Andy Pages, Dodgers Outlast Padres in 10-Inning Thriller/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Andy Pages hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning as the Dodgers edged the Padres 8-7 in the rivals’ season opener. Will Smith homered and drove in three, while both lineups punished the starting pitchers early. The NL West showdown continues Tuesday in San Diego.
Dodgers vs. Padres Quick Looks
- Andy Pages’ 10th-inning double sparks Dodgers’ 8-7 victory
- Tommy Edman follows with RBI single off second base
- Dodgers take opener in season’s first NL West rivalry game
- Will Smith hits two-run homer, drives in three total
- Both teams combined for 11 runs in the first three innings
- Padres’ Tyler Wade delivers a three-run triple in the third
- Tanner Scott earns 12th save; Kirby Yates gets win in relief
- Nick Pivetta struggles again for San Diego; allows 5 runs
- Dustin May issues 4 walks over 5 innings for L.A.
- Next game Tuesday: Dylan Cease (1-5, 4.72 ERA) starts for Padres
Deep Look: Andy Pages Leads Dodgers to 10th-Inning Win Over Padres in Season Series Opener
SAN DIEGO — In a classic extra-innings showdown between Southern California rivals, Andy Pages delivered in the clutch, ripping a leadoff RBI double in the 10th and later scoring on a lucky bounce RBI single by Tommy Edman as the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the San Diego Padres 8-7 in the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.
The Dodgers, who knocked out San Diego in last October’s NL Division Series en route to their World Series title, once again showed their resilience in a back-and-forth battle filled with fireworks from both powerhouse lineups.
Offense Erupts Early
Before the dust settled, both starting pitchers had been chased. Nick Pivetta, making his second straight shaky start for the Padres, surrendered five runs on eight hits in just four innings. Meanwhile, Dustin May worked five innings for the Dodgers but allowed six hits and four walks, giving San Diego multiple chances to strike.
Shohei Ohtani opened the game with a scorching 111-mph double and later scored on Freddie Freeman’s RBI double. Freeman finished with three hits, continuing his hot streak.
Will Smith did major damage in the third inning, smashing a two-run homer, his sixth of the season, and pushing the Dodgers to a 5-3 lead. He ended the night with three RBIs.
But the Padres responded. In the bottom of the third, Tyler Wade launched a two-out three-run triple, a key swing that turned a two-run deficit into a 6-5 Padres lead after Teoscar Hernández misjudged the ball in right field.
Extras Bring Drama, Again
With the game tied at 6-6 in the 10th, Pages stepped up, driving home Max Muncy to reclaim the lead. Edman followed with a chopper that hit second base, skipping into the outfield to bring in Pages for an insurance run.
The Padres made it close with a Jackson Merrill RBI double in the 10th, but Tanner Scott shut the door to earn his 12th save of the season. Kirby Yates (4-2) claimed the win with two strikeouts in a clean ninth inning.
Rivalry Rekindled
With seven matchups in 11 days, this NL West rivalry is already heating up. Monday’s opener was a rematch of last year’s NLDS, in which the Dodgers overcame a 2-1 deficit with back-to-back shutouts to advance.
San Diego’s Manny Machado contributed an RBI double in the first, but the Padres have now dropped four of their last six games, unable to capitalize on key opportunities.
What’s Next
The series continues Tuesday at Petco Park, with the Padres turning to Dylan Cease (1-5, 4.72 ERA) in hopes of evening the series. The Dodgers, still piecing together their injury-riddled rotation, had not named a starter at time of reporting.
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