Chris Taylor hit a two-run home run and Dustin May kept San Diego in check for six scoreless innings as the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Padres 2-1 Saturday night for their seventh win in eight games.
The Dodgers rebounded from a 5-2 loss Friday night in the teams’ first meeting since the Padres eliminated the Dodgers in four games in the NL Division Series.
Padres lefty Blake Snell (1-5) had retired the first 11 batters before walking Will Smith and then allowing Taylor’s homer to the balcony on the second level of the brick warehouse in the left field corner. It was Taylor’s sixth and the Dodgers’ 55th, trailing Atlanta by one for the NL lead.
That was Snell’s only major mistake. He allowed only two more baserunners, both on walks, while striking out six, in six innings.
May (4-1) held the Padres to just three singles — two by Fernando Tatis Jr. — while striking out six and walking one.
Evan Phillips pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
Taylor’s homer was the Dodgers’ only hit until the eighth, when Miguel Rojas and Freddie Freeman singled and Smith walked to load the bases with two outs. Taylor came up and flied out to center.
The Padres finally broke through in the eighth when rookie Brett Sullivan hit a leadoff double to left and scored on Tatis’ double to left, his third hit. Tatis took third on Manny Machado’s groundout for the first out but was stranded.
ACTING SKIPPER
Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann served as interim manger while Dave Roberts attended the graduation of his son, Cole, from Loyola Marymount University in L.A.
CRYING KERSHAW MEME
The Padres caused a stir on social media after posting a meme of Clayton Kershaw with animated tears on the scoreboard at the end of Friday night’s win. Some people thought it was classless but many Padres fans enjoyed it. Kershaw, who allowed two homers to Fernando Tatis Jr., didn’t seem bothered, telling reporters, “You don’t like it, pitch better. I don’t think they do that if we win.” Padres manager Bob Melvin said he didn’t see it and then asked reporters, ”Explain a meme to me.” Told what it was, Melvin said: “I still don’t think I know what it is.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers LHP Julio Urias (4-3, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday night’s series finale against Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (1-0, 10.80), whose start was pushed back two days. Musgrove developed blisters on the bottom of his feet while running barefoot on the artificial turf of the stadium in Mexico City where the Padres played the San Francisco Giants last weekend.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles
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