Two flyouts to left field don’t go the Dodgers way in 10-inning loss to Padres

The Dodgers tied the game late after Yu Darvish shut them down for two-thirds of the game, but the Padres won in 10 innings on a sacrifice fly, 3-2 to even the weekend series at Petco Park.

Extra innings played out much like 2021 for the Dodgers, who lost 13 of 19 such games last year. Chris Taylor was the free runner on second base to start the 10th inning, and his attempt to tag up on a flyout to left field was unsuccessful, thanks to a strong throw to nail Taylor at third base.

San Diego did not have such troubles in the bottom of the frame. Trent Grisham successfully bunted free runner C.J. Abrams to third base, then Austin Nola’s flyout to left field off Justin Bruihl did not produce an assist.

The sacrifice fly gave the Padres their first win over the Dodgers in 10 games, dating back to last season.

After just one hit through the first seven innings, the Dodgers singled twice against reliever Luis García to open the eighth, showing their first signs of life in six innings. But García recovered to strike out Mookie Betts, and closer Taylor Rogers struck out Freddie Freeman for the second out. But Rogers left a slider over the plate for Trea Turner, who pulled a ball just of the reach of Profar in left field for a game-tying double.

The Dodgers were patient against Darvish, making him throw 45 pitches to get through the order the first time. Two straight walks in the second inning loaded the bases with two outs, and Darvish’s first pitch was up and in, nearly hitting Betts.

In hindsight, that was the Dodgers’ last, and best scoring opportunity against Darvish, who recovered to strike out Betts to end that threat, starting a string of 13 straight batters retired.

Los Angeles walked three times that first time through the order, but didn’t do much when they put the ball in play. Will Smith grounded a single into right field in the second, but the only two balls hit by the Dodgers with an exit velocity of at least 90 mph both were groundouts.

Darvish needed just 33 pitches to blow through the Dodgers order the second time around, and struck out Betts again for good measure in his third time through.

Darvish in seven career starts against the Dodgers — six of which have come since the start of 2021 — has allowed only 10 runs, including more than two runs just once. Darvish against the Dodgers has a 2.09 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth beat out an infield grounder in the first inning for his first hit in nine days, snapping an 0-for-25 skid. In the third inning, he hit a ball considerably farther. Cronenworth hit a Tyler Anderson fastball 380 feet and over the wall in right field, expanding San Diego’s lead to 2-0.

Anderson was unable to retire Cronenworth on Saturday. That included a walk in Cronenworth’s third plate appearance that ended the left-hander’s night in the fifth inning.

Anderson allowed just two runs in his 4⅔ innings, but had enough traffic for more, with four hits and three walks. He left with two runners on base with two outs in the fifth, but Phil Bickford escaped the jam by whiffing Manny Machado on five pitches.

Bickford’s night was done after that lone batter, after facing three hitters on Friday. Alex Vesia, who faced just one batter on Friday, followed with a scoreless sixth inning on Saturday. Daniel Hudson pitched a scoreless ninth after also pitching on Friday.

Those three are the first Dodgers to pitch on back-to-back days since Blake Treinen did so in the first two games of the year.

Saturday particulars

Home run: Jake Cronenworth (1)

WP — Robert Suarez (1-0): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

LP — Justin Bruihl (0-1): ⅔ IP, 1 unearned run

Up next

Clayton Kershaw, with a 1.88 ERA in 19 career starts at Petco Park, starts the series finale on Sunday (1:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Fellow southpaw Sean Manaea pitches for San Diego.