After a dramatic Game 2 victory, the Dodgers took the driver’s seat in the NLDS over the Padres. However, things were far from over as the Padres could easily put together three straight wins.
Thankfully, the Dodger rebounded from a rocky start and exploded in a five-run 3rd inning then rode Julio Urias‘ stellar relief outing to a 12-3 victory and a series sweep.
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Adrian Morejon started the pen game for the Padres and was sharp early with a 1-2-3 inning in the 1st. However, the Dodgers started the 2nd with a walk from Max Muncy and then a double from Will Smith. Cody Bellinger then followed with a grounder to second to score Betts, but Smith froze for whatever reason and got thrown out at third and that about killed the rally. 1-0.
Tony Gonsolin was the preference of many to start Game 3, but instead the Dodgers turned to Dustin May to start a bullpen game. May himself didn’t look like he had his best command and issued a walk, but faced the minimum in the inning thanks to Fernando Tatis Jr. oversliding second base on a steal attempt.
May went just one inning before being removed for Adam Kolarek, and I get what the plan was despite people blaming Dave Roberts for whatever reason.
Kolarek had a combination of bad luck and not really having his best. He allowed a jam-shot single to Eric Hosmer to start, gave up a shift single to Tommy Pham to put runners on the corners, and then got a ground out that advanced Pham to second. Dave continued his intentional walk fetish by issuing one to Wil Myers to load the bases and Kolarek walked in a run by issuing a free pass to Jake Cronenworth to make it 1-1.
Kolarek then got a comebacker, securing the out at home, but Trent Grisham followed with a soft single to left to take a 2-1 lead and knock him out of the game. Kolarek wasn’t good, but as you can see, it was three soft singles, an intentional walk, and an unintentional walk on a questionable call.
Julio Urias then entered with the bases still loaded and facing Fernando Tatis Jr. but came in looking sharp and struck him out on four pitches to prevent disaster early.
The Dodgers immediately capitalized on this. Mookie Betts walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, then he came home on an infield single from Corey Seager and an error on an amazing play attempt by Tatis.
That knocked Morejon out of the game for Craig Stammen who didn’t fare better as he allowed a single to Justin Turner to drive in another run and make it 3-2.
After a ground out that advanced JT and a strikeout, Cody Bellinger was intentionally walked and AJ Pollock made them pay for it with a single of his own to drive in JT.
After Pollock stole second, Joc Pederson came through in the clutch with another single to plate two runs and make it 6-2.
The bats added runs in the 4th as well. Betts doubled and Corey Seager walked. With two outs only advancing Betts to third, Smith singled to plate another run at 7-2.
The offense was relentless today and they added more in the 5th. Pollock singled to start and Joc Pederson singled off the glove of Hosmer at first to start the threat. Chris Taylor then smoked what looked like a sure single but was robbed by Jake Cronenworth at second driving me to brief insanity.
With runners on the corners, Betts hit a deep fly to right that was caught on the track but did plate a run to make it 8-2. Seager walked to follow but the Dodgers didn’t get anything else.
The Boys In Blue threatened in the 6th again behind a one-out single from Smith, his third of the night, and Bellinger followed with a single of his own that ended up with both runners in scoring position thanks to Trent Grisham doing what he does best.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize as Pollock lined out hard to third and pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez fouled out to third to end the threat.
Oh hey, remember Julio Urias? Right, he was pitching through all of this and went unmentioned cause he shut the Padres down. He retired 10 straight to start his outing before Machado singled to open the 6th. Things then seemed dangerous after Pollock misplayed a Hosmer liner to left to put runners on second and third with nobody out.
Things got worse when Urias balked Machado in to cut the lead to 8-3. However, he rebounded immediately and got three straight out without allowing the runner at third to score and kept the five-run lead intact.
He continued in the 7th, getting the first two outs of the inning before issuing a walk and being removed from the game. Urias went five innings on 68 pitches, giving up just the unearned run. He gave up just a single and walk, striking out six.
Blake Treinen entered in relief and gave up a double ripped past JT to put two in scoring position. He then went 3-0 to Machado but worked back to 3-2 before getting him to rip a line drive right to Seager to escape.
The Dodgers had a chance to really put the game to bed in the 8th after a JT walk, Muncy walk, and Smith getting his fourth hit on a single up the middle to load the bases. However, JT didn’t risk trying to score on a ball to the backstop and then Bellinger struck out. Garret Richards entered and promptly struck out Pollock and Enrique Hernandez to end the threat.
Pedro Baez then entered extremely well rested, setting the Padres down 1-2-3 in the 8th with two strikeouts.
They then rallied for four runs in the 9th to make it 12-3.
Dylan Floro then snuffed out the Padres in the 9th to secure the series sweep.
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