Padres Turn Eighth-Inning Double Play, Robert Suarez Closes Win

The San Diego Padres pulled off a narrow 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Friday night. Pitching and defense really took center stage, and the Padres found just enough to hold off the Dodgers and keep things tight atop the NL West.

It felt like playoff baseball—tense, loud, and maybe even a little exhausting for fans in both cities. You could just sense everyone was locked in from the first pitch.

Yu Darvish Sets the Tone with Dominant Start

Yu Darvish wasted no time showing why he’s still one of the best when the lights are brightest. He held the Dodgers to just one run on one hit and struck out five over six innings.

He mixed his pitches, hit his spots, and just didn’t let the Dodgers get comfortable. That gave the Padres some breathing room, which they desperately needed.

Command and Composure Under Pressure

It wasn’t just about velocity or movement for Darvish. Even after a third-inning walk, he settled down fast and forced weak contact.

Big NL West games like this can get to anyone, but Darvish just looked calm, almost unbothered by the moment.

Padres Break Through in the Fourth Inning

Offense felt like a rumor for most of the early innings. Then, in the fourth, Fernando Tatis Jr. worked a walk and moved up on a smart sacrifice from Luis Arraez.

With two outs, Manny Machado came through with an RBI single to left, and the crowd finally had a reason to erupt.

Xander Bogaerts Delivers the Decisive RBI

Ryan O’Hearn kept things moving with a sharp single, putting runners in scoring position. That brought up Xander Bogaerts, who lifted a sacrifice fly to score Machado and make it 2-0.

Hits were rare, so that run felt huge—like the kind that might just hold up.

Dodgers Threaten but Defense Saves the Day

Los Angeles finally got on the board in the sixth and threatened again late. In the eighth, Padres reliever Mason Miller handed out back-to-back walks, putting the tying run in scoring position with nobody out.

Things looked shaky, but then the Padres’ infield delivered a gem.

The Crucial Challenge Call

Luis Arraez started a smooth 3-6-1 double play, with Bogaerts at second and Miller hustling to cover first. The runner was called safe at first, but after a manager’s challenge, the call got overturned.

That double play absolutely flipped the inning and took the air out of the Dodgers’ rally.

Robert Suarez Slams the Door

Padres closer Robert Suarez had to sweat it out in the ninth. With the tying run just 90 feet away and two outs, he fired a perfectly placed fastball past Teoscar Hernández to lock up the win.

Standings Impact

The victory wasn’t just a morale boost. It also pulled the Padres into a tie with the Dodgers atop the National League West.

The series continues on Saturday. Right now, the momentum feels like it’s swinging toward San Diego.

A weekend series win over their fiercest rivals could send a loud message across baseball: the Padres are here to contend. That’s not something you see every season.

Key takeaways from the Padres’ win:

• Yu Darvish delivered one of his sharpest outings of the season.
• Smart situational hitting in the fourth provided just enough offense.
• Flawless defensive execution in the eighth preserved the lead.
• Robert Suarez proved ice-cold in a tense save situation.

Friday night’s contest really showed how to win close games through pitching, timely hitting, and airtight defense. If the Padres can bottle this formula, who knows how far they’ll go?

 
Here is the source article for this story: Double-play in eighth, Robert Suarez in ninth preserve win for Padres