After dropping the series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers came into the second game needing a win to avoid losing their first series against the San Diego Padres.
Although it’s still early in the season, the Dodgers and Padres have been fighting for first place in the National League West. The team that wins this series will leave with a division lead.
That extra win could go a long way at the end of the season if both teams remain close in the standings, making each of these games a little more important.
Dodgers 5, Padres 4: key takeaways
Emmet Sheehan struggles
Emmet Sheehan turned in an excellent start against the San Francisco Giants on May 14, but he turned in one of his worst starts in this one against the Padres.
The right-hander pitched just four innings, and he allowed four runs on five hits with only two strikeouts and one walk. Both runs came as the result of two-run home runs.
Each home run also came with two outs in the inning, making it all the more frustrating. The first came via Manny Machado in the first inning, and the second was from Miguel Andujar in the third.
After recording a career-high with swing and misses in his last start with his fastball, Sheehan picked up only five in his four innings, all of which came against his slider.
In total, his called strike plus whiff rate was a very pedestrian 22%, compared to the 32% he posted in his last start.
Once again, Sheehan’s velocity also tailed off after three innings. He started the game averaging 95.6 mph with his fastball, and by the fourth inning, his average was down by exactly 2 mph.
His ERA now sits at 4.93 in 45.2 innings this year.
Freddie Freeman provides most of offense
The Dodgers started their scoring early in this one, taking a lead in the first inning when Shohei Ohtani doubled and scored when Freddie Freeman blasted a two-run homer.
It was one of the two home runs he hit in the game, with his second tying the game in the sixth inning in the form of a solo shot.
The Dodgers scored their third run when Teoscar Hernández recorded a luck-fueled double off the third base bag and scored when Ohtani grounded out.
The Dodgers and Padres remained tied until the ninth inning, and received some luck to score the go-ahead run. After Max Muncy walked, Alex Call was called on to pinch-run.
Call appeared to be picked off as he started his steal attempt early, but Mason Miller threw the ball away, and Call ended up on third base.
Then on the ninth pitch of his at-bat, Andy Pages hit a sacrifice fly to drive Call in.
Dodgers bullpen outduels Padres bullpen
The Padres’ bullpen has been the biggest strength of their team and a nearly unflappable unit, but it was the Dodgers’ bullpen that came through to help them get the win.
The Dodgers bullpen had to cover five innings after Sheehan exited, and the group combined to do that with five shutout innings. Edgardo Henriquez, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Tanner Scott, and Will Klein all contributed to the win.
After Scott entered in the seventh and pitched the eighth, Klein got his first career save chance and recorded the three outs needed to end the game.
As for the Padres, Jeremiah Estrada’s struggles continued against the Dodgers by allowing the home run to Freeman, and Miller took his first loss in more than a year.
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