The Padres have effectively played shorthanded the last few days, with Ramón Laureano sliding over from left to center field and Gavin Sheets backfilling the left-field vacancy. Merrill's unavailability has coincided with shortstop Xander Bogaerts and second baseman Jake Cronenworth both missing a game apiece because of their own ills.

Under-pressure Dodgers will look to level the series when they face Padres in Game 2 on Saturday at Petco Park.

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost 2-1 against the San Diego Padres, losing the lead in the National League West in the process. The Dodgers' pitching staff delivere

The Dodgers were held to one hit before the ninth inning, when Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman gave them one final gasp against All-Star closer Robert Suarez. The closer blew a 101.6 mph sinker past Hernández to close out a night in which they hardly ever threatened.

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Just like last weekend, the Dodgers and the Padres square off for first place in the NL West. This time, in San Diego.

The Rockies are no longer on track to have the worst record in the history of baseball. There is even a chance that they could overthrow the Chicago White-Sox as the second-worst team in baseball. They will definitely hit 100-loss on the season (more than likely), but there is hope looking into the future.

Blake Snell is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Yu Darvish for San Diego.

LOS ANGELES — It was touted as the biggest series of the month. It was billed as a potential passing of the torch, with the San Diego Padres threatening to win the National League West for the first time in 19 years. Instead, Sunday’s finale ended in a three-game sweep — and a relatively convincing one, at that.

Mookie Betts was sitting on the couch in the visitors’ clubhouse at Coors Field after the Dodgers salvaged a split of their four-game series with the Rockies with a 9-5 victory on Thursday.

Yu Darvish se combinó con tres relevistas para permitir sólo tres hits, y los Padres de San Diego superaron el viernes 2-1 a los Dodgers de Los