SAN DIEGO — 5 days in the past, the Dodgers lastly appeared to be constructing some late-season momentum.
Within the span of every week, nonetheless, they’ve as soon as once more squandered any actual ahead progress.
Coming off a sweep of the San Diego Padres at residence final weekend, the Dodgers seemed to be in robust place for the stretch run. They’d constructed a two-game lead within the Nationwide League West. That they had the last-place Colorado Rockies up subsequent on the schedule. And even with a visit to San Diego looming after that, they have been primed to probably take a stranglehold within the standings.
As a substitute, the group break up its four-game set in Denver, giving a sport again to the Padres whereas San Diego took three of 4 from the San Francisco Giants in the identical span.
Then, in Friday’s collection opener at Petco Park, the Padres punched again in a rivalry the Dodgers had owned for many of this season, utilizing a 2-1 win to attract even atop the Nationwide League West.
Earlier than Friday, beating the Padres (73-56) was the one factor this yr’s underwhelming Dodgers group had constantly performed nicely. That they had taken eight of the earlier 10 matchups. Their sweep at Dodger Stadium final week felt like a press release, poised to interrupt the group out of an prolonged summer time funk.
However after a disappointing week in opposition to the Rockies, the Dodgers (73-56) as soon as once more fell flat in entrance of a sold-out Petco Park crowd.
Rookie infielder Alex Freeland hit his first profession residence run within the third inning, opening the scoring on a dangling sweeper from Yu Darvish. However after that, the veteran Japanese right-hander went on the assault, retiring 10 of the ultimate 11 batters he confronted in a dominant six-inning begin.
Dodgers beginning pitcher Blake Snell delivers through the first inning Friday in opposition to the Padres.
(Orlando Ramirez / Related Press)
Blake Snell, in the meantime, began robust in his first outing at Petco Park since leaving the Padres on the finish of 2023. By means of three innings, he had silenced the Padres beneath a barrage of curveballs and well-located heaters. However within the fourth, Fernando Tatis Jr. drew a leadoff stroll, Manny Machado singled him residence after a sacrifice bunt (one in all three the Padres executed in an obvious pre-determined sport plan), Ryan O’Hearn adopted with one other hit on a slider that hung up, and Xander Bogaerts flipped the rating with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
Snell was glorious the remainder of the best way, finishing seven innings for the primary time in his Dodgers profession.
Alas, it didn’t matter.
As a result of even after Darvish left the sport, the Dodgers’ offense couldn’t claw again.
Their greatest alternative got here within the eighth, when hard-throwing Padres deadline acquisition Mason Miller walked Michael Conforto and Freeland to create a jam. With one out, nonetheless, Dalton Speeding got here to the plate as a pinch-hitter, rolled a floor ball on a 101-mph fastball to the proper aspect, and couldn’t get to first in time to beat out a double play (he was initially known as protected, however a Padres problem overturned the decision). The inning ended with Shohei Ohtani ready on deck.
The Dodgers mounted one final rally within the ninth, recording their first hits since Freeland’s homer on singles from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. However Padres nearer Robert Suarez escaped the jam by placing out Teoscar Hernández to finish the sport — leaving the Dodgers as soon as once more on the again foot, simply days after that they had lastly appeared to have discovered stable floor.
