The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their regular-season success over the San Diego Padres by defeating them 4-2, picking up a fourth win in five of their meetings so far this year. Overall, the Dodgers have won five consecutive series in a row and have an eight-game winning streak at Dodger Stadium.
Last season the Dodgers went 14-5 against the Padres before being eliminated in the National League Division Series.
As the Padres looked to shift momentum this year, they took an early lead behind Juan Soto’s scorching line drive that easily carried out for a solo home run in the first inning. Soto to that point was 2-for-24 in his career against Julio Urías, with both hits being home runs.
Ha-Seong Kim gave the Padres a second homer off Urías in as many innings, but his solo shot trimmed the Dodgers’ lead to 3-2.
Urías held the Padres to just one more hit after Kim’s homer as he got through seven innings. However, there was trouble in the sixth as Max Muncy’s throwing error and Soto’s infield single put runners at the corners with one out.
Urías worked his way out of the jam by inducing Xander Bogaerts into an inning-ending double play. He did so by coming off the mound for an acrobatic throw to Miguel Vargas, who made a strong turn at second base to complete the play.
After losing three starts in a row for the first time in his career, Urías has responded by going 2-0 in his past three outings while allowing two runs or fewer in each game. Moreover, Urías’ 42 wins since the start of the 2021 season are the most in baseball, ahead Gerrit Cole (34) and Dylan Cease (29).
Evan Phillips retired the side in order in the eighth inning, but Brusdar Graterol gave way to Caleb Ferguson after allowing back-to-back hits with two outs in the ninth. The save was Ferguson’s third of his career and first since 2018.
Dodgers offense backs Urías
J.D. Martinez immediately erased the Dodgers’ deficit with a three-run home run off Joe Musgrove in the bottom of the first inning. L.A. added an insurance run in the third when Freddie Freeman doubled and Will Smith followed it with an RBI single.
However, the Dodgers went quiet from there, which included leaving the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
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