The Padres, powered by a late-inning comeback, beat the Dodgers 8-7 Sunday, to take three of the four games in the series.
Manager Jayce Tingler on Saturday called each of the games his team has played against L.A. in the past week, an “absolutely drag-out battle.”
Sunday was no different, as the Padres climbed back from a 7-1 deficit to tie the Dodgers, before overtaking them in the 11th.
Fernando Tatis Jr., who made history early in the game, scored the winning run on Eric Hosmer’s sacrifice fly.
Joe Musgrove, less than crisp, went just three innings, giving up two runs. Craig Stammen followed him with two scoreless innings, leaving the Dodgers holding on to a 2-1 lead going into the 6th inning.
L.A. though, tagged Nick Ramirez for five runs, including a three-run home run to center from Chris Taylor, to take the commanding lead.
But Dodger starter Dustin May left after 6 innings, and the Padres began to eat away at L.A.’s depleted bullpen.
David Price gave up a 2-run single to Victor Caratini in the 7th, to score Hosmer and Jake Cronenworth.
They followed with two more runs in the 8th, as Hosmer singled in Tatis, and Jorge Mateo hit a ground ball to force Cronenworth at second. But he beat out the throw to first, allowing Manny Machado to score.
In the 9th, Trent Grisham singled in Caratini, then Machado followed with his own base hit to drive in Tatis and force the game to extra innings.
The Padres escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 11th that featured a bit of gamesmanship from Tingler, who called for intentional walks to both Max Muncy and Chris Taylor.
That brought the Dodgers to the pitcher’s spot, and like the Padres, L.A. had no more position players. They sent up ace Clayton Kershaw, capable at the bat, but Tim Hill struck him out, along with rookie DJ Peters, to end the threat.
Tatis earlier had hit another solo home run, his fifth in three games. With the shot, in the 4th inning, he became the only shortstop in Dodger Stadium history to homer in three straight games.
Somehow, it was fitting that he scored the tying and winning runs, while also recording the final out, off the bat of Corey Seager. But even stars get weary.
“I just want to go home and go to sleep,” he told ESPN after the five-hour marathon.
With the win, the Friars won four of the seven games they played since April 16 against their National League West rivals.
The Padres, having played 17 straight games since their last day off, on April 8, get two days off this week. The first, on Monday, precedes a two-game series in Arizona.