Even if only for one night, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to stop their slide and move back into a tie for first place in the National League West with a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.
They received a stellar start from Clayton Kershaw and the bullpen righted the ship in a reversal from the group’s recent trends.
Kershaw retired the first five batters faced before Ramón Laureano’s fly ball down the left field line hit the foul pole. The home run was Laureano’s third in 13 games since being traded to the Padres, and his seventh extra-base hit overall during that span.
Meanwhile, Wandy Peralta started and successfully filled an opener role in place of Michael King, who was put on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation.
Peralta struck out two of four batters faced and combined with Randy Vásquez to strike out the side in the second inning. Michael Conforto’s leadoff single in the bottom of the third gave the Dodgers their first baserunner of the game and sparked a rally.
Alex Freeland followed with a single and Miguel Rojas’ sacrifice bunt attempt landed in front of a diving Manny Machado to load the bases. Shohei Ohtani grounded into a force out that tied the game and Mookie Betts’ sacrifice fly put the Dodgers in front 2-1.
Kershaw exited after six innings with the Dodgers still leading. He retired 10 batters in a row at one point and allowed just two hits on the night.
Ben Casparius stranded a two-out double in the seventh inning and Teoscar Hernández added onto that momentum with a solo home run.
However, Alex Vesia immediately struggled as he went from getting ahead 0-2 to hitting Jose Iglesias with a pitch. Vesia then hit Jake Cronenworth two pitches later. A walk loaded the bases with one out and Vesia was removed after Luis Arraez’s sacrifice fly cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2.
The Dodgers turned to Blake Treinen at that point, and he ended the threat by retiring Manny Machado on one pitch.
Alexis Díaz allowed a one-out single and retired two batters in the ninth before giving way to Jack Dreyer for a matchup with pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn. Dreyer got the better of the lefty slugger to earn a save that snapped the Dodgers’ four-game losing streak. The Padres had won five in a row before Friday night.
Clayton Kershaw vs. Padres
Kershaw entered 23-11 with a 2.19 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and .196 opponents’ batting average in 47 career starts against the Padres.
“There’s just no one more intense or focused than Clayton. He has a way of elevating people’s focus and play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “And so to have him tonight, first game of this series, he’s the perfect guy.”
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