The Dodgers (52-30) scored only once against old friend and World Series hero Walker Buehler and the San Diego bullpen, dropping the series opener 7-1 to the Padres (43-37) Friday night at Petco Park.
The game remained close, within two runs, for most of the game. The Dodgers failed time and time again to drive in runs with runners in scoring position (0-for-4), and they left six men on base. They also hit into three double plays. It was a testament to how good San Diego’s pitching is, including Buehler,
who impressed against his former team for the win.
Shohei Ohtani rolled a leadoff single into right field off Buehler to open the series between the NL West rivals. Andy Pages bounced into a Fielder’s Choice. While Freddie Freeman struck out at the plate, Pages was gunned down by Rodolfo Durán at second on a steal attempt for a strike ’em out, throw e’m out play to end the first.
The Dodgers also used their defense to turn a double play to end the first and prevent San Diego from cashing in a walk.
Mookie Betts continued to be hot at the plate with a leadoff home run in the second off his former teammate.
The Betts home run would be the sole offensive highlight of the night for the Dodgers who were shut down therafter by San Diego pitching.
A 10-pitch walk and a wild pitch put old friend Manny Machado into scoring position in the bottom of the second with nobody out. He also walked Gavin Sheets which spurred a visit to the mound by Mark Prior.
Ty France got the Padres their big hit with a three-run homer off a bad Sasaki slider to give San Diego a 3-1 lead.
A rare miscue from Pages near the center field wall allowed Machado to reach second to lead off the bottom of the fourth. After Sasaki walked Will Wagner to load the bases with two outs, the Dodgers bullpen began to stir. It was the fourth free pass allowed by Sasaki on the night. Betts made a good defensive play to retire Rodolfo Durán and end the bases-loaded threat.
Freeman doubled to the left field corner off left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui with one out. Betts was intentionally walked to load the bases for Max Muncy. Muncy popped up the first pitch for the second out, and Kyle Tucker flied out to leave the bases loaded…again.
Machado allowed the ball hit by Muncy to fall, and it nearly bounced foul despite the infield fly rule call on the field. Manny…still being Manny.
The Padres took advantage of the nine walks allowed by Dodgers pitching on the night. They broke the game open and scored four more runs thanks to two more walks and four hits in the bottom of the eighth against Jonathan Hernández. Tatis Jr. knocked in the final run on a RBI single to make it 7-1.
The Padres didn’t need to use Mason Miller with a six-run lead and gave the ball to Wandy Peralta to close things out. Alex Call managed a single in the top of the ninth, but the Dodgers offense wasn’t able to muster anything else.
The second-place Padres move up to 8 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West standings.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Mookie Betts (10); Ty France (10)
WP — Walker Buehler (5-3): 5 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts (74 pitches)
LP — Roki Sasaki (3-5): 4 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, 2 strikeouts (81 pitches)
Up next
The series down south continues Saturday night at (5:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-5, 2.65 ERA, 0.87) and Randy Vásquez (6-5, 4.17 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) starting.
