The throw-in has become a playoff star and sure, the Padres can get Higgy with that.

Kyle Higashioka, San Diego's unlikely postseason cog, hit his second homer in as many nights to help push the Padres past the Atlanta Braves, 5-4, in the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday.

The Padres now face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series opener on Saturday, while the Braves begin vacations after dropping two games.

San Diego, though, motors north with a knot in its stomach after seeing starter Joe Musgrove exit after 3.2 innings with what the club described as right elbow tightness.

Musgrove, who allowed one run, had two stints on the injury list this season for an ailment in the same elbow, forcing him to miss 63 games.

While the Padres await word on Musgrove’s tests, they’ll ride the Higashioka wave.

Higashioka, 34, has quickly become a favorite of San Diego’s fans and the Padres’ bean counters. He’s clutch and a great value on a one-year, $2.1 million deal.

San Diego manager Mike Shildt appreciates Higashioka on and off the diamond.

“Just the makeup, the quality of person, the anchor of who he is and how he goes about things in the clubhouse’’ Shildt said. “He keeps a good vibe, plays his guitar. He has a good sense of energy about him. He's got a nice sense of humor.

“He's just been a real asset in the clubhouse as advertised. And everything positive that people said about him is true across the board and maybe more so.”

When the Padres decided last offseason that superstar Juan Soto didn’t fit into their plans, or their budget, they sought interested suitors.

The folks in pinstripes raised their hand and a package from the New York Yankees, which included Higashioka, an unheralded catcher, was sent to San Diego.

Higashioka was part of the bounty, but hardly the key piece. The Padres were turning their catching duties over to youngster Luis Campusano, with Higashioka assuming the backup role.

Higashioka, a California kid, returned home and blossomed in the sun. Campusano struggled, battled injuries and before long Higashioka supplanted him as the starter.

Even if Higashioka rides the caboose of the Padres’ potent batting lineup.

With pitchers worried about navigating the likes of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill, Higashioka ambushes them with his uncanny production.

"In terms of for us hitting at the bottom of the lineup, you can always count on the rest of the guys,’’ said Higashioka, who’s hitting .400, with two homers and five RBIs with a 1.933 OPS in the playoffs. “They're wearing the guy down on the mound every single at-bat.

"I think especially when we get deeper in the games, we've had good at-bats and we typically are pretty good at wearing people down, and usually somebody ends up doing some damage.’’

That Higashioka’s season to remember comes after spending a decade in the minor leagues of riding busses and wrestling with fast-food wrappers only accentuates his success late in his career.

He made the majors for good in 2019 with the Yankees and has served mostly in the shadows since. Although he has caught two no-hitters, even if he wasn’t known as prolific hitter.

All that has flipped since slapping on a San Diego uniform as he set offensive career highs in every significant category.

Since the calendar turned from the regular season, he’s the only Padres catcher to ever hit two postseason homers.

Higashioka lite a fuse for another rabid and capacity crowd on Wednesday as he crushed a two-out homer in the second, keeping an inning alive that helped propel the Padres to their second NL Division Series in three years against the Dodgers.

Five additional hits and four more runs followed, thanks to a two-run double by Machado and a two-run triple by Merrill, pushing San Diego’s edge to 5-0.

There's no getting around what Higashioka has meant to the Padres, something that was underscored in the playoffs first 18 innings.

Not only did he stroke a homer and drive in two runs in Tuesday's victory, but he steered right-hander Michael King to a seven-inning, scoreless gem in which he struck out 12.

King, as well, was acquired in the Soto deal that has loomed large over 48 hours. He dominated in Game 1 and his old Yankees pal flexed his muscles again in Game 2.

“We played together in the minor leagues,’’ King said. “And he's one of my favorite teammates I've had. He's awesome to work with as a pitcher-catcher relationship.

"And to see him hit bombs like that, I've been seeing it since 2018. So he's a special character that is needed in every locker room. And he's been a huge part for us this year.’’

The series ended with a foul pop up nestled in Higashioka’s mitt, the unsung Padre prompting the Friar faithful to think about their next opponent and yell their favorite chorus.

“Beat L.A., Beat L.A.!”