Dodgers pound Sean Manaea to snap losing streak

After a rare three-game losing streak, the Dodgers got back on the beam thanks to another drubbing of Sean Manaea, routing the Padres 12-1 on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

The twelve runs matched the Dodgers’ total over their previous five games.

Offense came immediately in this one, thanks to a pair of players who have been almost joined at the hip for two months. Mookie Betts started things off with a slicing liner in right field that got past Juan Soto. Betts easily made it to third for his third triple of the season, but any hopes of an inside-the-park homer were dashed by the stop sign of third base coach Dino Ebel.

“Oh Dino, give him a shot,” Joe Davis joked on the SportsNet LA broadcast.

The fans’ thirst for a home run waited only five pitches for satiation, thanks to Trea Turner hitting a ball into the left field seats. The home run came in Turner’s first at-bat after sitting Friday, his first non-start of the season.

Saturday marked the 52nd time in 55 games Betts and Turner have batted 1-2 in the Dodgers lineup. They were linked in another way in this one, with Betts starting at second base for the third time this year. The middle infield mates made a nifty play up the middle, when Betts fielded a ball with his momentum going toward third base, then shoveled to Turner on his way to second base for a force out.

That play helped stay out of the big inning after the first two batters reached. Julio Urías did the heavy lifting, inducing a Juan Soto pop out and a Manny Machado fly out to end the threat.

Urías kept his stingy streak going, allowing just one run in six innings, working around three walks. He allowed only two hits, the last of which was a solo home run by Machado in the sixth. Urías has allowed one run or fewer in six straight starts and eight of his last nine, lowering his National League-leading ERA to 2.29.

The support kept coming against Manaea. After a pair of singles in the fourth inning, Betts launched a three-run homer with two outs to break the game open. Betts’ 33rd home run of the season set a new career high, and matched Joc Pederson’s Dodgers record for most home runs hit out of the leadoff spot, set in 2019.

Justin Turner got Manaea in the fifth inning for a two-run home run, Turner’s eighth extra-base hit in his last nine games.

Three times this season the Dodgers have faced Manaea, and three times they have tattooed him. The Padres left-hander allowed eight runs in 4⅓ innings in this one, running his post-All-Star-break ERA to 8.36 in eight starts.

Manaea against the Dodgers this year has allowed 22 runs (22 earned) on 24 hits in 12⅔ innings. His 15.63 ERA is the fourth-highest by any pitcher against the Dodgers in a season, with at least three starts, trailing only Burleigh Grimes (28.59 in 1931), Ron Bryant (17.18, 1974), and Lefty Weinert (15.75, 1923).

The Dodgers and Padres meet in two more series later in September, so Manaea still has time to improve on that, if he stays in the rotation for a San Diego team still fighting to secure a wild card berth.

Manaea’s exit did not stop the scoring. Will Smith, who doubled home Freddie Freeman in the third innings, hit a three-run home run off Reiss Knehr. Smith was the designated hitter, which left catching duties to Austin Barnes, who doubled, singled, and scored twice. Barnes has reached base in six straight starts and eight of his last nine, hitting .355/.441/.613 (11-for-31) since the beginning of August.

Blake Treinen had the softest landing possible for his first major league game in 4½ months, entering the seventh with an 11-run advantage. The right-hander needed only five pitches for a perfect frame, inducing two groundouts and a flyout.

Hanser Alberto pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to finish off the blowout, his eight pitching appearance of the season, and second in a row. He got Josh Bell looking for the second out of the inning, and his first major league strikeout.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Trea Turner (19), Mookie Betts (33), Will Smith (20); Manny Machado (26)

WP — Julio Urías (15-7): 6 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts

LP — Sean Manaea (7-8): 4⅓ IP, 9 hits, 8 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Up next

Ryan Pepiot will be called up to pitch the series finale Sunday evening (4:08 p.m., ESPN), but since he hasn’t yet spent 15 days on optional assignment, he’ll have to replace a player going on the injured list. That’ll be David Price, manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game.