On Sunday night, following the San Diego Padres blowout victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was asked to describe his relationship with the fans at Dodger Stadium.
“Wild,” he said smiling.
Little did he know that adjective would also be apropos to describe the pivotal Game 3 of the series at Petco Park on Tuesday evening.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a grand slam, but the Dodgers comeback fell short in a wild 6-5 loss to the Padres in Game 3 of the National League Division Series. The Dodgers now trail the best-of-five series two games to one.
Ironically, Game 3 began in an almost identical way as Game 2, when Mookie Betts hit another deep fly ball to left field that saw Jurickson Profar leap into the stands to rob him of a home run.
The start of Game 2 vs. Game 3 for Mookie Betts pic.twitter.com/H3w2LE6JGr
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 9, 2024
Betts, believing he had been robbed again, began trotting back to the dugout after rounding first base. However, the ball had bounced off of Profar’s glove and into the seats for a solo homer that gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead, and snapped Betts 0-for-22 postseason streak at the plate.
MOOKIE WOULD NOT BE DENIED THIS TIME! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/BpM2Ylug3S
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
Things turned from wild to weird when everything went sideways for the Dodgers in the bottom of the second inning.
Manny Machado led off with a single up the middle. Jackson Merrill hit a groundball innocently to first base that Freddie Freeman threw to second to start the double play.
However, Machado ran inside the base path, blocking the throw second and the ball went into left field.
One play later, a routine double-play ball was hit to short, but Miguel Rojas opted to run to the bag instead of toss it to second. When the dust settled, all runners were safe and the game was tied at 1-1.
Everybody is safe!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/QxT8vJQ1sh
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
Former Dodger, David Peralta followed with a two-run double and the Padres took a 3-1 lead.
David Peralta! @Padres lead! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/jqH3YH7Wj0
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
Three batters and more bad defense later, Tatis Jr. blasted a two-run shot off the scoreboard in left field and faster than a cheetah on it’s lunch break San Diego had staked a 6-1 lead.
NANDO! PANDEMONIUM!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/mEWBVBqMrc
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
That might have been all she wrote for the Boys in Blue in past postseasons, after all they didn’t put up more than a gentle whimper after falling behind all three games in last season’s NLDS sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But that team did not have Shohei Ohtani or Teoscar Hernandez on it.
The Dodgers new sluggers put up plenty of fight in the top half of the following inning.
After a leadoff single by Rojas, Ohtani followed with a single to center, and Betts made it three straight to load the bases for Hernandez, who played the role of hero for Los Angeles.
TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ GRAND SLAM!
WHAT IS GOING ON????? #NLDS pic.twitter.com/urE1xfJIQD
— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024
Hernandez’s homer silenced the stunned crowd and turned a five-run lead into a one-run barn-burner with one swing. Suddenly, the Dodgers had new life, and a reinvigorated Walker Buehler went back out to the mound and dominated.
Buehler and the Dodgers’ bullpen did their best to keep the game a one-run lead, but the Padres’ bullpen was even better, keeping the score where it was, squashing all hopes of another Los Angeles comeback.
The Dodgers went a combined 1-for-21 after the grand slam, and are now 1-52 when trailing by five runs or more.
For the third straight postseason, the Dodgers find themselves in familiar territory: facing elimination in a hostile environment, with their backs against the wall and their season on the brink.
We can write all the cliches we want, but the calculus is simple: win or your season is over.
Game 4 of the best-of-five NLDS series is Wednesday night at Petco Park with first pitch scheduled for 6:08PM PT.