Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 4-3 victory Friday while sending the visiting San Diego Padres to a season-high seventh consecutive loss.
Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over six innings, while allowing three runs on seven hits, and Kyle Hurt (3-1) picked up the win 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 while Los Angeles improved to 6-2 against San Diego this season.
Jackson Merrill hit a home run for the Padres and 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 innings.
San Diego’s losing streak is its 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 a Gavin Sheets 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.
A Xander Bogaerts RBI double put San Diego up 3-0 in the sixth.
King was cruising after retiring the first 11 batters he faced while not allowing a baserunner until Freddie Freeman singled in with two outs in the fourth inning. He gave up two hits through six scoreless innings.
The Dodgers’ seventh-inning rally started with a Mookie Betts walk, while 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) and was his eighth home run of the season and first since returning Monday from a month away because of a hamstring injury.
–Field Level Media
