Dodgers Secure Victory Over Padres with Late Home Run

LOS ANGELES: In a thrilling Major League Baseball (MLB) contest at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3, extending their winning streak to five games, thanks to a decisive home run by Will Smith.

Emmet Sheehan delivered a strong performance, pitching four innings in his return from Tommy John surgery. He conceded just one run on three hits, issuing no walks and striking out six.

Justin Wrobleski (2-2) followed Sheehan with five innings, allowing two ninth-inning runs (one earned) before Smith’s game-winning home run to right field against Robert Suarez (1-3).

Los Angeles now holds a 5-1 record in their series of seven games over 11 days against their National League West rivals, the Padres.

The Padres leveled the score at three when Xander Bogaerts hit a game-tying double, and Jake Cronenworth followed with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly-off reliever Justin Wrobleski in the ninth.

Stephen Kolek pitched six and one-third innings, allowing three runs on six hits, as the Padres’ struggles continued, falling to 4-10 since June 4.

Elias Diaz initially put the Padres ahead with a 1-0 lead in the second inning, delivering a two-out RBI single.

The Dodgers’ batters at the bottom of the lineup contributed significantly, including a two-run single from rookie Dalton Rushing in the fifth.

Los Angeles had an opportunity to extend their lead in the seventh inning after loading the bases, but Ohtani struck out against Wandy Peralta, ending the threat.

Dodgers’ Andy Pages was hit on his left shoulder by a 91 mph cutter from Kolek in the seventh inning. Pages was also hit by a pitch on Monday, adding to the series of hit batsmen, with the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jose Iglesias and the Dodgers’ Ohtani being hit on Tuesday.

Looking ahead, Padres’ Ryan Bergert is slated to start Thursday’s series finale against Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto.