PADRES TIE PLAYOFF SERIES AGAINST DODGERS IN WILD 10-2 WIN WITH SIX HOMERUNS

By Miriam Raftery

October 8, 2024 (San Diego) – After winning the wildcard playoffs, the Padres have tied up the National League Division West  series, trouncing the Dodgers in a 10-2 victory last night at Dodger Stadium. The Padres became the first team in Major League history to slam six home runs in a post-season playoff game.

Game three takes place tonight at Petco Park in San Diego.

Fernando Tatis put the Padres in the lead with a homer to left field in the first inning.  David Peralta smacked a 414 foot, two-run homerun to center field in the second inning.

L.A. scored a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly ball. The Padres dominance continued in the sixth and eighth innings, when Jackson Merrill hit two two-run homeruns to put the Padres up 6-1.  Also in the eighth inning, Xander Boergarts knocked a homerun ball to center field.

Adding to the onslaught, Kyle Higashioka homered and Tatis nailed his second homer of the game, scoring a runner in an action-packed top of the ninth,

"We're just going to embrace the momentand take that energy our our side and just play baseball," said Tatis after his second homerun of the night capped the Padres' slugfest.

The Dodgers got one homer of their own in the ninth, but it was far too little, too late.

Padres Pitcher Yu Darvish pitched masterfully, allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings to secure the win.

Tempers flared during the game, when the Padres accused a Dodgers pitcher of intentionally trying to hit the Padres star batter, Tatis, and the Dodgers claiming Padres’ Manny Machado hurled a ball toward Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the dugout; he was not hit.  Both sides have denied any intentional hurling at their opponents.

Irate Dodgers fans, however, threw trash on the field and baseballs into the Padres’ dugout. Shoehei Ohtani,  designated hitter for the Dodgers, is caught on tape throwing a bat into the Padres dugout and is under investigation

One thing you won’t see at tonight’s game three of the series in San Diego?  Dodgers fans, at least none who live in zip codes in Los Angeles County.  The Padres have refused to sell tickets to them in an effort to pack the stadium with devoted Padres fans.

The Dodgers previously won game one in the NLWest playoffs. Whichever team wins the five-game series will advance to the National League championships that will be held October 13-22. Winners of the National and American Leagues will then face off in the World Series October 24-November 2.