San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers – Results, Stats and Summary – September 25, 2024 Gametracker

LOS ANGELES (AP) Shohei Ohtani scored the game-winning run with a single before stealing his 56th base of the season in the sixth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Wednesday night and moved just one win away from securing the NL West title.

The Dodgers extended their lead over the second-place Padres to three games with four games remaining and reduced their magic number to two. Los Angeles needs a win in Thursday's series finale to clinch its 11th division title in 12 years. The Dodgers have already secured a postseason berth.

The Padres' five-game winning streak ended one night after they celebrated their entry into the postseason with a game-winning triple play on the field of their biggest rival.

Ohtani's single to center with two strikes and two outs from Adrián Morejón brought home Will Smith, who drew a walk and tied the game at 4-3. Ohtani stole second base, but Mookie Betts followed with a pop-up to end the inning. Betts managed a pop-up to every position in the infield.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Michael Kopech walked Jake Cronenworth to tie the game. Brandon Lockridge ran for Cronenworth and stole second base. Donovan Solano struck out a 101 mph fastball from Kopech, ending the game and causing cheers from the fans. Kopech made his 15th save.

Alex Vesia (5-4) took the win with a hitless inning in relief.

Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning, knocking out Fernando Tatis Jr. on a flyout and bringing in Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado with third strikes.

A 448-footer by Tatis – the longest by a Padres player this season – tied the game at 3-3 with two outs in the fifth inning. It was his seventh home run in his last 13 games.

The Dodgers tied the game and took the lead with two outs in the fourth inning. Gavin Lux had an RBI single and Ohtani's double hit the Padres' bullpen gate from right as the sellout crowd of 52,310 chanted “MVP! MVP!”

Padres relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada (6-3) suffered the defeat.

Xander Bogaerts had an RBI single and Cronenworth followed with an RBI groundout to second base for a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

Teoscar Hernández's two-strike, two-out RBI single brought home Ohtani, who walked a wild pitch from Padres starter Dylan Cease in the first inning and got to second base.

Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty allowed three runs and four hits in five innings. The right-hander had five strikeouts and three walks.

Cease allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out four times and allowed three runs.

TRAINING ROOM

Dodgers: SS Miguel Rojas left the game because of a strain in his left groin.

Next

Padres: RHP Joe Musgrove (6-5, 3.95 ERA) has thrown six scoreless innings in three of his four games this month.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.63) is still looking for his second win in his final start of the regular season.

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