Game One
[FRIDAY] Ross Stripling pitched well enough to keep the Dodgers in striking distance, but definitely had room to improve while facing ‘The Dodger Slayer’, Eric Lauer. The offense was limited and was unable to bounce back after losing the lead.
Stripling worked through three and a third innings, yielding two runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Stripling could only manage four strikeouts versus a Padres lineup that strikes out more than any other team in baseball. Stripling would be tagged with the loss after leaving a deficit for the relievers.
The Dodgers sent eight relievers to the mound in the series opener. From the bullpen, in order, emerged Pedro Baez, Zac Rosscup, Ryan Madson, Alex Wood, Dylan Floro, Scott Alexander, John Axford, and Pat Venditte. The bullpen as a collective group allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, collecting five strikeouts as a group. The runs were allowed by Ryan Madson and John Axford, who each gave up just one run each.
The Dodgers’ offense swatted a 2 for 9 (.222) average with runners in scoring position over nine innings, leaving ten runners on base. Notably, the Dodgers got off to an early lead on a solo home run by Kiké Hernandez in the third inning. A pair of RBI singles by Manny Machado and Yasiel Puig helped the Dodgers cause, but it simply wasn’t enough to get the win.
Dodgers lose to the Padres, 5-3. (Padres lead series, 1-0)
Game Two
[SATURDAY] The Dodgers bounce back with an important win in game two of this series, powered by a strong offensive game and a shutdown outing from Rich Hill. The Dodgers continue their reign over the National League West.
Hill dominated through seven innings of one-run baseball, giving up only four hits and surrendering no walks. Hill racked up a strong seven strikeouts in his outing, assisting the Dodgers to a very solid win. Hill’s efforts earned him has tenth win of the season. Hill is the only Dodger to reach that mark this season, as lots of injuries to the pitching staff have plagued the team’s win totals.
The Dodgers sent five relievers to the mound to polish off the remaining two innings of baseball. Those five pitchers were Alex Wood, Josh Fields, Yimi Garcia, Tony Cingrani, and Kenley Jansen. The only pitcher to come in following Hill who pitched the night before was Wood, recording no outs in this appearance. Kenley Jansen emerged from the Dodgers’ left field bullpen and converted the save in the ninth; his 37th of the season.
The Dodgers’ offense showed up in a big way to help Hill get the win, swatting three home runs in the game. Joc Pederson, Manny Machado, and Yasmani Grandal were responsible for the big flies. Justin Turner also turned around an RBI double, picking up two runs. The Dodgers left only five runners on base, slashing a solid 2 for 5 (.400) line with runners in scoring position.
Dodgers defeat the Padres, 7-2. (Dodgers tie series, 1-1)
Game Three
[SUNDAY] Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed a gem for the Dodgers in one of the bigger games for Los Angeles down the final stretch here in September. The offense took off for over double-digits in the run column and put a beat down on San Diego that won’t soon be forgotten.
Ryu tossed six shutout innings, allowing only four hits. Ryu also put together a powerful eight-strikeout performance on Sunday. A shutdown outing like this from a guy as far down in the depth chart as Ryu is a promising sight for the Dodgers, and will serve well should the Dodgers punch a ticket to October baseball.
Josh Fields and Julio Urías were summoned from the bullpen in a mop-up role after the Dodgers’ put up a crooked number. The two relievers put together a shutout three inning performance, allowing only one hit. Urías tossed two shutout innings, topping out at 97 MPH on his fastball. Seeing the resurgence of Julio Urías after a year-long recovery from shoulder surgery.
Simply put, the Dodgers’ offense tore the Padres apart. The Dodgers posted fourteen runs against Joey Lucchesi and the Padres’ relievers. Lucchesi was tagged with seven earned runs, giving up home runs in Matt Kemp, Manny Machado, and Austin Barnes. By the end of the fourth inning, the Dodgers held an 8-0 lead. The Dodgers’ RBI leader was Matt Kemp, celebrating his 34th birthday by collecting three RBI’s and coming just a triple short of hitting for the cycle. Notably, Dodgers’ starting pitcher, Hyun-Jin Ryu, had three hits in the game. That’s only one less hit than the number that Ryu gave up to the entire Padres lineup. What an unreal game at the plate for the Dodgers!
Dodgers defeat the Padres, 14-0. (Dodgers win series, 2-1)
Dodgers-LowDown ‘Player of the Series’
While the Dodgers had lots of great performances to choose from in this series, but the one player who stood out consistently was Manny Machado. In all three games of the series, Machado collected a hit. The consistency shown by Machado will most certainly end up winning the Dodgers some ballgames down the stretch.
Machado’s Final Line:
- 12 AB
- 4 H (2 HR)
- 3 R
- 6 RBI
- 1 BB
Arrick Joel has covered the Dodgers since 2017, and for Dodgers-LowDown since 2018. Follow @ArrickJoel and @DodgersLowDown on Twitter for more.