NL West Rivals trade blows, Padres fall 8-6 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- The Padres lose 8-6 against the Dodgers in a slugfest on Tuesday night. Home runs, ejections, hit-by-pitches and 21 hits were combined between the NL West rivals in the back-and-forth battle. 

“Hard fought baseball game,” said Manager Mike Shildt. “The fight was there. Did everything we could do to give ourselves the best chance but didn’t come out in the end.”

San Diego (39-33) struck first with an RBI single from left fielder Gavin Sheets. Sheets was stingy, falling behind in the count but still drawing a ten-pitch at-bat that led to a 1-0 lead. 

Los Angeles (45-29) responded in the second with a sacrifice fly from third baseman Max Muncy and a solo home run from center fielder Andy Pages off starter Randy Vasquez to flip the lead to 2-1. 

The see-saw continued with first baseman Luis Arraez tying the game on an RBI base hit. Sheets (.316 BA, .806 OPS) came through again with a sac-fly and his second RBI to take back the lead at 3-2. 

Pages had Vasquez’ number tonight, hitting another solo shot (15) in the fourth to tie the game 3-3. Vasquez missed middle-middle with a sinker and Pages made him pay. Pages was a Padre killer tonight, going 4-4 at the dish with three RBIs.

“Hats off to him,” said Shildt. “He had a nice ball game and swung the bat well.”

Despite a couple of mistakes during the outing, Vasquez (3-4, 3.70 ERA) was solid for San Diego. Vasquez, who has had control issues this year, located well and lived on the edges. He finished his day allowing zero walks, four hits and three earned runs in five innings pitched.

The Dodgers opened the floodgates against reliever Jeremiah Estrada in the sixth. Estrada gave up five consecutive hits, including a two-run home run to catcher Will Smith. The Dodgers offense exploded for a five-run inning for another lead change and made it an 8-3 lead. 

Los Angeles was all over Estrada (2-4, 3.94 ERA) and Estrada finished his nightmare outing allowing five runs and five hits with zero outs included. 

“It’s uncharacteristic,” said Shildt. “It's uncommon when there's not a walk or hit-by-pitch or an error, any of those things. They earned it."

The Friars wouldn’t go down without a fight, cutting the lead to 8-5 on a two-run home run from pitch hitter Trenton Brooks (1). Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. kept the rally going with a walk, followed by a base hit from Arraez and another walk from third baseman Manny Machado.

San Diego made it a two-run game after an RBI balk from reliever Michael Kopech. Despite the big inning, it was not enough and the Padres fell 8-6. 

The Padres offense finished 3-10 with RISP and 8 LOB. Shortstop Xander Boagerts (.227 BA, .615 OPS) continues to struggle, going 0-5 and grounding out in multiple double plays. Arraez (.280 BA, 708 OPS) was a bright spot tonight, going 3-5 with an RBI. 

The Friars have dropped six of their last eight and have lost four of their last five matchups against the Dodgers. San Diego looks to bounce back against the Dodgers on Wednesday, at 7:10 p.m.