The Los Angeles Dodgers had the tables turned on them as the San Diego Padres rallied in the eighth inning for an 8-3 comeback win on Saturday. That snapped the Dodgers’ winning streak at four games and gave the Padres just their second victory in eight head-to-head meetings this season.
Despite Dodgers manager Dave Roberts saying earlier this week the next time Michael Grove pitched it would be out of the bullpen, the right-hander was given another opportunity to start Saturday.
However, Grove filled more of an opener role as he pitched just 1.1 innings. He was removed after allowing a single to Xander Bogaerts. That was the baserunner Grove allowed as he finished with four strikeouts.
He gave way to Ryan Yarbrough, who allowed a solo home run to Manny Machado over 4.1 innings pitched in his Dodgers debut.
Yarbrough exited with a runner on first base, who was stranded by Brusdar Graterol as he struck out Machado to end the sixth inning and keep the Dodgers ahead 3-1.
Graterol pitched a scoreless seventh, but the game began to slip away from the Dodgers after that. Yency Almonte retired one of four batters faced, leaving Caleb Ferguson with a bases-loaded jam.
Ferguson induced Juan Soto into weak contact but a Kiké Hernández ill-advised throwing error allowed the Padres to tie the game. Machado followed that with a two-run single, Jake Cronenworth contributed with an RBI base hit, and Trent Grisham drove in two more to knock Ferguson out of the game once it had been broken open with the seven-run inning.
Dodgers’ rare success against Blake Snell
Will Smith provided the Dodgers with an early lead by hitting a solo home run with two outs in the first inning.
Chris Taylor then singlehandedly sparked a rally by drawing a walk that led to two stolen bases. Kiké Hernández took advantage of the RBI opportunity with a sacrifice fly.
Freddie Freeman provided what appeared to be insurance in the fifth inning with an RBI single.
Saturday was the first time Blake Snell allowed more than one run since June 28. It was also just the second time in Snell’s 15 career starts against the Dodgers that he allowed more than two runs.
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