Blake Snell, Padres' bullpen, silences Dodgers' bats in Game 3 win to take 2-1 lead in NLDS
On Friday night, the San Diego Padres hosted their first playoff game in front of actual fans since 2006. And they didn't disappoint.
The Padres held on for a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS, fittingly earning a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series.
Behind a solid performance from starter Blake Snell and some timely hitting, the Friars are just one win away from the National League Championship.
Snell pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run off five hits while tallying six punchouts.
Like Game 2, the Padres bullpen stepped up when it mattered most. In relief of Snell, Nick Martinez, Luis Garcia, Robert Suarez, and closer Josh Hader combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Hader entered in the ninth, setting down the Dodgers in order, striking out Chris Taylor and Trayce Thompson for the final two outs to preserve the win.
While the Padres' offense didn't light up the scoreboard on Friday night, they came up with big hits when necessary.
With two outs in the first, Jake Croneworth gave the Padres a 1-0 lead, ripping a frozen rope up the middle for an RBI single to drive in Juan Soto, who doubled earlier in the inning.
After two scoreless innings, the Padres added on in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Trent Grisham solo shot. Grisham turned on the first pitch he saw from Andrew Heaney, launching it deep into the left field stands, putting the Padres up 2-0.
A Mookie Betts sacrifice fly pulled the Dodgers to within a run of the Padres in the fifth inning, but San Diego's stout pitching kept Los Angeles' bats quiet the rest of the way.
The Padres will have an opportunity to send the 111-win Dodgers home when they host Game 4 on Saturday at 9:37 p.m.
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