The Padres had reached their breaking point after suffering eight straight losses, five of which were to the Dodgers in the last couple of weeks.
During the third pitch of Sunday’s game, manager Craig Stammen and infield coach Ryan Goins were thrown out for arguing a check swing call involving Fernando Tatis Jr. It might have felt like a theatrical outburst intended to energize the team.
Regardless of the motivation behind it, the Padres turned things around, pulling off a 5-2 victory over the Dodgers and salvaging something from what had been a tough four-game series at Dodger Stadium.
The game, especially in the late afternoon, had the excitement level of shadows creeping over the infield from the upper deck.
No hits were registered by either team in the first three innings, and the first score came from Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning. The game, however, felt rather dull and lacked any real suspense.
Despite throwing an unproductive 96 pitches, Dodgers starter Emmett Sheehan went only 4 1/3 innings but gave up just one run.
On the other side, Padres lefty JP Sears, with an ERA hovering around 7.00, bounced back effectively, keeping the Dodgers scoreless for five innings and allowing his first hit only when Miguel Rojas singled late in the game.
The Padres surged in the seventh, scoring four runs against Dodgers reliever Kyle Hart, with three coming from a pivotal home run by Manny Machado.
The Dodgers managed to answer back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to timely hits from Alex Freeland and Shohei Ohtani, but that was as far as they got.
At least for a day, the Padres had a reason to celebrate against a rival in the National League West.
What It Means
In the grand scheme of things, not much has changed.
The Dodgers (59-32) still hold a 14-game lead over the Padres (44-45), who are now tied for second in their division.
They maintain the best record in baseball and, barring unlikely events, are in a strong position to claim the National League West title again.
What they missed out on was achieving their first four-game winning streak against the Padres since 2009. Still, winning three games over the weekend solidified their division lead and guaranteed them the season series against their rivals.
Who Is Hot
It seems like the entire starting lineup and coaching staff were energized.
With the Padres on a prolonged losing streak, they appeared ready to challenge a questionable call from the umpires. When Tatis was called out on a check swing during his first at-bat, he quickly erupted from the dugout.
First, Goins was tossed from his spot on the bench.
Then, there was a bit of chaos as the rookie coach found himself caught up in an on-field clash.
Tatis continued to struggle at the plate, yet for a time, Sheehan kept him silent. Ultimately, the Padres left the field with something to cheer about.
Who Is Not?
Tommy Edman was added to the Dodgers’ lineup late after taking a hit to his surgically repaired right ankle the previous night.
Nonetheless, manager Dave Roberts expressed little concern about Edman’s condition before the game, saying he wasn’t too worried.
Interestingly, Edman did appear as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning but did not play defensively afterward.
On a brighter note for the Dodgers, Ohtani was back in action after sitting out due to a biceps strain. Roberts indicated that they will keep monitoring the situation, but Ohtani feels “back to normal.”
To the Next
The Dodgers are set to host the Rockies on Monday, continuing their 10-game homestand ahead of the All-Star break. Eric Lauer (4-5, 4.84 ERA) will start against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (2-7, 7.25 ERA).
