Teoscar Hernández hits a grand slam and Paxton pitches 6 strong innings as Dodgers beat Padres 5-0
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam, James Paxton tossed six scoreless innings to remain undefeated and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 5-0 on Saturday night.
Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer for the Dodgers, who have won eight of their last nine games.
Paxton (5-0) was masterful while allowing four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. In a start against San Diego on April 14, Paxton walked eight in a no-decision.
The Petco Park attendance of 46,701 set the largest single-game attendance record in the stadium’s 20-year history. The previous high was 45,567 on March 30, 2014 — opening day — also against the Dodgers.
Even with the loss, the Padres have won four of seven against the Dodgers this season. The teams play the rubber match of the three-game series Sunday.
With the Dodgers leading 1-0 in the sixth, Hernández blasted a 390-foot shot to left field off a slider from Padres reliever Enyel De Los Santos, who entered the game to face Hernández.
Freeman hit a solo homer off San Diego starter Matt Waldron (1-5) in the first to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Freeman later doubled and was intentionally walked in four plate appearances.
The Padres only had one prime chance to score against Paxton, but couldn’t cash in. Donovan Solano led off the fifth with a double, but Paxton induced outs from San Diego’s next three hitters.
Waldron was strong in defeat, allowing one run and two hits while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings. He has lost his last three starts and four of his last five.
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Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (0-0, 6.75) will make his second start of the season and face LHP Yu Darvish (2-1, 2.94) in the final game of the series.
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