When they swept the San Diego Padres last weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers rendered their vaunted bullpen mostly useless.
San Diego flipped the script Friday night in a 2-1 win that enabled the Padres to tie Los Angeles for first place in the National League West, turning that one-run lead over to the bullpen after six great innings from Yu Darvish and then securing the victory.
The Padres will try to replicate that formula Saturday when the teams resume their three-game weekend series in Petco Park.
San Diego manager Mike Shildt didn’t hesitate to pull Darvish after he allowed just one run and one hit over six innings, figuring his top arms were ready to go. Shildt was right as Jason Adam, Mason Miller and Robert Suarez took care of the final nine outs.
Adam said the acquisition of Miller, the Athletics’ closer before the blockbuster deal that sent him south on July 31, has worked for the Padres in more ways than his ability to record big outs.
“I think they did their research before they got him because he fits in with the group,” Adam said on Padres TV after Friday night’s victory. “Adding in Mason has made it an even more special group.”
To get to that “special group” Adam mentioned, it will be up to Nestor Cortes (1-2, 5.87 ERA) to avoid the kind of pitfall that doomed him to a 4-3 loss Monday night against San Francisco. The left-hander gave up three first-inning homers, putting San Diego in a position it couldn’t overcome.
Cortes, who pitched two outs into the sixth inning before departing, has faced the Dodgers just twice in his career, going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. That doesn’t count Game 1 of last year’s World Series, when he served up a walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman while pitching for the New York Yankees.
On Saturday, Los Angeles will counter Cortes with right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.12 ERA), who will face the Padres for the second straight start. In his team’s 5-4 win on Sunday, Glasnow worked the first five innings, allowing six hits and two runs with a walk and eight strikeouts. He has pitched well in 29 career innings against San Diego, compiling a 2.79 ERA and 35 strikeouts, but he has no wins or losses.
Friday night’s result was just the Dodgers’ third loss in 11 games against the Padres this season. Los Angeles’ ‘potent offense managed just three hits and couldn’t cash in late-game scoring chances, wasting two walks in the eighth and two singles in the ninth.
The Dodgers lead MLB in runs and are second in homers have been top-heavy at times lately. They might be close to getting fortification near the lineup’s bottom with the news that injured Tommy Edman (ankle) and Max Muncy (oblique) are trending in the right direction.
Manager Dave Roberts says the team is taking Muncy’s injury as a week-to-week situation.
“I don’t think anyone expects it to be season-ending, but hopefully, it’s sooner than later,” Roberts said of Muncy’s potential return.
After a slow start, Muncy knocked in 50 runs in a two-month stretch before a bone bruise sent him to the injured list. After returning for eight games and hitting four homers, he has been shelved since Aug. 12 because of the oblique injury.
–Field Level Media
