Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run home run. highlighted a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to beat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead. in a tense NL Division series.
The Padres came within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, filled with a towel-waving crowd of 47,744.
The fans roared as Robert Suarez beat Gavin Lux at full-court to complete a four-man save.
Tatis’ stunning homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, though Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with a single in the third off Michael King to bring the Dodgers within a run.
Dodger’s Teoscar Hernandez hits a big hit against the Padres
Mookie Betts also asked the Dodgers to break an 0-for-22 playoff streak, but he apparently thought that left fielder Jurickson Profar was the one to beat him as he did Sunday night in a 10-2 Padres win at Dodger Stadium, when anger erupted on the field and in the stands. The bettors circled first and headed for the dugout before teammates and even King suggested it was a homer.
Tatis’ shot into the left field seats was his third of the series, leaving him one shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis had two of San Diego’s six hits Sunday night. A fired-up Tatis stood for a few seconds and watched the ball roll out of the yard, flipped his bat and gestured toward the dugout before beginning his trot.
King earned his second win in as many playoff starts after allowing five runs and five hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and one walk. He was coming off a shutout in the Wild Card Series opener against Atlanta, when he became the first pitcher in history with 12 strikeouts and no walks in the postseason opener in San Diego’s 4-0 win.
Betts gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first after some confusion.
He lofted a flyball into the left-field corner with a single in the first inning about the same distance he did at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, when Profar jumped and reached into the crowd to make the catch. After Profar arrived, he stomped on the fans staring at them and jumped up and down several times before throwing the ball onto the field.
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Profar jumped again Tuesday night but couldn’t retrieve it, the ball going off his glove and into the crowd. The bettors circled first and then turned toward the dugout before he reached second base. Betts’ teammates in the dugout, including Max Muncy, motioned for him to continue with King signaling with his right arm that it was OK.
Betts resumed his trot after his first hit since Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against San Diego, which the Padres won in four games.
San Diego’s second-inning blowout came with the loss of pitcher Walker Buehler, who was making his first playoff start since Game 6 of the NLCS against Atlanta. Buehler missed the 2023 season after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022.
The first five Padres hitters reached and scored. Xander Bogaerts drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and David Peralta scored two runs. Kyle Higashioka struck out two batters before Tatis singled.
Manny Machado hit a leadoff single and went to third after first baseman Freddie Freeman grounded Jackson Merrill and hit Machado on the left shoulder while throwing to second from his knees.
Buehler also went five innings, allowing six runs and seven hits with no hits and one walk.
The Dodgers opened the third by loading the bases on back-to-back singles by Miguel Rojas, Shohei Ohtani and Betts before Hernández hit a home run to straight center.
COACH’S ROOM
Dodgers: SS Miguel Rojas left the game in the top of the third. … Freeman was back in the lineup after exiting after five innings Sunday night with a sprained right ankle. He was lifted for a pinch runner after limping to first in the eighth inning.
UP NEXT
The Padres will start Dylan Cease in Game 4 on short rest, manager Mike Shildt said. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will go with the bullpen as they face elimination. First pitch at Petco Park is scheduled for 9:08 pm ET on FS1.
It is reported by the Associated Press.
San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers
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