Freeman homers on birthday, leading Dodgers past Padres 11-2
Freddie Freeman homered, doubled and had four hits on his 34th birthday, Will Smith hit a three-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers trimmed their magic number for clinching the NL West to five with an 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.
Freeman was outstanding on his jersey giveaway night at Dodger Stadium, scoring a season-high four runs in front of thousands wearing his white No. 5 shirt. He singled and scored in the first, hit a two-run homer in the third, singled and scored again in the fourth and got his franchise-record 55th double in the eighth, completing his sixth four-hit game of the season.
Freeman now has four homers, 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored in the 14 major league games he has played on his birthday.
Lance Lynn (11-11) pitched seven sturdy innings of five-hit ball when the Dodgers needed it most. Despite giving up his major league-leading 41st homer, the 36-year-old LA newcomer shook off back-to-back poor starts and threw 111 largely effective pitches when Los Angeles had an overly taxed bullpen.
Fernando Tatís Jr. homered for the Padres, who have lost four of six.
Michael Wacha (11-4) took his second consecutive loss after going 6-0 in his previous eight starts for San Diego, yielding seven runs on seven hits and three walks while getting through just four innings.
Freeman singled, advanced on Smith's double and scored the Dodgers' first run on Max Muncy's long sacrifice fly in the first. After Dodger Stadium serenaded Freeman with "Happy Birthday to You" in the second inning, he drove a first-pitch sinker from Wacha to center in the third for his 26th homer.
San Diego scored on Trent Grisham's bases-loaded bunt in the fourth, but Lynn escaped the jam.
Freeman got his second single in the fourth, and Smith brought him home with his 18th homer.
Tatís hit a two-out shot in the fifth for his 24th homer of the season.
Pinch-hitter Chris Taylor and James Outman drove in runs in the seventh for Los Angeles.
J.D. Martinez drove in Mookie Betts and Freeman in the eighth. Freeman has scored a career-high 121 runs this season, passing Betts with 120.
NEW ARM
Kyle Hurt made his major league debut with two perfect innings of relief for the Dodgers, who promoted the hard-throwing San Diego County native and USC product before the game. Hurt retired Tatís, Juan Soto and Manny Machado in order on nine pitches in the eighth before striking out the side in the ninth, showing a 98 mph fastball.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: Yu Darvish has been shut down for the season due to a stress reaction in his right elbow. The 37-year-old hasn't pitched since Aug. 25 due to persistent elbow pain. He will rest for six weeks before determining whether surgery is needed.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw will start Saturday in Seattle after coming out of a 30-pitch bullpen session feeling good. The Dodgers pushed back his scheduled start several days after a decline in his velocity in his past two starts. ... LA reliever Daniel Hudson also threw 30 pitches off the slope of the mound in the next step of his comeback from a sprained knee ligament.
UP NEXT
Blake Snell (13-9, 2.52 ERA) takes the mound for San Diego in the series finale against Ryan Pepiot (2-0, 0.86), who has been stellar in his only two previous starts this season for the Dodgers.