The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres hit a combined eight home runs in their first meeting of the 2024 season. However, the Padres would come out victorious, securing an 8-7 win in extra innings.
“I thought that at times we’re very good at collecting hits and keep the line moving,” said Dodgers general manager Dave Roberts. “It seemed to me in the later innings we just got big, we expanded the zone and our swings just got bigger and all you need is a base hit or control the strike zone.”
Right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched four innings for the Boys in Blue. He struck out six batters but allowed three runs.
“Unfortunately, like most of his starts early on [Yamamoto] accrues a higher pitch count,” Roberts said. “But in innings three, four and five, the breaking ball was sharp, the split was back, fastball was good.”
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Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts put on a show on both offense and defense. In the second inning, he hit a three-run home run to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. He initiated a double play to get the Dodgers out of the top of the third. During the seventh inning, Betts sprinted past third base to catch a foul ball from Padres catcher Luis Campusano, getting him out.
Mookie Betts hits a 2RBI home run in the second inning against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers gain a 5-3 lead
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) April 13, 2024
San Diego designated hitter Manny Machado hit an RBI homer on a first pitch to give the Padres a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani homered on his first at-bat, putting the Dodgers on the board at the bottom of the first.
Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim hit a dinger in the second inning prior to the Dodgers taking control of the game. The bats of the Padres, however, would heat back up at the top of the sixth. First baseman Jake Cronenworth hit a solo homer. San Diego right-fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. then hit an RBI home run to tie the game at seven.
The game was tied until the 11th inning when Padres center-fielder Jackson Merrill hit an RBI single to regain the lead.
Ohtani hit two doubles in the matchup, but no batter was able to bring him home.
“We put a lot of runners on base and had a lot of opportunities to score,” Ohtani said.
The Dodgers had seven pitchers in the effort, they gave up 10 hits while the Padres gave up seven hits.
The Dodgers tied up the series on Saturday with a 5-2 victory. They hope to win the series on Sunday at 4:10P.M.
