Dodgers 7, Padres 2: The Dodgers win the NL West as Buehler delivers & big hits from Smith, Shohei, Mookie lead comeback

Chad Moriyama 09/26/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

With a chance to clinch the NL West on the line tonight, we were treated to a surprising pitchers’ duel between Walker Buehler and Joe Musgrove. It was the Padres that went ahead first in the middle innings, and things didn’t look good for the Dodgers lineup, but Will Smith turned the game around in a flash and then Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts came through with big blows to give them the lead for good in a division-clinching 7-2 victory.

The celebration wasn’t full-throated, however, as there’s unfortunately concern about Freddie Freeman‘s ankle injury.

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With a chance to clinch, the Dodgers had their big game guy going in Buehler. However, that reputation was developed before his second elbow surgery, so he was actually a big question mark heading into the contest.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, he turned in one of his best starts since returning. He worked around a pair of singles in the 1st, a single in the 2nd, and a single in the 4th, mostly suffering from contact that could’ve gone one way or the other.

His biggest obstacle was the 5th, where with one out he got ahead of David Peralta 0-2 and then walked him. The #9 hitter Kyle Higashioka ripped a double to put a pair in scoring position, but Buehler limited the damage thanks to a Luis Arraez groundout that scored a run and getting a Fernando Tatis Jr. groundout to end the threat (though not before he gave them a scare with a near homer foul).

Buehler provided just what they needed and might’ve not allowed a run if they played in (with the benefit of hindsight): 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 71 Pitches.

So it was 1-0 to the Padres at that point because the Dodger bats weren’t doing anything against Musgrove.

They got a one-out single in the 1st and then made nine outs in a row, finally getting their first chance in the 4th after a one-out double by Freddie, but Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy both flew out to right and killed that off. They got another shot in the 5th after a two-out double from Gavin Lux, but Andy Pages also flew out harmlessly and Musgrove continued to roll.

The Dodgers pen gave Musgrove a bit more breathing room in the 6th, as Evan Phillips entered and immediately surrendered back-to-back singles. A bunt followed, and it was right back to Phillips, but he didn’t get the lead runner at third. That lapse by either him or more likely Will predictably cost them as Xander Bogaerts hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Padres. Anthony Banda entered at that point and got the final out to stem the bleeding at least.

Banda continued again in the 7th, cruising through a clean inning.

But the reality is the bats just couldn’t get it going at all for most of the game. The 6th started with a Ohtani single, and then the heart of the order went groundout, flyout, and strikeout behind him. I guess he was moved to third in that process? I dunno.

Another hopeful rally begun in the 7th, as Muncy drew a lead-off walk, but this time the lineup was jolted to life. Things changed in a flash as Will smashed his 20th dinger of the year to dead center.

He knew it, too.

After Musgrove got the first out of the inning, the Padres turned to their pen as well, and the Dodgers got back to work. Enrique Hernandez pinch-hit and singled, then Pages reached on a fortunate catcher’s interference while down 0-2 in the count. That brought up Ohtani, who singled to right to give the Dodgers the 3-2 lead, and two runners ended up in scoring position after Tatis threw wild trying to get Pages at third.

That proved important when Mookie finally stepped up in the series and singled to drive in both runs and make it 5-2.

Unfortunately, the next play is where Freeman got hurt trying to avoid a tag on a groundout, and after an intentional walk to Teoscar, Muncy grounded out to end the 7th.

The injury took the energy out of the building, and we can only hope for the best now, though the most recent updates sound promising.

Back to the game, Blake Treinen entered in the 8th, issuing a walk and giving up some decent contact but ultimately keeping the lead intact.

The bats then continued their momentum at least, as an Enrique single was followed by Pages’ 12th homer of the year to make it 7-2.

Also, Shohei got to 400 total bases with a bloop double after that, which was followed by a Mookie intentional walk, but Chris Taylor making a cameo didn’t get anything else across.

That set things up for a comfortable Michael Kopech appearance, who gave up a double but that was it, as he locked down the division.

The NL West belongs to the Dodgers yet again.

A compilation of celebration stuff is coming soon.

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In a last-second decision, Banda was activated for Brent Honeywell Jr., and obviously that was important tonight.

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NLRECORD
Dodgers95-64
Phillies94-65 (1 GB)

No more NL West chart, as the Dodgers have won the division.

The Dodgers will now travel to the dreaded Coors Field for the last series of the season, which will obviously be against the Rockies starting at 2:10 PM HT/5:10 PM PT/8:10 PM ET. Thankfully though, it doesn’t matter now at all. It’ll be a bullpen game for the Dodgers going up against Cal Quantrill.

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