Blake Snell silenced his former club with six shutout innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers capitalized on early control issues from Dylan Cease to earn a 6-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The win pushed Los Angeles back into sole possession of first place in the National League West, overtaking San Diego after briefly falling behind earlier in the week.
Oddsmakers had listed the Dodgers as slight -135 favorites entering the matchup, and they quickly lived up to that billing by building a decisive lead in the opening frames. Cease, who entered with a 5-11 record, struggled with command from the outset, issuing six walks in just 3 1/3 innings. Los Angeles scored five runs during his outing despite collecting only two hits, aided by free passes and a costly misplay in the outfield.
Snell (3-1), facing the Padres for the first time since departing after his 2023 Cy Young Award-winning season, showed poise against a lineup familiar with his approach. The left-hander scattered five hits, walked two, and struck out three across six innings. San Diego generated traffic in the early frames but failed to produce timely hits, leaving Snell in control throughout.
The game turned in the first inning when Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Will Smith each drew walks to load the bases. Padres catcher Luis Campusano nearly helped Cease escape with limited damage, but Michael Conforto drove a two-run single to right field with two outs to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Los Angeles extended its advantage in the second inning without registering a hit. Ohtani and Smith again reached on walks, and both came around to score when Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill misjudged a deep fly ball from Freddie Freeman. The ball fell at the warning track, allowing two runs to cross and giving the Dodgers a 5-0 cushion.
The only earned run off Cease came in the fifth, when Teoscar Hernández launched his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. That blast underscored the Dodgers’ ability to combine patience with power against San Diego pitching.
Defensively, Los Angeles cut down San Diego’s early attempts to manufacture offense. Smith threw out Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts on steal attempts in the first two innings, stifling rallies before they could develop.
The Padres, who had moved into first place on Wednesday, now trail the Dodgers by one game following consecutive losses to open the three-game series. San Diego managed just seven hits on Saturday and has struggled to find consistency at the plate in back-to-back contests.
For the Dodgers, the win improved their record to 70-53, reinforcing their hold on the division as they approach the final stretch of the season. Manager Dave Roberts praised Snell’s command and the lineup’s ability to capitalize on Cease’s lack of control.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon, with veteran Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.61 ERA) scheduled to start for San Diego against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.08 ERA). Sportsbooks have installed Los Angeles as the early -150 favorite behind Glasnow, while the Padres will look to avoid a sweep and regain momentum before returning home.
