SAN DIEGO -- The LA Dodgers (54-30) took the series from the San Diego Padres (43-39) in convincing fashion, winning 4-2 on Sunday afternoon.
San Diego hosted the first two series between the division rivals and finished 2-4. Both series followed the same script: a Padres victory in the opener followed by back-to-back Dodgers wins.
It was a rough outing for starting pitcher Michael King, who was coming off his best performance since facing the Dodgers after a strong start against the Atlanta Braves last Monday.
King pitched 4.1 innings, allowing three hits, four earned runs, and striking out five. His biggest issue was command, as he walked four batters, and it eventually caught up to him.
“Mechanical breakdown felt a little bit in the fourth, tried to correct in the fifth, and probably did the wrong thing,” King said. “I gotta do a little dive into that and see where I went wrong.”
King ran into his first bit of trouble in the top of the third inning when Alex Freeland singled to left field. Shohei Ohtani followed with a single of his own, allowing Freeland to race home for an early 1-0 Dodgers lead.
The Padres answered in the bottom of the fourth when Manny Machado connected on an Emmet Sheehan slider and sent it into left field to tie the game 1-1. It was Machado's 15th home run of the season and the 26th of his career against the Dodgers.
“You can just see his swing is kind of back to the old Manny swing,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “That swing was pretty, and that's what we remember from Manny.”
David Frerker-Imagn Images
Jun 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrates with first baseman Gavin Sheets (30) after hitting a one run home run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park.
King's outing unraveled in the fifth. He walked Freeland and Ohtani before hitting Andy Pages on the arm to load the bases. He then walked Freddie Freeman to force in the go-ahead run and give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
One of the game's biggest moments came during Freeman's at-bat. On a full count, the ninth pitch was a close one that was ruled a ball.
The Padres still had both of their challenges available, but neither King nor catcher Rodolfo Durán called for one.
“It’s hard for a catcher to realize from my vantage point I feel like I can see it better,” King said.
King took responsibility for the missed opportunity, but Durán didn't agree.
“He says it was on him, but in the end, I’m the one who has to have a feel for the strike zone,” Durán said. “I should have called for it, and unfortunately, I thought it was a little lower, but that wasn't the case.”
The sequence proved costly. Had the pitch been overturned, it would have been strike three instead of ball four. Instead, Mookie Betts followed with a two-run single to center field, extending the Dodgers' lead to 4-1.
“It's hard to look at that stuff in game,” Stammen said. “I know it wasn't a missed location pitch. Those are always tough for the catcher. The bases loaded, trying to protect the plate.”
King said he and Durán discussed the sequence afterward, and while both know they need to handle those situations better, the right-hander still felt he let one get away.
“Even if I'm wrong, the team's probably not mad at me for challenging that one,” King said. “That's going to eat at me for a little bit.”
Stammen pulled King after the Dodgers extended their lead and turned to Yuki Matsui, who escaped the inning by retiring Max Muncy on a pop fly and Tommy Edman on a groundout.
The Padres got one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Xander Bogaerts drove in Jackson Merrill, who had singled and stolen second base, cutting the deficit to 4-2.
David Frerker-Imagn Images
Jun 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with center fielder Andy Pages (44) after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
San Diego's best chance to rally came in the eighth. Machado opened the inning with a double, and Ty France was hit by a pitch. Bogaerts struck out, and Miguel Andújar grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Padres have now reached the halfway point of the season. As things stand, they are outside of the National League Wild Card picture, sitting a half-game behind the St. Louis Cardinals and 1.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs, whom they begin a three-game series against on Monday.
“We got some guys starting to get going on there on the pitching side and get some of these guys healthy back up here,” Machado said. “Keep playing good baseball like we have been. Still second half of season coming up, and we're playing some good baseball.”
The Padres' offense has lacked consistency, and their starting pitching has been uneven, but they still believe they're in a good position entering the second half.
“It’s all about getting hot and making sure that we keep our cold streaks as short as possible, and feel like we've had guys step up while other guys are cold,” King said. “Bullpen stepped up while the starting pitch is cold, and hopefully it all comes together.”
The Padres open a new series Monday afternoon in Chicago at 5:05 p.m. PT. The Cubs will send Shōta Imanaga (5-6) to the mound, while the Padres have yet to announce a starting pitcher.