Dodgers drop opener to Padres behind Sasaki's command issues

SAN DIEGO — One swing and one managerial decision were all it took to erase any chance the Dodgers had Friday night.

Fresh off a three-game sweep of the Twins and looking to carry that momentum into a pivotal series at Petco Park, the Dodgers instead opened the weekend with a frustrating 7-1 loss to the Padres. Despite both teams finishing with seven hits, the Padres capitalized on nearly every opportunity while the Dodgers repeatedly failed to cash in when it mattered.

For seven innings, the Dodgers were within striking distance. But two moments ultimately defined the night.

The first came in the second inning when Roki Sasaki appeared to be pitching his way out of trouble.

After walking Manny Machado and Gavin Sheets to open the inning, Sasaki settled down by getting Xander Bogaerts to line out to center field. He then jumped ahead of Ty France with two outstanding pitches, an 89 mph splitter that induced an awkward swing before blowing a 97 mph fastball past him for an 0-2 count.

Everything favored Sasaki. Instead of expanding the zone with a chase pitch, Sasaki left an 86 mph slider over the heart of the plate.

France didn't miss it. The three-run home run traveled 372 feet and instantly flipped a 1-0 Dodgers lead into a 3-1 Padres advantage.

When hitters swing through two consecutive pitches to fall behind 0-2, the last thing they should see is a mistake in the strike zone. Sasaki made one, and the Padres made him pay. That mistake overshadowed another difficult outing.

Sasaki lasted just four innings, allowing three runs on three hits while walking five and striking out two on 81 pitches. His biggest issue wasn't velocity or movement, it was command.

He needed 30 pitches before recording an out in the second inning as both Machado and Samad Taylor drew lengthy 10-pitch walks. His splitter consistently missed the zone, forcing him into hitter's counts throughout the night.

When Dave Roberts finally removed him after the fourth inning, Sasaki sat in the dugout visibly frustrated, knowing he had let another opportunity slip away.

Ironically, there were encouraging signs beneath the rough stat line. His fastball showed slightly better velocity than usual, and his pitches still featured the movement that has made him one of baseball's most intriguing young arms. The stuff remains electric.

The command, however, remains a work in progress.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, the bullpen stranded inherited runners after Sasaki exited, keeping the deficit at just two runs and giving the offense a chance. That chance disappeared in the eighth inning.

Trailing only 3-1, the Padres loaded the bases with one out. Rather than positioning the infield at double-play depth, Roberts elected to bring the infield in.

The decision proved costly.

Padres pinch-hitter Sung-Mun Song hit a slow roller up the middle that skipped just beyond the reach of a diving Alex Freeland, who had been positioned on the infield grass. Had the Dodgers been playing at double-play depth, Freeland likely fields the ball, steps on second, and turns an inning-ending double play.

Instead, the Padres plated a run, kept the inning alive, and poured on four more before it was over, turning a competitive game into a lopsided final. It was the night's defining strategic decision, and one the Dodgers may regret.

Offensively, the Dodgers couldn't solve a familiar face.

Walker Buehler, making his first start against the Dodgers since joining the Padres, continued his impressive resurgence. The former Dodgers ace worked 5⅓ innings, allowing just one run on three hits while walking three and striking out five on only 74 pitches.

The only damage against him came in the second inning when Mookie Betts followed singles by Shohei Ohtani in the first and Tommy Edman in the second with a solo home run that briefly gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

That was all they managed.

Even after Buehler exited in the sixth, the Dodgers squandered perhaps their best opportunity. They loaded the bases with one out, only to watch Max Muncy pop out on the infield before Kyle Tucker flew out harmlessly to center, ending the threat.

Those missed opportunities defined the Dodgers' offensive night just as much as the Padres' timely hitting.

For Buehler, it was another step in an impressive turnaround. He earned the victory against the organization where he became a World Series champion and lowered his ERA to 1.99 over his last six starts.

For the Dodgers, Friday served as a reminder that close games are often decided by a handful of pitches and one or two key decisions.

Sasaki's 0-2 mistake to France put them behind. Roberts' eighth-inning defensive alignment prevented the Dodgers from escaping with a double play and allowed the Padres to break the game open.

Everything else followed. The Dodgers will try to even the series Saturday night with Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking the mound.