Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 victory over visiting San Diego on Friday, sending the Padres to a season-high seventh consecutive loss.
Los Angeles starter Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over six innings while allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. Kyle Hurt (3-1) picked up the victory with a scoreless inning as the Dodgers won for the ninth time in their past 11 games.
Tanner Scott pitched the ninth inning for his 12th save, and Los Angeles improved to 6-2 against San Diego this season.
Jackson Merrill homered for the Padres, who squandered a 3-0 lead. Michael King dominated over six innings before he was chased from the game in the seventh. King gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits over six-plus innings.
The losing streak is San Diego’s longest since a seven-game slide late in the 2021 season.
The Padres were in control early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Ohtani on Gavin Sheets’ RBI single. Merrill made it 2-0 in the fourth with a home run to center field, his 10th of the season and second in the series.
An RBI double from Xander Bogaerts put San Diego up 3-0 in the sixth.
King was cruising after retiring the first 11 batters he faced, not allowing a baserunner until Freddie Freeman singled with two outs in the fourth inning. The right-hander gave up two hits through six scoreless innings.
The Dodgers’ seventh-inning rally started with a Mookie Betts walk, and Max Muncy followed with a single to right field to end King’s night. Kyle Tucker appeared to hit a double-play grounder against Adrian Morejon, but second baseman Jake Cronenworth misplayed the ball for an error that loaded the bases.
Hernandez’s grand slam came on the first pitch from Morejon (6-2). It was his eighth long ball of the season and first since returning Monday from a month away because of a hamstring injury.
–Field Level Media
