Dodgers take advantage of Padres’ mistakes to win again

The Los Angeles Dodgers turned six walks in the first two innings into five runs and moved back into sole possession of first place in the National League West with a 6-0 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Saturday.
Left-hander Blake Snell (3-1) went six scoreless innings against his former club as the Dodgers won consecutive games following a four-game losing streak. Los Angeles has not won three consecutive since a four-game winning streak June 29-July 3.
Dylan Cease (5-11) struggled with his command as the Padres right-hander gave up five runs (three earned) in 3 1/3 innings. San Diego center fielder Jackson Merrill dropped a fly ball at the warning track with two outs in the second inning that led to the two unearned runs for the Dodgers.
San Diego, which moved into sole possession of first place earlier in the week, has lost seven times in nine games against the Dodgers this season.
The Dodgers took advantage of a wild Cease from the outset. Shoei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Will Smith walked in succession to open the bottom of the first. Teoscar Hernandez had a sacrifice fly for a run and Michael Conforto added a two-run single.
Ohtani and Smith also walked in the second inning then scored for a 5-0 lead when Merrill dropped Freddie Freeman’s fly ball to the warning track in right-center.
Los Angeles moved in front 6-0 in the fifth inning when Hernandez hit a home run to center off right-hander David Morgan, his 20th of the season. Hernandez has 20 home runs in each of the last seven full seasons, not counting the shortened 2020 pandemic campaign.
In his first appearance against the Padres since winning a National League Cy Young Award with them in 2023, Snell gave up five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Three Dodgers relievers combined to give up one hit over three scoreless innings to close out the victory.