If there’s such a factor as an October gown rehearsal, that is it.
A rivalry sequence with the Nationwide League West’s high two groups. A division crown hanging within the stability. A potential postseason preview between baseball’s winningest crew and the one which has been taking part in greatest within the season’s second half.
For a late September showcase, the stakes at Dodger Stadium this week can’t be a lot greater. And in a series-opening 4-2 defeat to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night time, the Dodgers hardly may have come out wanting extra flat.
Proper all the way down to the ultimate at-bat.
After eight innings of wasted probabilities and stranded baserunners, the Dodgers suffered one final intestine punch within the backside of the ninth, when Miguel Rojas grounded right into a game-ending, crowd-silencing triple play — all whereas Shohei Ohtani was standing on deck because the potential game-winning run.
It was the ultimate indignity in what was the Dodgers’ eighth loss to the Padres in 11 video games, a setback that trimmed the crew’s division result in two video games. In the event that they don’t change issues the following two nights, that hole may disappear by the top of the week. And in the event that they find yourself choking away the division, an already difficult postseason path may develop much more daunting.
The Padres — who clinched a playoff spot whereas bettering to 41-17 for the reason that All-Star break, the very best file within the majors — had been higher in virtually each side.
On the mound, San Diego starter Michael King outdueled Dodgers rookie Landon Knack. Whereas King gave up simply an unearned run in 5 innings, Knack ran out of fuel in a four-inning, four-run outing; a regarding consequence for an unproven pitcher who probably will begin within the postseason.
On the plate, the Padres (91-66) additionally reigned supreme, repeatedly manufacturing runs in an eight-hit show whereas the Dodgers (93-64) stranded seven males on base and went two for 10 with runners in scoring place.
Most of all, the Padres performed cleaner and — in a continuation of a pattern Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts highlighted coming into this sequence — seemingly with extra depth.
Their lone miscue got here within the backside of the primary, when shortstop Xander Bogaerts fired excessive on a throw to first that allowed Ohtani to attain from second (Ohtani led the inning off with a double, breaking a Dodgers file together with his ninety fifth extra-base hit).
From there, it was the Dodgers who made one sloppy mistake after the following.
A failed double steal ended the primary inning, squandering a possibility to tack on to a 1-0 lead with runners on the corners.
Within the second, Mookie Betts struck out to strand the bases loaded, taking place swinging on a sweeper properly out of the zone.
Within the third, a one-walk by Teoscar Hernández was rapidly negated when he obtained doubled off on a lineout by Max Muncy.
A half-inning later, the Padres turned the 2-1 lead they’d taken on Jake Cronenworth’s second-inning dwelling run right into a 4-1 edge by sporting down Knack in a three-hit, 39-pitch rally.
The Dodgers did little to threaten the remainder of the best way.
Swap-hitter Tommy Edman popped out with two on to finish the sixth, after Padres supervisor Mike Shildt summoned right-hander Jeremiah Estrada to flip Edman to the left aspect, the place he was batting solely .200.
The seventh inning featured Rojas hitting right into a double play and Ohtani placing out on an ungainly swing in opposition to lock-down Padres left-hander Tanner Scott.
Then, after the Dodgers stranded a two-out double from Hernández within the eighth, the sport resulted in gorgeous sequence within the ninth, with Rojas hitting a floor ball to 3rd that the Padres turned for a triple play.
Now, it’ll take back-to-back wins for the Dodgers to clinch the division at dwelling, and not less than one to make sure they enter the season’s closing weekend nonetheless alone in first place.
