After shutting out the Padres on Saturday, the Dodgers couldn’t rally back from down five as they dropped Sunday’s contest 5-2, helping San Diego snap their seven-game losing streak.
Both Emmet Sheehan and JP Sears were nearly untouchable over their first three innings of work, only allowing one walk while holding each other hitless. San Diego broke through against Sheehan in the top of the fourth, as Manny Machado worked a one-out walk before Gavin Sheets singled to break up the no-hit bid and put
runners on the corners. Jackson Merrill broke the scoreless ice with a two-out RBI single to give San Diego their first run since Friday, and Sheehan needed 28 pitches to end the inning.
San Diego knocked Sheehan out in the fifth inning after Luis Campusano walked for the second time and Fernando Tatis Jr. sprayed a double down the right field line. Jack Dreyer came in to help extinguish the rally, as he got out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs.
Although Sheehan only logged 4 1/3 innings on 96 pitches, the right-hander was tagged for just one run for a second consecutive start against San Diego. Sheehan now has a 1.94 ERA over his last two starts, helping to bring his season ERA down to 4.91.
The lefty Sears entered Sunday’s start with an ERA at 6.97 over his first two starts. Sears flirted with a no-hitter up until the fifth inning when Miguel Rojas lined a single up the middle to end the bid. Sears managed to complete five innings of scoreless work, registering his best start at the big league level since being acquired from the Athletics last year.
The Dodgers managed to get both the tying and go-ahead runners on base with a pair of walks against Yuki Matsui in the bottom of the sixth inning, the the opportunity was wasted as Bradgley Rodriguez got out of the inning unscathed.
San Diego got an insurance run on an RBI single from Tatis in the top of the seventh against Kyle Hurt, and Machado broke the game open with a three-run home run to center field to give the Padres a 5-0 lead. It was Machado’s 26th home run hit as a Padre against his old team, passing Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield for the most home runs hit against the Dodgers in franchise history.
The Dodgers ensured that they wouldn’t suffer the same fate as San Diego did on Saturday, as singles from Alex Freeland and the birthday boy Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers a pair of runs. Andy Pages had a chance to tie the game with two on and two out, but Adrián Morejón got him swinging to end the threat.
Morejón remained in for the eighth inning, holding the Dodgers in check, before Mason Miller retired the side in order to put San Diego back in the win column for the first time since June 26.
Shohei Ohtani couldn’t celebrate his birthday with a win, but the two-way superstar went 1-3 with an RBI and a walk. Ohtani is now a career .138 hitter (4-29) on his birthday.
Freddie Freeman’s on-base streak came to a close after 19 games, going 0-4 on Sunday.
Eliezer Alfonzo made his big league debut on Sunday, as the switch-hitter went 0-2 before Tommy Edman pinch hit for him in the bottom of the seventh.
Game particulars
- Home runs— Manny Machado (18)
- WP— JP Sears (2-1): 5 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
- LP— Emmet Sheehan (4-6): 4 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
- SV— Mason Miller (22): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Up next
The Dodgers kick off the final week of the first half with a three-game home series against the Colorado Rockies beginning Monday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Eric Lauer faces Kyle Freeland.
