The Padres' bats couldn't get anything going on Wednesday evening, as they were shutout by Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers 4-0. Things got off to a bumpy start for the Padres, when Ohtani hit a home run on the first pitch of the game from Randy Vasquez, instantly giving LA a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers tacked on another run in the 2nd inning on a sac-fly from Teoscar Hernandez, bringing home Max Muncy after his leadoff double. Ohtani pitched five scoreless innings, but wasn't as efficient as he normally is. The Padres had several opportunities to put some runs on the board, but just weren't able to break through. In the 4th inning trailing 2-0, they had runners at 1st and 2nd with one out, and neither Manny Machado nor Xander Bogaerts were able to drive in a run. After the Dodgers went up 3-0 in the top of the 5th inning, San Diego had a big chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the inning. Bryce Johnson led off with a single after replacing Jackson Merrill, who exited the game with back soreness after jumping into the wall trying to rob Ohtani's home run in the 1st inning. Nick Castellanos followed with a single, and after Ramon Laureano grounded into a fielder's choice, Freddy Fermin worked a walk, setting the stage for Fernando Tatis Jr. with the bases loaded and just one out. Unfortunately, Tatis grounded into an inning-ending double play on the first pitch he saw, as the Padres let another scoring opportunity pass by. San Diego's bullpen was able to keep the game within 3 runs, giving the offense a chance to climb back into the game. In the bottom of the 8th and still trailing 3-0, the Padres had runners at the corners with one out for their hottest hitter Miguel Andujar, but just as Tatis did in the 5th inning, Andujar grounded into an inning-ending double play, as the Padres went 0-5 with runners in scoring position. Craig Stammen didn't reveal much after the game about Merrill's injury, only saying that his back was sore and he would get testing done on Thursday. The Padres will enjoy a day of rest on Thursday before welcoming the A's to town on Friday.
You can watch the Jamul Casino Resort Padres Postgame Show below, with full highlights from the game and Craig Stammen's postgame press conference.
