The Los Angeles Dodgers lowered their magic number to clinch the National League West to four games with an 8-4 victory against the San Diego Padres, led by the bats of Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner.
The duo combined to drive in seven of the Dodgers’ eight runs, which began in the third inning when Freeman singled to bring in Turner to break a scoreless tie. Manny Machado provided half of the Padres’ offense with two solo home runs, the first coming in the bottom of the third to tie the game.
With the bases loaded in the fifth, Turner lined a bases-clearing double into center field to drive in Trayce Thompson, Mookie Betts and Austin Barnes, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. Turner then scored when Freeman doubled to left field.
Machado hit his second home run of the game in the sixth to cut the Dodgers’ lead to three runs, but Freeman answered with a long ball of his own in the seventh to drive in Turner once again and put L.A. back up by five.
TREA RUN DOUBLE. pic.twitter.com/DzIYMPbXCC
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 11, 2022
Touchdown it is! 😂 pic.twitter.com/8Lf8fZFYKZ
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 11, 2022
4-for-4 for Freddie! pic.twitter.com/5R5pSBMO40
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 11, 2022
Freeman finished the game 4-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored, while Turner went 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and three runs scored.
Chris Taylor added some more insurance with an RBI single to drive in Will Smith, giving the Dodgers an 8-2 lead.
Julio Urías continued his Cy Young campaign by pitching seven innings while giving up the two homers to Machado and five hits total. He also struck out five and walked two while earning his 16th win of the season.
In 152.2 innings pitched, Urías has posted a 2.30 ERA, which is the lowest ERA in the National League among qualified starters and fourth overall in baseball.
Heath Hembree took over in the ninth and allowed two runs, but the Padres were not able to complete a comeback, or get all that close to one.
The earliest the Dodgers can clinch the NL West is Tuesday.
Dodgers lose key reliever to injured list
Although the game went well, it wasn’t all good news for the Dodgers on Saturday as they placed Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder tightness and recalled Andre Jackson from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Saturday’s game.
It’s Treinen’s second IL stint of the season and was backdated to Sept. 7, which makes Thursday, Sept. 22 the first day he is eligible to return.
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