Dodgers Recap: Cease Implodes Early as Dodgers Get Six Strong Innings from Snell to Clinch Season Series

CHAVEZ RAVINE — The Padres, who came into this weekend’s series ahead of the reigning champs in the NL West standings, now find themselves in second place, as the Dodgers have taken the first two games of this series. Tonight, Los Angeles struck early, scoring three in the first and two in the third. And the Dodgers scored those five runs on only one hit.

It was Blake Snell against Dylan Cease in a battle between two similar pitchers, both elite arms that rely on the chase and swing-and-miss to be at their best. Snell, who allowed three of the first four hitters he faced to reach, was saved by his All-Star catcher. Will Smith threw out Fernando Tatis Jr. stealing after Tatis singled to open the ballgame, then caught Manny Machado on the basepaths after the San Diego third baseman tried to get two runners into scoring position with Xander Bogaerts at the plate. Bogaerts, who would reach to lead off the following inning, was also thrown out by Smith. It was the first time since 1920 that three of the first four outs of a game were recorded via a caught stealing.

On the other hand, Dylan Cease, who also dealt with traffic, didn’t handle as adeptly as Snell did. Cease walked the first three Dodger batters of the game in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Will Smith. After Freddie Freeman failed to score any of the baserunners, Teoscar Hernandez lifted a ball to right field that would be just deep enough to score Ohtani. The much aligned Michael Conforto would tack on a batter later, singling home two runners on a 3-2 slider that Cease left over the plate.

Snell, after his first inning, would be much better the rest of the way. While he didn’t quite have the put-away strikeout stuff he had last weekend against Toronto, he kept Padre hitters off balance enough. He would end up going six scoreless innings on 96 pitches, and after the first inning, kept San Diego at bay the rest of the way. His ERA is 1.80, and in the 16 innings he’s pitched since his return from the injured list, Snell has surrendered only three runs, both short-porch home runs from Yandy Diaz down in Tampa Bay.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers would add to their lead. With two on and two out in the bottom of the third, Freddie Freeman hit a high fly ball to deep right center field that Merrill dropped, point-blank, on the warning track. Two runners scored, and Freeman ended up at second base. It was a crushing blow for San Diego, and Cease was pulled shortly thereafter. Teoscar Hernandez homered off of David Morgan in the 5th to make it 6-0. It’s the second straight game in which Hernandez has hit a long ball, and his 20th of the season.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep tomorrow at 1:10 PT, with Tyler Glasnow scheduled to take the ball for the Dodgers against Yu Darvish of the Padres. It’s a rematch, in fact, of last year’s Seoul series opener. The Dodgers also clinched the season series over San Diego today, meaning that their one-game lead in the NL West is really two. As of right now, the Dodgers have the Padres’ number. Let’s see if they keep it going tomorrow. Until then, folks.

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