Dodgers comeback effort falls short in finale with Padres

The Dodgers got a rare stinker of a start and couldn’t recover, dropping their finale against the Padres, 5-3 in San Diego on Sunday afternoon.

Kenta Maeda got hit around pretty much from the start, allowing three doubles and a home run, including one of each by Manuel Margot.

San Diego scored one in the first inning, then added three in the second. Maeda couldn’t finish four innings, allowing five runs on eight hits in the loss, just the fourth defeat by the Dodgers in the last 24 games.

Sunday was the first loss by the Dodgers against a National League team since June 6, snapping a 16-game winning streak.

The Dodgers being the Dodgers, they started a comeback in the middle innings. Corey Seager, named an All-Star for a second time on Sunday, was 3-for-5 with two doubles in the series finale, and his two-run double got the Dodgers on the board in the sixth inning, which wasn’t so coincidentally after starter Jhoulys Chacin left the game.

The Dodgers threatened all day against Chacin but couldn’t bring a run home in the first five innings. Chacin lowered his home ERA this season to 1.68 in nine starts.

The Dodgers left 12 on base in the game.

Yasmani Grandal homered in the seventh to pull the Dodgers within two runs. In the ninth, the tying run was at the plate but Brandon Maurer closed the door to give the Padres their first home win over the Dodgers in five tries in 2017.

Up next

After 20 games in 20 days — the Dodgers went 16-4 — Monday is an off day for the Dodgers. They start a six-game homestand with the division-rival Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, with Clayton Kershaw facing Patrick Corbin in a battle of southpaws in the series opener.

Sunday particulars

Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (11); Manuel Margot (5)

WP - Jhoulys Chacin (7-7): 5 IP, 4 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

LP - Kenta Maeda (6-4): 3⅔ IP, 8 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Sv - Brandon Maurer (16): 1 IP, 1 hit