Padres hold off Dodgers 3-2 in resumption of SoCal rivalry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurickson Profar singled and scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the San Diego Padres opened the second series of the season in Southern California's lively baseball rivalry with a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

Trent Grisham homered and had two hits for the Padres, who snapped a three-game skid as they opened a four-game series at chilly Chavez Ravine with the Dodgers' first home loss of the season.

Los Angeles took two of three in San Diego last weekend, but the Padres answered with timely hits, strong pitching and a fantastic inning-ending double play in the eighth, capping yet another well-played matchup between two stacked rosters.

AJ Pollock and Sheldon Neuse hit back-to-back homers leading off the seventh for the major league-leading Dodgers, who have lost three of four after a 13-2 start to the season. With several key hitters injured, Los Angeles has scored just 10 runs in its last five games.

Manny Machado had an early RBI single for San Diego, but Neuse’s first career homer tied it for Los Angeles, which managed just one hit in the first six innings.

Profar and Victor Caratini singled off Blake Treinen (1-1) leading off the eighth, and Profar put San Diego back ahead on Fernando Tatis Jr.‘s double-play groundout.

Profar then barely failed to make a diving catch on Will Smith’s tailing fly down the left field line after a long run, putting two Dodgers in scoring position with nobody out in the eighth.

After Max Muncy grounded out and Pollock was intentionally walked to load the bases, Neuse smoked a 105-mph grounder to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who barely knocked down the ball. San Diego then turned a double play in which both Dodgers were out by minuscule margins, setting off a...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Padres-hold-off-Dodgers-3-2-in-resumption-of-16122866.php