Ryan Pepiot allowed two home runs that the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup wasn’t able to overcome in a 6-1 loss to the San Diego Padres in their rubber match at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers have lost a series to the Padres for the first time since June 21-23, 2021, when they were swept at Petco Park.
Pepiot struck out three batters in the first inning but also surrendered a solo home run to Juan Soto on an 0-2 mistake pitch. Soto joined Ted Williams, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews and Jimmie Foxx as the only players in MLB history with multiple seasons of 30 home runs and 100 walks before turning 25 years old.
San Diego added onto their lead when Fernando Tatis Jr.’s leadoff double in the fourth was followed by a single from Soto and Luis Campusano hitting a three-run homer.
Pepiot provided some length at six innings pitched, but he exited on the hook for a loss due to Blake Snell shutting down the Dodgers lineup.
Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the first inning and stole second base, where he was stranded. Betts walked with two outs in the third and stole his second base of the game, but it again didn’t amount to anything for the Dodgers.
Betts was the only baserunner Snell allowed as he collected eight strikeouts over six shutout innings. It marked Snell’s eighth start of the season with at least six scoreless innings, tying the Padres’ single-season record shared by Jake Peavy and Chris Young (who both accomplished the feat in 2007), as he looks to win the National League Cy Young Award.
Dodgers magic number
With their loss, the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the NL West remained at four. It can lower to three on Thursday — an off day for the Dodgers — but only if the San Francisco Giants lose.
The earliest the Dodgers can clinch their 10th NL West title in the past 11 seasons is now Saturday.
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