Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Diego Padres (9/15/20) — Final: LAD 3, SD 1

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Behind Tony Gonsolin’s superb performance, the Los Angeles Dodgers take care of business and halt the San Diego Padres with a 3-1 victory.

Mookie Betts started the game with a single off of Zach Davies. Justin Turner, in his first at-bat since August 28th (he was reinstated from the IL this morning), doubled to right field, giving the Dodgers a much needed run and early lead. Tony Gonsolin pitched to very soft contact in a swift bottom frame. In the second, Davies walked AJ Pollock on four-pitches but he was left stranded. Gonsolin worked around Wil Myers’ double in the bottom of the inning, and back-to-back 2-out singles from Turner and Will Smith gave LA an opportunity in the third. Cody Bellinger came through, lining a base hit that doubled their lead. Smith, coming off the bag momentarily, was tagged out attempting to take 3rd as the final out. Jurickson Profar led-off the home half with a double, and he scored the Padres first run of the game on Trent Grisham’s infield single. Pollock’s leaping grab at the wall helped Gonsolin limit the damage and end the inning. Chris Taylor utilized his speed to reach on a bunt in the fourth; however, it was erased on Joc Pederson’s inning-ending double-play. It took Gonsolin only eighth pitches to retire the side in San Diego’s frame. Edwin Ríos launched a solo home run to open the fifth, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 advantage. Turner’s third hit of the night was a 2-out double, but Grisham’s diving catch robbed Smith of an RBI single. Gonsolin’s first strike-out came as the second out in the bottom half, where he stranded Profar after an infield single. Davies pitched a quick frame in the sixth, and Gonsolin did the same. Betts’ knock was all for LA in their half of the seventh, and Gonsolin pitched a 1-2-3 frame to finish the inning and conclude his day. Attacking the zone and pitching to contact, Gonsolin was efficient, effective, and gave the Dodgers his longest career outing in excellent fashion: 7IP, 1ER, 4H, 0BB, 2K and the win. Emilio Pagan, striking-out Smith and Bellinger, set LA down with ease in the eighth. Caleb Ferguson entered to pitch the home half, and struck-out Profar on three pitches. He landed awkwardly though, calling for the training staff before coming out of the game. Blake Trienen relieved him, striking-out a batter and getting a ground-out, all on four pitches, to send the game to the ninth. The Dodgers went quietly, and with many hearts beating rapidly, Kenley Jansen was given the bottom of the ninth against the top of the Padres order — a great test. Jansen showed the cutter, 2-seamer, and slider to get Fernando Tatís Jr. to ground-out. Manny Machado, however, battled before singling, and Mitch Moreland hit a very high pop-up that dropped in for a hit as well. He then made uncompetitive pitches to Austin Nola, walking him to load the bases. Jansen, making another outstanding pitch with the slider, answered with a strike-out of Myers for the second out. Subsequently, Jansen escaped the jam by getting Jake Cronenworth swinging, locating the cutter well to earn the save and end the ballgame.

An all-around team effort gets the job done at Petco Park, as the boys in blue get back on track with a victory to even up the series. Tomorrow’s matinee contest will serve as the rubber match, and will be another crucial game as the regular season approaches the finish line. Dustin May, 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA, returns to the mound after his very short start (1IP) in Arizona last week, when he was hit on the foot by a come-backer. All the tests came back showing no signs of trouble, and May will look to continue the trend of solid production from LA starters this series. 21-year-old lefty Adrian Morejan, 2-0 with an ERA of 2.53 in 10.2 innings of work this season, will get the ball for the Padres. 1:10pm first pitch. Go Dodgers!