Each Dodgers-Padres series is a big theater. They schedule 19 times a year, but each game has an added level of drama and excitement. The Dodgers took down the Padres in the NLDS en route to their 2020 championship, and after a tough 2021, the Padres are back in the thick of the NL West race.
Friday night was the fifth game of the season between the two NL West teams. Tony Gonsolin twirled an eight-inning gem, allowing just one run, as the Dodgers waited for a solid performance from Blake Snell to pounce on the San Diego bullpen. For the second night in a row, the Dodgers beat the Padres.
There’s plenty of baseball left to play this year, but the midsummer game carries a lot of weight for the two teams at the top of the NL West.
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So much so that the MVP candidate Manny Machado chose to drive from Arizona rather than fly to reduce swelling in his injured ankle according to the San Diego Union Tribune’s Annie Heilbrunn.
Machado had missed the previous nine games with the injury, but had an immediate impact on Thursday night. He doubled on his first at-bat to tag outfielder Nomar Mazara in the first inning and give the Padres an early lead. The Dodgers would come back and win 3-1.
Friday night, Machado’s pinch hit in a key spot for San Diego but couldn’t make it to base or move Trent Grisham from first.
Tyler Anderson is set for 4:15 p.m.
