Solarte homers in 9th to give Padres 6-5 win over Dodgers
SAN DIEGO -- Moments after Justin Turner hit a monster two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to pull the Los Angeles Dodgers into a tie, Yangervis Solarte came through with the biggest swing in his three-plus seasons with the San Diego Padres.
Solarte homered with one out in the ninth to lift the Padres to a 6-5 victory against the Dodgers in the first game of a split doubleheader on Saturday, the sixth loss in seven games for the runaway NL West leaders.
Solarte's first career walkoff homer and his 15th shot this season came off Pedro Baez (3-3).
"That's really nice. Wow. That's good. No. 1," Solarte said in English before turning things over to a translator.
As much of a gut punch as it was to watch Turner's no-doubt, pinch homer off All-Star closer Brad Hand fly into the second deck in left, Solarte knew he'd be coming up in the bottom of the ninth.
"I said, `Stay focused; maybe we'll get a walkoff,' and that happened," Solarte said. "Wow. That's good."
Solarte is easily the most energetic Padres player.
"He brings energy every day," starter Clayton Richard said. "In baseball, it's a difficult thing to do, especially when you're a guy that plays every day. This game is tough. It's huge. He's able to do that, and it's clutch. He's a fun guy to have around."
It wasn't fun for the Dodgers.
"Fastball just didn't get there," manager Dave Roberts said. "Tried to come in on him. With Solarte, he likes the ball close to him and if you get it over, and it leaks back, he can hurt you, and that's exactly what happened. He put a good swing on it."
The Dodgers blew leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1, and trailed 5-3 in the top of the ninth. Rob Segedin hit a leadoff double off Hand and Turner hit a one-out, no-doubter. It was his 18th of the season and the fifth pinch-hit homer of his career.
Roberts said Hand wasn't as sharp with his breaking ball. "It was a mistake and J.T. put a good swing on it."
The Dodgers were up 2-1 in the fourth after Cody Bellinger hit his 35th home run to tie Mike Piazza's franchise rookie record, and were up two runs after Austin Barnes' RBI single in the fifth.
Bellinger hit a high, arcing shot deep into the seats in right field off left-hander Clayton Richard. It was the first homer since Aug. 12 for the phenom, who missed nine games with a sprained right ankle before being activated from the disabled list on Wednesday.
Piazza, who finished his Hall of Fame career with 427 homers, hit 35 for the Dodgers in 1993, when he was voted NL Rookie of the Year.
"I've been sitting on it for a while," Bellinger said. "It was in the back of my mind. Obviously he was a great player who had a great career, so to be in the same sentence as him is pretty cool."
Bellinger also hit a sacrifice fly in the first.
After trailing 3-1, the Padres scored two runs off Wilmer Font in the sixth to tie it and two off Josh Ravin in the seventh to take the lead, including a go-ahead triple by Wil Myers to left.
Richard allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out four and walked three.
Dodgers starter Brock Stewart, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game, allowed one run and two hits in four innings, struck out five and walked two.
The first game was the makeup of a rainout on May 7. It was just the second doubleheader since Petco Park opened in 2004.
L.A.'s Yu Darvish (8-10, 3.88) and San Diego's Jordan Lyles (0-2, 6.94) were scheduled to start the nightcap.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: SS Corey Seager missed his fifth straight start with a sore right elbow but pinch-hit in the ninth.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (14-1, 2.41) is scheduled to come off the disabled list (shoulder inflammation) and make his first start since Aug. 21 in the series finale Sunday.
Padres: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (11-10, 4.03) is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts against L.A. this season.
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SD wins 3-1
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Alan Porter
- First Base Umpire - Ben May
- Second Base Umpire - Chris Segal
- Third Base Umpire - Joe West
2024 National League West Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | 98 | 64 | .605 | - | W5 |
San Diego | 93 | 69 | .574 | 5 | L1 |
Arizona | 89 | 73 | .549 | 9 | W1 |
San Francisco | 80 | 82 | .494 | 18 | L1 |
Colorado | 61 | 101 | .377 | 37 | L3 |