Padres @ Dodgers July 3, 2026: Shohei Ohtani gets the start looking to push the Padres losing streak to seven

The Dodgers (57-31) won an insane series opener against the Padres, spotting them six runs before scoring 12 unanswered for a 12-7 win. Roki Sasaki struggled once again, but the bats picked him up scoring 10 runs from the second to fifth innings and scoring at least two against each of the four pitchers the Padres used. It gave the Dodgers another win over the Padres to push the division lead to 13 ahead of both the Padres and Diamondbacks and pushed the Padres back to .500 on the season. Today, Shohei Ohtani serves his two-way duties as the Dodger offense tries to stay hot against Michael King.

Tonight’s #Dodgers lineup vs. Padres: pic.twitter.com/zPmzhpdNU3

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 3, 2026

Game 2. pic.twitter.com/6Guv7YyqbO

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 3, 2026

Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary in the Dodger lineup. Tommy Edman sits with Alex Freeland starting at second, and Dalton Rushing starts behind the plate after a tumultuous Ohtani start last week. For the Padres, Freddy Fermin is out of the lineup after leaving yesterday’s game after a foul ball hit him in the facemask.

Ohtani missed the Padres last weekend, but saw them in San Diego back in May and was pretty good. He threw five shutout innings and only allowed three hits, but his four strikeouts is still the second-fewest he’s had in a game this season. That was also his shortest start of the season, the only one where he didn’t complete six innings. The Dodgers finally solved King last Sunday, chasing him in the fifth. They smallballed a run off King in the third, getting a leadoff single and bunting the runner to second to set up an Ohtani RBI knock. King lost command in the fifth, starting the inning with a walk and a popped up bunt before another walk and a hit batter. King then walked in a run and Mookie Betts delivered the knockout blow with a two-run single.

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A couple positive injury notes regarding Will Smith and Enrique Hernandez.

Will Smith has been throwing and hit yesterday, Dave Roberts said.

In other injury news.. Kiké Hernández is taking on-field BP right now.

— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) July 3, 2026

Smith has progressed and did some hitting in the cage yesterday. They said he wouldn’t be back before the All-Star Break, but that’s still the first positive update on him since he hit the IL nearly a month ago. Kiké took BP on the field earlier today.

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First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT and will be on SportsNet LA.