After a heartbreaking loss that ended with a triple play in the series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back with a huge 4-3 victory against the San Diego Padres.
Even after the shocking outcome on Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not expect his team to let the results of that one affect them and expressed his confidence they would bounce-back.
“I just expect us to go out there and play a good ballgame,” Roberts said before the game.
Jack Flaherty was on the mound for the Dodgers, looking to turn in a strong start as performing in big games is one of the reasons the Dodgers went out to acquire the right-hander.
“To look for a guy that’s seasoned, that’s pitched in big ball games, that isn’t going to run from this game,” Roberts began. “Know that he can take down X amount of hitters, feel good about stress and being able to get big outs, make big pitches. Absolutely the reason why we acquired a guy like Jack Flaherty, yes.”
The results for him were solid, but not spectacular. He went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out five and walking three.
Flaherty didn’t have his best command throughout the game, but battled to give the Dodgers a chance to win.
The Padres scored their first two runs against him in the second inning, started by a walk to Manny Machado. Jackson Merrill doubled before Xander Bogaerts singled him home.
Jake Cronenworth gave the Padres a 2-1 lead when he grounded out before Flaherty stranded a runner at second base to end the inning.
In Flaherty’s final inning of work, he allowed a solo home run to Fernando Tatís Jr. that tied the game.
Dylan Cease was on the mound for the Padres in what was a battle between the two aces, and the results for him turned out to be very similar to Flaherty’s.
Cease pitched five innings, allowing five hits on three runs with four strikeouts and three walks.
The Dodgers scored first in the first inning when Teoscar Hernández singled home Shohei Ohtani, who reached on a walk. After the Padres took the lead, the Dodgers re-claimed their lead in the fourth.
Gavin Lux tied the game with a single after a two-out double from Tommy Edman. After a walk from Miguel Rojas, Ohtani blasted a double off the right field wall that gave L.A. a 3-2 lead.
With the game tied again in the sixth, the Dodgers strung together a rally with walks from Will Smith and Tommy Edman before Ohtani singled with two outs to put L.A. ahead 4-3.
The bullpen went on to shut down the Padres with Alex Vesia working the sixth, Evan Phillips in the seventh, Blake Treinen in the eighth and Michael Kopech closing it out.
The Dodgers’ magic number now sits at just two games to clinch the division title, which can be accomplished as early as Thursday. At minimum, the Dodgers head into the final series of the season maintaining their lead in the division and control their own destiny.
Dodgers lose Miguel Rojas to injury
While rounding third base in the fourth inning of their game against the Padres, Rojas appeared to suffer a lower body injury. He stayed in the game after talking with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and head trainer Thomas Albert.
However, in the top of the fifth inning, Rojas was replaced by Andy Pages, who took over in center field with Tommy Edman moving to shortstop.
The Dodgers later announced Rojas left the game with left-groin tightness.
Prior to exiting the game, Rojas was 0-for-1 with a walk. He also made a highlight defensive play in the second inning of the game.
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