Padres capitalize on opportunities in victory over Dodgers

Coming off a strong win against Boston, the Padres traded blows with the Dodgers until a three-run sixth inning capped the win for San Diego.

The San Diego Padres had only four hits on the evening, but that was all they needed to get the win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eric Hosmer continued to drive in runs, roping a two-out RBI single to left center field to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. He now has 85 RBIs on the season that’s good for T-22nd in the MLB — don’t be surprised if he makes it to 100.

Most of the magic happened in the sixth inning though.

Eric Lauer had tossed a solid six frames, allowing only three runs off six hits with eight strikeouts. He did walk four batters though and gave up two home runs, so it wasn’t his best outing, yet he did just enough to give the Padres a chance to make something happen. His defense helped out a bit too.

Six innings was enough for the second-year starter though, and number 10 prospect Austin Allen came in and crushed a pinch-hit double to right field.

Greg Garcia followed up with a single, then Josh Naylor came to the plate to hit yet another single to drive in Allen. After a tough first half, Naylor has looked much better at the plate posting a .276/.341/.526 stat line since the All-Star break.

A throwing error plated Garcia and granted Naylor an extra base, then Manny Machado hit an RBI groundout to second to give the Padres a 4-3 lead.

Kirby Yates closed the door in the top of ninth, preserving the lead and earning his 38th save of the season. There was some fire in his eyes, perhaps because his last outing against L.A. resulted in a blown save for a 10-11 decision. That game, mind you, was in no way Kirby’s fault.

Nevertheless, it’s always fun to watch the Padres beat the Dodgers. San Diego played well and made the most of their opportunities, going 3-for-5 with RISP and leaving only one man on base. Lauer is now 7-8 on the season and continues his dominance over Los Angeles.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, went 1-for-10 with RISP and left nine runners on base; despite outhitting the Friars 7-4, they couldn’t come through when it mattered most.

The Padres will lean on Cal Quantrill to seal the deal and go for the series win on Tuesday evening. Game 2 of the Padres vs. Dodgers series begins at 7:10 PM PT/10:10 PM ET.

For complete coverage of the San Diego padres 2019 season, continue following Friars on Base all season long.