LOS ANGELES — Trailing 5-0 heading into the underside of the ninth, with their supervisor ejected and several other of their lineup regulars already substituted out, the Dodgers have been down … however not fairly out.
It took till the ninth inning, however the collection finale between the Padres and Dodgers proved simply as thrilling as the primary three video games. The benches cleared within the prime of the ninth after Fernando Tatis Jr. was plunked by an L.A. pitcher for the third time this season, and a Shohei Ohtani hit-by-pitch within the backside of the ninth put the tying run on the plate with two outs.
When the mud settled, the Dodgers’ late rally wasn’t sufficient, and so they fell in need of a sweep after dropping 5-3 to the Padres on Thursday evening. However they nonetheless took three of 4 from San Diego to cap a very difficult stretch of their schedule.
“I believed we performed good baseball,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “I feel that a few of our guys did not actually carry out nicely, and we nonetheless discovered a solution to win greater than we misplaced. I feel that we fared very well throughout that stretch of baseball video games.”
Precisely one month in the past, the Dodgers entered a stretch of their schedule that will actually check them as a workforce.
Since opening play in opposition to the D-backs on Could 19, the Dodgers have solely confronted groups with successful information. The 29-game span ended with a real gauntlet: seven in opposition to the Padres and three in opposition to the Giants, who spherical out the highest three within the NL West behind the Dodgers.
L.A. ended up going 17-12 in that span, taking all three collection in opposition to San Diego and San Francisco to wrap the lengthy stretch in opposition to potential contenders.
“While you play in opposition to the Padres, the Giants — all of it goes so quick, I do not even bear in mind all of the groups we have performed right here not too long ago,” Mookie Betts mentioned. “However you are taking part in in opposition to the those that know you essentially the most. It is enjoyable and it is good baseball. It will get emotional generally.”
That is an understatement with regards to the Padres-Dodgers rivalry.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto rebounded properly from final Friday, when he allowed 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings in opposition to the Giants, with a high quality begin in opposition to the Padres on Thursday evening. He allowed three runs throughout 6 1/3 innings, however the Dodgers could not muster sufficient offense to again him.
Their greatest shot got here after the benches had cleared within the prime of the ninth, and Roberts and Padres supervisor Mike Shildt had each been ejected from the sport. The Dodgers have been in a position to scratch a pair of runs throughout earlier than Padres nearer Robert Suarez hit Ohtani with a 3-0 depend.
Each benches have been issued warnings after the sooner fracas, so Suarez was ejected and the Padres needed to name on Yuki Matsui to complete the job.
That all of the sudden gave the Dodgers a preventing probability to come back again with two outs remaining within the recreation, however the prime of the order lacked its normal punch. Roberts had already pinch-hit for Betts, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman within the eighth inning. The rally in the end died when Dalton Dashing struck out swinging.
Thus ended the gauntlet for the Dodgers, who host the Nationals (31-44) this weekend at Dodger Stadium.
It was a victory in itself to come back out of the 29 video games in opposition to successful groups with a successful file, particularly contemplating the state of the Dodgers’ pitching employees. They have been with out three members of their Opening Day rotation in that span — Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki — and misplaced one other starter, Tony Gonsolin, to an elbow harm.
They returned a few key arms of their bullpen, Kirby Yates and Michael Kopech, however discovered they might lose Evan Phillips for the season attributable to Tommy John surgical procedure. Blake Treinen and Brusdar Graterol are nonetheless on the mend as nicely.
And but the Dodgers discover themselves on the opposite facet of an extended month in fairly fine condition.
“It simply exhibits we’re deep,” Betts mentioned. “However we nonetheless obtained a pair months to go and simply need to hold taking part in good Dodger baseball.”
