Dodgers strike first in rivalry series
by Mark Langill
Three’s a crowd.
The Dodgers’ two biggest division rivals are bunched atop the standings with Los Angeles.
The Dodgers got a little bit more distance from one of those teams thanks to a 5–2 victory on Wednesday.
Teoscar Hernández’s three-run home run in the fifth inning — his first homer since May 21 — keyed the Dodgers’ win against the Padres. The Dodgers won two of three games in the first series between the teams. Hernandez broke a 0-for-16 slump with runners in scoring position with his 11th home run.
“Teoscar has a knack for getting big hits, and that one was as big as any this season,” said Dodger manager Dave Roberts. “After having a clunker of a game last night, we came back. The bullpen was prepared to perform and we found a way to win the series.”
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Entering Wednesday’s matinee, the Dodgers held a half-game lead over San Francisco and a one-game cushion over the Padres after their 11–1 loss on Tuesday to the Padres.
The Dodgers now head back home where their next seven games are against the Giants (three) and Padres (four).
Starter Ben Casparius kept Los Angeles in the game early on Wednesday by scattering one run on three hits in four innings. Seven pitchers, including Alex Vesia (who struck out the side in the ninth inning for his third save), checked San Diego on one unearned run and one hit in five innings.
In the second inning, the Padres threatened with three consecutive singles by Gavin Sheets, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth. Sheets tried to score from second on Cronenworth’s single to center, but Andy Pages charged the ball and threw a no-hop strike to catcher Will Smith.
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Casparius, though, couldn’t take advantage of the break. He walked №8 hitter Jose Iglesias to load the bases and forced across a run when he walked Martin Maldonado on a 3–1 count. With a chance to break open the game, Fernando Tatis Jr. chased the first pitch and flied to right.
“I thought Ben did a great job of bouncing back after that walk to Maldonado, which was uncharacteristic,” Roberts said. “He wasn’t going to come out of the game after three (innings), which was huge. And I thought the other guys did a great job.”
Casparius, who was told on Tuesday night he was starting the game, felt better after getting Tatis Jr. on a first-pitch slider.
The Dodgers tied the game in the fifth inning on Michael Conforto’s opposite-field home run to left off San Diego starter Randy Vásquez. In his previous at-bat, Conforto flied to left in the second inning with two out and runners on first and third. Conforto kept the same approach in his second at-bat against Vásquez. This time, the ball carried over the fence.
Conforto, who entered the game with a .173 batting average, was happy to make consistent contact with fastballs. A former member of the Mets and Giants, enjoyed his first Dodgers-Padres series, saying the atmosphere at Petco Park felt like a rivalry.
“This is one of the loudest ballparks to play in,” Conforto said. “The atmosphere was great. It’s a good start to my (Dodger) career with this rivalry and I’m looking forward to more of it.”
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In the sixth inning, Freddie Freeman singled and Will Smith walked to set up Hernandez’s three-run shot that gave Los Angeles a 4–1 cushion.
In another key moment, left-hander Anthony Banda — in relief of Michael Kopech — faced a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning. Banda retired Luis Arraez on a popup. Manny Machado pulled a sharp grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts, who made a backhanded stop and on the run accurately bounced his throw to Freeman to retire Machado.
Teoscar’s blast beats Padres was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.