Dodgers Squander 10 Hits In 5-1 Loss To Padres
The Dodgers had no trouble putting runners on base Wednesday night.
Bringing them home was a different story.
Los Angeles collected 10 hits but went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 in a 5-1 loss to the Padres at Dodger Stadium.
The loss prevented the Dodgers from clinching a first-round postseason bye and dropped their record to 97-61. Their magic number to secure the National League’s No. 2 seed remains one after Atlanta defeated Cincinnati.
Any Dodgers win or Braves loss over the remaining four games would send Los Angeles directly to the NLDS.
Machado Breaks Scoreless Tie
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Padres starter Robbie Ray traded scoreless innings through the first three frames before San Diego broke through in the fourth.
Dustin Harris was initially ruled not to have been hit by a pitch, but the call was overturned following a Padres challenge. Manny Machado then drove Yamamoto’s next pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run homer.
The Dodgers immediately threatened in the bottom half.
Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Andy Pages opened the inning with consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out.
Los Angeles managed only one run.
Max Muncy flew out without advancing a runner before Tommy Edman brought Hernández home with a sacrifice fly. Mookie Betts walked to reload the bases, but David Morgan struck out Shohei Ohtani to end the inning with the Dodgers trailing 2-1.
It proved to be their best opportunity of the night.
Yamamoto’s Error Opens Door For Two More Runs
San Diego added two runs in the fifth after singles from Ethan Salas and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Yamamoto committed a throwing error on a ball hit by Harris, allowing Salas to score and putting two more runners in scoring position. Machado followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the Padres’ lead to 4-1.
Both runs were unearned.
Yamamoto recovered to complete six innings, allowing four runs—two earned—on five hits. He walked one, struck out four and threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
It was not Yamamoto’s sharpest performance, but the Dodgers’ inability to capitalize offensively left him with almost no margin for error.
Dodgers Fail To Cash In
The middle of the Dodgers’ lineup produced most of the offense.
Hernández finished 3-for-4, Tucker went 2-for-4 and Pages collected three hits in four at-bats, including his 26th double of the season.
Those three combined for eight of the Dodgers’ 10 hits.
Pages doubled to begin the sixth, but Bradgley Rodriguez retired Muncy, Edman and Betts without allowing him to advance. Los Angeles also put runners aboard in each of the final three innings without scoring.
Freddie Freeman finished 0-for-5 and grounded into a double play in the fifth. Betts went hitless in four official at-bats, while Muncy and Edman were also held without a hit.
The Dodgers had at least one runner aboard in every inning but failed to produce a run outside Edman’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly.
Ohtani Singles In Return
Ohtani returned to the lineup for the first time since aggravating his right-biceps inflammation earlier this month.
Batting second instead of his usual leadoff spot, Ohtani singled through the right side in his first plate appearance and drew a walk in the third.
His best chance to alter the game came with the bases loaded in the fourth, but Morgan struck him out to preserve San Diego’s lead.
Ohtani later lined out sharply to center and struck out against Mason Miller in the ninth, finishing 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
It was an uneven return, but getting Ohtani five plate appearances was an important first step as the Dodgers attempt to rebuild his timing before October.
Bullpen Limits Damage Until Ninth
Kris Bubic worked around a single and hit batter to throw a scoreless seventh inning, ending his appearance by getting Machado to ground into a double play.
Jack Dreyer retired all four hitters he faced before Blake Treinen entered with one out in the ninth.
Treinen walked Samad Taylor, who stole second and third before scoring on Freddy Fermin’s single. Tatis followed with a double, but the Dodgers prevented another run when Freeman threw Fermin out at the plate.
The late insurance run gave Miller more than enough room to close the game.
After splitting the first two games of the series, the Dodgers and Padres will meet once more Thursday night in Los Angeles. Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to start as the Dodgers make another attempt to secure their first-round bye before heading to San Francisco for the final series of the regular season.