Dodgers edge second-place Padres 4-3, can clinch NL West with win in series finale
Shohei Ohtani singled in the go-ahead run before stealing his 56th base of the season in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Wednesday night to move within a victory of clinching the NL West.
The Dodgers increased their lead over the second-place Padres to three games with four to play and reduced their magic number to two. Los Angeles needs a win in Thursday's series finale to earn its 11th division title 12 years.
"You want to think about it," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It's right in front of us. We'll be ready."
The Padres' five-game winning streak ended a night after they celebrated making the postseason with a game-ending triple play on their biggest rival's field. They remain 3 1/2 games ahead of Arizona and the New York Mets for the NL's top wild-card spot.
"We're just going to keep coming," Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. said. "We're definitely going to bring the same energy tomorrow and keep going like that."
Ohtani's two-strike, two-out single to center off Adrián Morejón scored Will Smith, who drew a leadoff walk, and made it 4-3. Ohtani stole second, tying him with Ichiro Suzuki for the most in a season by a Japanese-born player.
"He's somebody I admire and look up to," Ohtani said through a translator. "I will continue to steal when the occasion is necessary."
The Dodgers couldn't capitalize, though, as Mookie Betts followed with a popup to end the inning. He popped up to every infield position.
With two outs in the ninth, Michael Kopech walked Jake Cronenworth to put the tying run aboard. Brandon Lockridge ran for Cronenworth and stole second. Donovan Solano struck out swinging on a 101 mph fastball from Kopech to end the game and keep fans on their feet cheering. Kopech earned his 15th save.
Alex Vesia (5-4) got the win with one hitless inning of relief. Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, retiring Tatis on a flyout and getting Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado on called third strikes.
"Tonight was a clinic," Roberts said of Treinen. "He's using his entire toolbox."
A 448-foot shot from Tatis — longest by a Padres player this season — tied the game at 3-3 with two outs in the fifth. It was his seventh homer in his last 13 games. San Diego didn't get a hit the rest of the game.
The Dodgers scored the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the fourth. Gavin Lux had an RBI single and Ohtani's double hit the Padres bullpen gate in right as the sellout crowd of 52,310 chanted "MVP! MVP!"
"There's some sense of elevation when it comes to playing these meaningful games," Ohtani said. "I'm really focused on quality at-bats."
Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada (6-3) took the loss.
Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single and Cronenworth followed with an RBI groundout to second for a 2-1 lead in the second.
Teoscar Hernández's two-strike, two-out RBI single scored Ohtani, who walked and took second on Padres starter Dylan Cease's wild pitch in the first. Hernández's hit snapped a 16 1/3 scoreless innings streak for Cease.
Ohtani leads the major leagues with 130 runs scored, leaving him one shy of the Los Angeles Dodgers record set by Freddie Freeman last season.
Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty gave up three runs and four hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked three.
Cease allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three.
