Teoscar Hernández delivered a decisive three-run home run in the sixth inning to break a tie and help lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday evening at Petco Park. The victory secured the series for Los Angeles, which took two of three in the season’s first meeting between the National League West rivals.
Coming off a lopsided 11-1 loss on Tuesday night that exposed the Dodgers’ depth issues on the mound, the reigning World Series champions responded with a composed performance on both sides of the ball. Rookie right-hander Ben Casparius, making only his second start of the season, navigated four innings with limited damage despite allowing five consecutive Padres to reach base in the second. A pivotal defensive play by center fielder Andy Pages helped limit the damage, as he threw out Gavin Sheets at home with a 99-mph throw to preserve a 1-0 score.
The Padres opened the scoring in that inning on a bases-loaded walk to catcher Martín Maldonado, but failed to add on when Fernando Tatis Jr. flied out to end the threat. Casparius exited without a decision, keeping the game within reach for the Dodgers.
Michael Conforto tied the game in the fifth with a solo home run to left-center field off Padres starter Randy Vásquez. An inning later, Hernández launched his 11th home run of the season — a 420-foot shot to center — off reliever Jeremiah Estrada. The homer followed a single by Freddie Freeman and a walk to Will Smith, providing the Dodgers with a 4-1 lead.
San Diego responded in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly from Sheets, cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, another scoring opportunity in the seventh inning fell short when Padres reliever Michael Kopech issued three walks to load the bases with one out. Dodgers left-hander Anthony Banda entered and retired Luis Arraez on a pop-up before inducing a groundout from Manny Machado to escape the jam unscathed.
The Dodgers added an insurance run in the eighth to seal the win. Lou Trivino earned the victory in relief, while Alex Vesia, the team’s eighth pitcher of the night, closed the door in the ninth with three consecutive strikeouts to record his third save of the season.
The series win improves the Dodgers’ position atop the NL West as they prepare to return home for a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants. Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.20 ERA) is scheduled to start for Los Angeles in Friday’s opener. The Padres will head to Arizona to open a three-game series of their own, with right-hander Stephen Kolek (3-1, 3.00 ERA) slated to take the mound.
Los Angeles entered the matchup as slight favorites with moneyline odds near -140, and their balanced response following a heavy defeat reinforced their status as one of the league’s most resilient clubs amid ongoing injuries to their pitching staff.