Fans of round numbers enjoyed Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s masterful performance to lead a second straight low-scoring win for the Dodgers against the Padres, this one finishing 3-0. It was with his 100th pitch that Yamamoto secured a 10th strikeout to wrap up seven scoreless innings—Yamamoto tied a career-high in punchouts and delivered his best outing against the Padres, a team that prior to this season had caused him problems.
While runs were at a premium on both sides, the Dodgers didn’t need much to
feel good about their chances in this one. Just three runs were more than enough to hold off an offense that had no response for Yamamoto, and it could’ve been more if not for the Padres’ defense. The Dodgers squandered a chance to open the scoring in the first inning when Mookie Betts hit what could’ve been a two-out RBI double, but Freddie Freeman got gunned down at the plate. Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts combined for a nice play to preserve the 0-0 on the board at least until the third inning.
It’s pitching 101 that a starter is leaving room for the disastrous if he doesn’t open up an inning against the bottom of an order with dominance, particularly if you’re facing an offense as strong as the Dodgers. Griffin Canning replaced opener Wandy Peralta after the first, and with hitters number eight and nine reaching base in the third inning—in this case, Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland—it felt like a given that Los Angeles would get on the board. That’s exactly what the Dodgers did with an Andy Pages RBI knock, filling in as the designated hitter with Shohei Ohtani on the bench.
You wouldn’t know it from his performance tonight—as he ended up holding the Dodgers to just one run in four innings as the bulk man, but it’s been a disastrous campaign for Canning. The Padres’ right-hander lowered his ERA to 6.71 and took a sixth loss in his seventh decision.
However great Yamamoto was from start to finish, creating this feel of an insurmountable lead as soon as the Dodgers got on the board, they still felt pressed to add to it. That only came in the sixth inning when Freddie Freeman made up for faltering with a runner in scoring position earlier in the game by hitting a solo shot, only his 15th on the season and third at home since the beginning of June.
Still, any night that Freeman doesn’t deliver with a runner in scoring position doesn’t feel complete, and so he did in the eighth. The Dodgers first baseman drove in Tommy Edman on one of his patented line drives to center field for a single.
Back to Yamamoto, though, despite allowing five base runners with three hits and five walks, the Dodgers starter only had one at-bat against him with a runner in scoring position, responding well to any setback, no matter how rare—speaking of, that final pitch to secure the seven scoreless had a bit of it, considering Yamamoto was facing a full count against Merrill because of a pitch-clock violation at 2-2.
The only dicey moment in the two innings of relief following Yamamoto came in the eighth when Dave Roberts called on Alex Vesia to face Jake Cronenworth with a runner on and a 2-0 lead. Vesia got the strikeout and didn’t even come back for the ninth, leaving the save to Will Klein.
Game particulars
- Home run: Freddie Freeman (15)
- WP— Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9-5): 7 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
- LP— Griffin Canning (1-6): 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
- SV – Will Klein (2): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts
Up next
The possibility for a four-game sweep awaits on a late start on Sunday afternoon on the West Coast, as the Dodgers and Padres play with first pitch scheduled for 4:20 P.M. (PT). Emmett Sheehan will start for the home side and be opposed by J.P. Sears, making only his third start in 2026.
