Scoring runs was the hardest thing in the world for the Dodgers for the first 23 innings of this weekend series at Petco Park in San Diego. But Freddie Freeman homered twice, and Dalton Rushing hit a game-changing three-run home run in a decisive seventh inning to beat the Padres 8-2 on Sunday to leave San Diego in a first-place tie atop the National League West.
There are still 31 games left on the schedule, and nothing has been decided. But the Dodgers could have made things much harder on themselves
had they not finally found some semblance of offense.
The Dodgers trailed 2-1 in the sixth inning, which was looking a lot like many Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts this season, with very little run support. Ninth-place hitter and backup catcher Elias Díaz took advantage of a cement-mixer fastball in the middle of the plate by Yamamoto for a two-run home run in the third inning, which gave San Diego the lead.
That was all Yamamoto allowed in his six innings, with six strikeouts in another strong outing, his team-best 14th quality start in his 25 appearances this season.
The Dodgers nearly found that offense in the first inning, when the first three batters reached against Nick Pivetta. Teoscar Hernández scorched a ball 400 feet to center that had home run distance, but instead of a grand slam he had to settle for a sacrifice fly thanks to a leaping catch over the wall by Ramon Laureano.
When Mookie Betts grounded out to open the sixth inning, the Dodgers to that point in the series had six hits in 73 at-bats, a meager .082 batting average and just three runs in just over 23 innings.
Staring down a sweep that would have pushed Los Angeles two games back in the division, Freeman homered to right center field to tie the game. Hernández followed Freeman with another near home run, this time with more than enough distance down the left field line. Only it hit off the foul side of the Western Metal Supply Building for a long strike.
After Pivetta went six innings, giving Padres starters 15 strikeouts and only three runs and four hits allowed in 18 innings in the series, it was a battle of bullpens, starting with a familiar Dodgers target.
Jeremiah Estrada has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last two seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and striking out over a third of his batters faced. But the Dodgers have his number this season.
Andy Pages started the seventh inning with a single off Estrada, who then walked an 0-for-last-18 Michael Conforto. With one out, it was the Dodgers backup catcher’s turn to shine. Rushing fell behind but worked the count full before launching a ball into the seats in right field for a lead and a sigh of relief.
Estrada got one more out and gave up another hit before getting pulled, then Freeman hit his second home run in as many innings, this one a two-run shot that gave the Dodgers their first actual breathing room since arriving in San Diego.
Estrada this season has allowed 13 runs in 6 1/3 innings to the Dodgers, and has given up 11 total runs in 53 innings against everyone else, good for a 1.36 ERA and 38.5-percent strikeout rate.
Shohei Ohtani added a solo shot in the ninth inning for some insurance, giving him 45 on the season and 99 in his 287 games with the Dodgers. If Ohtani can homer in any of his next 111 games, he’ll be the quickest to 100 home runs in franchise history.
After a 1-for-16 start to Sunday, the Dodgers finished on an 8-for-19 kick with seven runs over the final four innings. Things are finally looking up for the offense, and the Dodgers head home looking up at nobody in the standings.
Sunday particulars
Home runs: Freddie Freeman 2 (18), Dalton Rushing (3), Shohei Ohtani (45); Elias Díaz (6)
WP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
LP — Jeremiah Estrada (4-5): 2/3 IP, 3 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Up next
The Dodgers return home to begin a series against the Reds on Monday night (7:10 p.m; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Emmet Sheehan starts on the mound for Los Angeles.
