The Padres hope there are more Luis Campusano moments to come. Maybe a couple more swings like this one in October. Maybe another few big-time throws as the lights grow even brighter down the stretch. Still, a night like this one served as justification for all of those years of belief. For half a decade, Campusano toiled through all manner of ups and downs with the Padres. Always seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough. Never quite breaking through. The Padres remained steadfast in their belief, always envisioning a season like this one from him -- always envisioning a night like this one. On Friday at Petco Park, Campusano turned in a single-game performance for the ages -- the type of performance that might just tilt a playoff race. First, he threw out three Yankees basestealers. Then, with the Padres trailing by a run in the 10th, Campusano flipped the script. He turned on a first-pitch fastball from Yankees right-hander Paul Blackburn and launched it to the seats in left field, sending the Padres to a 3-2 victory and setting off a party in the East Village. With one swing, the Padres were back in the final Wild Card spot in the National League, a half-game up on Arizona. It was all Campusano could do to stop from breaking into a full-on smile as he rounded the bases. “It was a fun night,” he said afterward, no longer able to contain that smile. As fun as it gets for a catcher. In the 75 years since both leagues began tracking catcher caught stealing stats, only one other player had turned in a night like this one -- three caught stealings and a walk-off home run: Sammy Taylor in 1961. “You can’t ask for more, honestly,” said Padres manager Craig Stammen. It’s probably not a coincidence that Campusano has flourished with Stammen at the helm this season. The two were once batterymates. Stammen has given Campusano the opportunity. Campusano has run with it.
