SAN DIEGO, CA — The Dodgers went into the four-game series against the Padres at Petco Park knowing that San Diego would up its game. That’s what generally occurs in big games, but the Dodgers struggled to match that enthusiasm at times last season.
This Dodgers club, while not as talented as last year’s, has the capacity to ramp up the intensity when necessary. That’s exactly what happened during the Dodgers’ 10-5 win against the Padres on Friday night at Petco Park, thanks to a five-run eighth inning.
The Dodgers had to wait until they got into the San Diego bullpen after struggling to figure out Padres starter Yu Darvish for seven innings.
Kiké Hernández led off the eighth inning with a single off of Robert Suarez. Mookie Betts then walked, paving the way for Freddie Freeman, who entered the series with a hot bat. But, following Freeman’s flare to short and Will Smith’s strikeout, it was up to David Peralta to save the day.
With the game tied at three, Peralta came through with a two-out, two-strike double off Suarez. The Dodgers’ dugout exploded in delight after Peralta’s big hit.
Chris Taylor and J.D. Martinez followed with bases-loaded walks to put the Dodgers up 5-3. The huge punch came from Amed Rosario, who hit a two-run single off left-hander Tom Cosgrove to double the lead.
This season, the Dodgers are 6-1 versus the Padres and have won 28 of the previous 34 regular-season meetings.
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