Dodgers top Padres 5-4

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Tuesday, May 19, at Petco Park by turning a tied game into a one-run lead in the ninth against Padres closer Mason Miller. Alex Call scored the go-ahead run, and Andy Pages drove him in with a sacrifice fly that was upheld after review. Freddie Freeman supplied most of Los Angeles’ earlier offense with two home runs, while Will Klein finished the game for his first career save. MLB’s official game story said the win gave the Dodgers a chance to take the series in the Wednesday rubber match. ### How did the Dodgers break the tie in the ninth? Mason Miller opened the ninth by walking two Dodgers batters, and the inning turned on an automated ball-strike challenge by Max Muncy, according to MLB’s Dodgers game report. Muncy was initially called out on a full-count third strike, tapped his helmet to challenge, and the call was overturned to a walk. He was then replaced by pinch-runner Alex Call. (mlb.com) Alex Call moved from first to third on Miller’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt, MLB’s Padres recap said. Miller stepped off and threw to first, but the ball went wide of Ty France and up the right-field line, leaving San Diego without what would have been the second out. Andy Pages then fouled off six of the first eight pitches he saw from Miller before lifting a fly ball to right field, MLB’s Dodgers report said. (mlb.com) Fernando Tatis Jr. made a throw to the plate, Call was ruled safe, and San Diego’s challenge did not change the call. ### What had happened before the late rally? (mlb.com) Freddie Freeman gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run homer off Griffin Canning after Shohei Ohtani doubled to open the game. Manny Machado answered in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer off Emmet Sheehan, tying the score at 2-2. Miguel Andujar put San Diego ahead 4-2 in the third with a two-run homer, also against Sheehan. (mlb.com) Shohei Ohtani cut the deficit to 4-3 with an RBI groundout in the fifth. Freddie Freeman tied the game in the sixth with his second homer of the night, a solo shot off Jeremiah Estrada. MLB’s highlight page said Freeman finished with two home runs and three RBIs. (mlb.com) ### Which defensive plays kept the score there? Teoscar Hernández preserved the 4-4 tie in the seventh with a run-saving catch in right field, according to MLB’s game story. (mlb.com) That play came before the Dodgers handed the ninth inning to Klein. Will Klein closed the game in the bottom of the ninth and earned his first career save, MLB’s official postgame slate said. (mlb.com) The final out came against Fernando Tatis Jr. ### Why did the result matter in the series? MLB’s Padres recap said San Diego had moved ahead of Los Angeles in the National League West a day earlier, before the Dodgers answered with Tuesday’s win. (mlb.com) The result evened the immediate swing between the rivals and set up a deciding game in the series. MLB’s scoreboard listed the Dodgers at 30-19 and the Padres at 29-19 after the game. (mlb.com) The clubs were scheduled to meet again on Wednesday, May 20, at Petco Park in the rubber match. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2)