and Make-A-Wish Team Up

While the win was nice, what happened on the field before the game was special

Petco Park turned into a real-life field of dreams for the Padres and a 5-year-old kid from San Diego.

On Wednesday, the Padres beat the San Francisco Giants 8-4, their first win of the 3-game series after dropping games one and two.

The Padres offense was powered by Wil Myers, with his 11th home run of the season, and Freddy Galvis, who hit his 12th home run of the season.

The win improved the Padres record to 61-92.

While the win was nice, what happened on the field before the game was special.

In partnership with Make-A-Wish San Diego, the Padres agreed to terms on a one-day contract with five-year-old Levi Smith of San Diego. Levi’s wish was to be a Padre for a day, that wish was granted on Wednesday.

Levi was born with a congenital heart condition that resulted in him being placed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and having a pacemaker inserted after surgery. With Levi’s mother also having a congenital heart condition and requiring a pacemaker, his condition has been normalized by being able to lean on her through different surgeries and treatments.

About four hours before first pitch, Levi and his family arrived at the player parking lot in a limousine where they were greeted by the Pad Squad and escorted to the Padres clubhouse. Upon entering the clubhouse, Levi visited with Padres manager Andy Green and signed his one-day contract before meeting his favorite players and joining the team on the field prior to batting practice.

Levi took some swings at home plate, ran the bases, even sliding into second base, before rounding third base and headed home. Levi’s run was one of the most memorable of the season for the Padres. Prior to the first pitch, Levi delivered the game ball to the mound, then high-fived Eric Hosmer before heading into the stands to watch the game.

When asked who his favorite player was, Levi said “Hunter Renfroe!”

Renfroe gave Levi a bat before the game, which Levi said was “really cool.”

Manager Andy Green said it was really fun having Levi around.

"It was fun for us, he knows everyone’s number, knows how many home runs they’ve hit, he loves the Padres," he said.

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