Dodgers pull through in extras to take series opener against Friars

SAN DIEGO -- It felt like October in June, given the atmosphere inside Petco Park for the Dodgers and Padres’ first meeting of 2025, fortunately, it was Los Angeles who pulled through in extra innings to take the series opener by a final of 8-7. Freddie Freeman continues to stay red hot at the plate as he went 3-5, and Will Smith added 3 RBI to his season total. 

The Dodgers jumped early on San Diego's starter Nick Pivetta as Shohei Ohtani would lead off the game with a double, and Freeman drove him in with a RBI double a batter later. Teoscar Hernández would reach on a throwing error by Manny Machado, and Will Smith would capitalize on the error as he drove in Freeman via a sacrifice fly to right. 

Dustin May toed the rubber for Los Angeles and got into his fair share of trouble in the early innings as he would get tagged for two runs in the first by way of a Machado RBI double and a Jackson Merril sacrifice fly. May had a somewhat lackluster effort on the mound with some command trouble as his final line at Petco was five innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits and walking six Padres. 

Hernández ties the game in the top of the third by way of a sacrifice fly to center, and Smith launched his sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot, to extend the Dodgers' lead 5-3. 

The Dodgers' lead would be short-lived once again as the Padres would punch back hugely in their bottom half of the third after May gave up his second walk of the inning to Xander Bogaerts to load the bases and two outs. With the bases full of Padres, up came Tyler Wade, who came clutch with a three-run triple that cleared the bases and jolted San Diego ahead of Los Angeles 6-5. 

Hyeseong Kim would make noise in the top of the fifth as he tied the game with an RBI double to make it a 6-6 ball game. A truly see-saw type of matchup, and it's only right that this anticipated matchup goes extra innings. 

The Dodgers exploded in extra innings as Andy Pages hit an RBI double to left field, and Edman would immediately follow that up with an RBI single to push the Dodgers' lead to 8-6. Tanner Scott was tasked with shutting the door, and despite the RBI double he gave up to Merrill to make it a one-run game, Scott did the job and secured the series-opening win in San Diego.