The Sports Xchange
Sep 3, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- Erick Aybar and Jose Pirela homered, Wil Myers hit a two-run, bases-loaded single in the seventh and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin held Los Angeles to two earned runs over seven innings Sunday afternoon as the San Diego Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-4 at Petco Park.
It marked the first time since June 2013 that the Padres won three straight against the Dodgers, who have now lost eight of their last nine games. The Padres swept a day/night split doubleheader from the Dodgers on Saturday.
Chacin improved to 12-10, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Chacin is 8-3 with a 1.91 ERA at Petco Park. His overall ERA fell to a season-low 3.96 Sunday.
Brad Hand picked up his 15th save despite giving up Cody Bellinger's 36th home run with one out in the ninth. The homer broke Mike Piazza's all-time Dodgers' single-season record by a rookie.
Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood, who was activated Sunday morning from a 12-day stay on the disabled list due to SC joint inflammation, suffered only his second loss in 16 decisions. He allowed four runs on seven hits (including both homers) and three walks in seven innings.
The game see-sawed for the first four innings on an exchange of homers.
The Padres took a 1-0 lead in a strange first inning. The mini-rally started with a two-out walk drawn by Pirela, who moved to third on a single by Myers. The Padres have scored on a double steal of home twice this season. But with Myers going with Yangervis Solarte at the play, Wood threw a wild pitch allowing Pirela to slide home with the game's first run.
Chacin retired the first nine Dodgers he faced -- striking out the side in the first then getting five of the next six hitters on ground balls.
But Chris Taylor opened the fourth with his 19th homer of the season -- a 419-foot drive to left on full-count pitch that tied the game.
Curtis Granderson then reached second when first baseman Myers fielded a grounder but threw wildly past Chacin (covering the base) into the Padres' dugout for a two-base error. Justin Turner immediately followed with a double to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, although Chacin retired the next three hitters to prevent further damage.
Chacin would retire nine straight Dodgers until Bellinger flared a triple into short center leading off the seventh, the ball landing in front of a charging Manuel Margot then bouncing past the rookie center fielder. Bellinger scored on a sacrifice fly by Yasmani Grandal to cut the Padres' lead to 4-3.
The Dodgers threatened to tie the game after Yasiel Puig hit a one-out double and Alex Verdugo reached on an infield single. But former Padre Logan Forsythe hit a one-hopper to third baseman Solarte at the bag. Solarte got the first then threw across the infield to complete the double play.
Meanwhile, the Padres had regained the lead on homers by Aybar and Pirela.
Right fielder Matt Szczur led off the bottom of the fourth with a long double to left center and Aybar hit the first pitch from Wood for a 378-foot homer to left -- giving the Padres the lead at 3-2. Pirela hit a 410-foot drive into the second deck in left with one out in the fifth to make it 4-2.
NOTES -- The Dodgers made no guarantees that Joc Pederson will automatically return to Los Angeles from Oklahoma City Tuesday when the Triple-A Pacific Coast League season ends. ... Meanwhile, the Padres Triple-A affiliate El Paso could reach the playoffs for a third straight season, complicating the Padres callup plans. The Chihuahuas are the defending PCL champions.