The moment that San Diegans have been waiting so long for has finally come, and there’s no better way that this story could have been written. In a playoff series against the rival Dodgers at a packed Petco Park with everything on the line, the Padres walked away triumphant.

After losing all six regular-season series to the Dodgers this year, the Padres won the game that counted the most: Game 4 of the NLDS. Despite popular belief that playing the Padres would be a piece-of-cake for the Dodgers, San Diego never wavered and held on to the series lead from Game 2 forward.

Game 4 was a must win for the Padres, as they risked having to head back to Los Angeles for Game 5 against the Dodgers and their home crowd. The Padres started off Game 4 in grueling fashion, trailing the Dodgers 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. But the sequence of events that transpired in that magical bottom of the seventh inning turned everything around. San Diego had a thrilling comeback, scoring 5 runs against the Dodgers bullpen. After the Padres took the lead, Robert Suárez and Josh Hader pitched the final six outs with ease. On the final Dodgers strikeout, San Diego had punched their ticket to the NLCS and Petco Park erupted in celebratory emotion that could be felt through television screens.

It was a satisfying end to a long history of losing to the Dodgers. Wil Myers, the longest-tenured player on the Padres, weighed in on San Diego’s victory over the Dodgers, “I’ll tell you what, eight years, the ups and the downs, I’ve lost a lot of games to that team up there. This one right here makes it all worth it.” After celebrating with his team, Myers joined Padres fans in the streets of downtown San Diego, soaking in the grand moment.

The Padres will advance to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 1998. San Diego’s next opponent is the Philadelphia Phillies who won their NLDS series against the Atlanta Braves 3-1. With home-field advantage, the Padres will host the Phillies at Petco Park for Games 1 and 2 on Tuesday, October 18th and Wednesday, October 19th.