Mookie Betts hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in the fifth inning and Walker Buehler pitched seven solid innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 5-4 victory Saturday against the visiting San Diego Padres.
Gavin Lux added a pair of hits and drove in a run in his second game since returning from Triple-A and Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth inning for his 32nd save as the Dodgers won their fifth consecutive game over San Diego.
The victory allowed the Dodgers (90-53) to remain 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading San Francisco Giants, while the Padres remained in a tie with the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s second wild-card spot.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a home run and drove in three runs for the Padres (74-67), who lost for the fifth time in eight September games. Tatis and Manny Machado each had three hits.
Buehler (14-2) recovered from his worst start of the season to give up two runs on six hits over seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts. He gave up a season-high six runs over three innings Sunday at San Francisco.
Padres starter Chris Paddack (7-7) gave up four runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
The Dodgers jumped out to the lead in the third inning on a Lux RBI double. Buehler bunted Lux to third base and Betts followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 advantage.
The Padres tied it 2-all in the fourth inning on Tatis’ 38th home run of the season. It was also his eighth home run against the Dodgers this season and his sixth at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers put together a two-out rally against Paddack in the fifth. Lux singled followed by a walk to Buehler to end Paddack’s night. Betts then hit Craig Stammen’s first pitch just over the wall in left field for his 20th of the season.
The home run also was Betts’ first extra-base hit in 10 September games.
The Padres pulled to within a run in the eighth inning against Dodgers right-hander Blake Treinen when Tatis and Machado had consecutive RBI singles.
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–Field Level Media