Over the off-season the Padres traded for Cy Young award winner Blake Snell to they could get a little closer to the Dodgers. Then the Dodgers signed Cy Young award winner Trevor Bauer to try and keep that gap as large as possible.
They faced each other on Sunday at Petco Park in a game the Padres absolutely had to have. Both guys pitched well enough to give their team a win. Neither one did. Instead it came down to the bullpens and on this day that favored San Diego.
The Padres scored three runs in the 8th inning of a 5-2 win over the Dodgers, avoiding a 3-game sweep and snapping LA's 8-game winning streak.
Snell worked 5.0 innings and struck out seven while giving up just two hits. The problem is they came back-to-back in the 2nd inning when Will Smith singled and Chris Taylor smacked a 2-run home run to the 2nd deck in left field to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.
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For a while it looked like that would be enough for Bauer. The high-priced right-hander tossed 6.0 innings, giving up three hits and one run on a solo homer by Jake Cronenworth. The other two knocks were singles by Manny Machado, who's had more than a little success against Bauer. Machado is now 12-for19 lifetime against the outspoken righty.
After Bauer left the Padres immediately tied it up against reliever Brusdar Graterol. Machado singled, advanced on a passed ball by Smith, and scored when Eric Hosmer slapped a double just inside the foul line down the left field line. With the game tied 2-2 the Padres had a whole new energy.
In the 8th inning Hosmer struck again, singling up the middle to score Jurickson Profar with the go-ahead run. Tommy Pham, who was off to a terrible start to the season, pulled a laser down the left field line for another double to score Fernando Tatis Jr. and Hosmer to make it 5-2.
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San Diego closer Mark Melancon worked a perfect 9th inning to secure the save and salvage one game in one of the most entertaining series in recent memory. And, guess what?
They get to do it again in a few days. The Padres host Milwaukee for three at Petco Park then start a 4-game set at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
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