MLB/ Darvish strikes out seven in seven dominant innings as Padres beat Dodgers 4-0

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish works against a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning of a baseball game on May 12 in San Diego. (AP Photo)

SAN DIEGO--Yu Darvish gave up two hits in seven dominant innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts hit solo home runs for the Padres, who have won five of the eight games against the Dodgers this season.

“They’ve been really unpredictable. Part of it is attacking some of our hitters’ weaknesses, going to their strengths," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But I really think that they’ve just mixed and matched well and they’ve executed. Obviously they get up to play us, and they’ve played well.”

The Dodgers dropped two of the three games in the series after a seven-game winning streak.

The Padres have won four consecutive series.

“It means that we can play good baseball at the highest level," Tatis said. “This series was as clean as possible for us.”

Darvish (3-1) struck out seven and walked one in a sterling performance that lowered his ERA to 2.43. He has thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings, tying a career high.

“The plan was to kind of see how they reacted to the pitches. The fastball was coming out of the hand right, it was working nicely,” Darvish said. “Obviously they are a very good team, but to be able to take the series against them, for sure it is going to give us some confidence moving forward.”

Dodgers starter Walker Buehler (0-1), pitching in his second game this season, had an ineffective and abbreviated outing. He gave up two runs, five hits, two walks and hit a batter in 3 1/3 innings.

“I’m not going to put much stock in two outings. I think getting him back here, back in competition mode is a good thing and I think the stuff is good,” Roberts said. “My confidence and belief in him hasn’t wavered at all.”

Buehler surrendered consecutive homers to Tatis and Cronenworth in the first inning for a 2-0 Padres lead. Bogaerts’ solo homer came in the fifth off reliever Gus Varland to give the Padres a 4-0 lead.

“It felt nice, you finally hit one that you know is gone,” Bogaerts said. “We are playing really good baseball at home.”

Cronenworth’s home run was initially ruled in play, as it appeared that the ball either hit the top of the wall or right behind it and then bounced back into the field. Cronenworth took a home run trot around the bases and was tagged out at third to his surprise. But after the Padres challenged the play, it was overturned and ruled a home run.

“I was not confused,” Cronenworth said when asked if he knew it was a home run. “I saw it go over the wall and then kick back.”

The attendance mark of 133,970 for the weekend set a three-game series attendance record in the 20-year history of Petco Park. The previous three-game series record of 133,856, set in April 2022, was also against the Dodgers.

“Unbelievable. This place is special,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “This is a baseball town.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: DH Shohei Ohtani was out of the starting lineup on Sunday as a precaution, according to Roberts. Ohtani left Saturday night’s game with back tightness after his fourth at-bat. Will Smith moved to DH and reserve Austin Barnes played catcher. Ohtani was available off the bench but did not play. ... OF Jason Heyward (lower back tightness), who is on the 10-day IL, took live batting practice Friday and Saturday. He will go on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he is slated to play Monday and Tuesday.

Padres: IF Ha-Seong Kim left the game after being hit in the left wrist by an inside 94-mph Buehler slider. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-1, 2.79) will start in the opener of a three-game series at the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.

Padres: RHP Randy Vásquez (0-1, 4.50) will take the hill for the Padres at home on Monday versus the Colorado Rockies.