Dodgers play long ball en route to 6-4 win over Padres
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joc Pederson homered twice, including his franchise-record ninth leadoff shot, and pinch-hitter Edwin Rios had an impressive tiebreaking shot in the seventh inning to help the seven-time NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 6-4 Wednesday night.
Chris Taylor also homered for the Dodgers, who have won three straight and four of five.
Pederson has 35 homers. It was his sixth multi-homer game of the season and 14th of his career. Both came off Dinelson Lamet (3-6). Pederson added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Rios’ shot off rookie David Bednar (0-1) was estimated at 473 feet, the second-longest in Petco Park history. The longest was a 479-footer by San Diego’s Alex Dickerson on Sept. 9, 2016. It was Rios’ fourth.
Pederson homered leading off the fifth to give Dodgers a 4-3 lead, but the Padres tied it in the sixth when Yimi Garcia hit a batter and allowed consecutive singles, including an RBI base hit by Greg Garcia.
The Dodgers regained the lead when Rios homered deep into the seats in right field off David Bednar leading off the seventh. It was his fourth.
Dylan Floro (5-3) got the last out of the sixth for the win. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 32nd save.
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the first on Pederson’s homer and Corey Seager‘s two-out RBI double.
San Diego went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the inning. Ross Stripling issued a leadoff walk to Greg Garcia and then struck out Manuel Margot and Eric Hosmer, but then ran into trouble. He allowed Wil Myers‘ single and Francisco Mejia‘s RBI double, with Myers scoring on Pederson’s throwing error. Rookie Josh Naylor followed with an RBI single.
Taylor homered leading off the second, his 12th.
Stripling went three innings, allowing three runs and four hits while striking out seven and walking one.
Lamet struck out 10 in five innings while allowing four runs and six hits, with two walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: SS Corey Seager left the game in the bottom of the third inning with a tight left hamstring. He was replaced by Kiké Hernandez.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (15-5, 3.15 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start of the regular season in the series finale Thursday. He’s 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA in four starts against San Diego this season.
Padres: LHP Joey Lucchesi (10-9, 4.28) is scheduled to start the Padres’ home finale. It will be his team-leading 30th start, and his 10 victories are the most by a Padres starter since Jhoulys Chacin’s 13 in 2017.
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