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The San Diego Padres are an extremely talented, confident team that came into the NLDS as one of the hottest groups in baseball, having won 13 of their last 17 contests. These days, he doesn’t need much help to win games.
But in the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers provided him with more than a little help.
The Padres scored six runs in that frame, including a throwing error by Freddy Freeman and the Dodgers’ inability to get a single baserunner out on a double-play attempt. Fernando Tatis Jr. closed out the frame with a two-run blast, giving the Padres enough offense to win 6–5.
Teoscar Hernandez did his best to keep the Dodgers in the contest, blasting a grand slam in the top of the fourth.
But the damage was done. San Diego’s four relievers combined to close out the game over the final four innings, giving up only one hit in six, and the Padres escaped a one-run classic.
After the game, Dodgers fans and pundits alike pointed to mistakes made in the second inning that opened the door to San Diego’s offensive explosion:
chelsea ,Chelsea_Nicole
Well, there is leadership. You all can’t make these terrible mistakes #dodgers
Ashley Marie ,ashabi09
Wow, what a plague of errors. #dodgers
The Padres now lead the series 2-1 and can eliminate the Dodgers on Wednesday at Petco Park. The stakes couldn’t be higher for these Dodgers – the Padres are not only on the verge of eliminating the Dodgers for the second time in the last three years, but also ensuring that the Dodgers will go winless for the third consecutive year. Playoff series.
This would be no less than a major disappointment for a Dodgers team that finished with the best record in baseball (98-64) and has the best player in baseball (Shohei Ohtani, who was 1 for 4 with a run on Tuesday). had and two strikeouts) and a highest salary In the game (it would have been even higher if Ohtani wasn’t there). set aside ridiculous amounts of money,
To save their season, the Dodgers need to start by getting the little things right. Errors and mental mistakes can lead to big innings against loaded lineups, as these Padres claim, and that was the difference on Tuesday.