Scherzer shuts down Padres, Dodgers win 4-0 for 3-game sweep

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Max Scherzer pitched 7 2/3 dominant innings to win his eighth straight decision, Austin Barnes hit a two-run home run off Yu Darvish and the surging Los Angeles Dodgers beat the plunging San Diego Padres 4-0 Thursday night for a three-game sweep.

Scherzer (12-4) allowed only two hits, struck out 10 and walked one for the Dodgers, who handled the listless Padres less than 24 hours after winning 5-3 in a 16-inning game that took 5 hours, 49 minutes, and ended at 12:59 a.m. It was the longest big league game since pandemic rules were implemented last year.

The Dodgers won for the 12th time in 13 games and for the 16th time in 18. They trail the San Francisco Giants by 2 1/2 games in the NL West but enjoy an 11 1/2-game lead for the first wild-card spot.

San Diego has lost four straight and 12 of 14. It dropped two games behind Cincinnati for the second wild card.

Scherzer hasn't lost since May 30 against Milwaukee, a span of 13 starts that dates to his time with Washington. He is 4-0 in five starts with the Dodgers since being acquired on July 30 along with infielder Trea Turner.

Scherzer struck out the side in the first and retired his first seven batters before Victor Caratini doubled down the right field line. The only other hit he gave up was Trent Grisham's double leading off the fifth, but the Dodgers got out of the inning when third baseman Justin Turner started a double play on Caratini’s grounder.

Scherzer struck out his final batter, Caratini, for the second out of the eighth, before getting the hook from manager Dave Roberts.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, improved to 1-0 in three starts against San Diego this season. He allowed 11 runs in 10 2/3 innings in his two previous starts against the Padres,...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Scherzer-shuts-down-Padres-Dodgers-win-4-0-for-16415458.php