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The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium 4-2. It’s an unsurprising result; the Padres have been the best team in baseball since the All-Star break, have dominated the Dodgers head-to-head this season, and had extra motivation chasing a postseason berth and potentially a huge NL West division comeback.

But the score buries the lede of how emblematic it was of the Dodgers’ struggles and concerns heading into October baseball. And their talent for finding new and exciting ways to lose important games.

The Dodgers led off the bottom of the first inning with Shohei Ohtani crushing a 110 mph double into the right field corner. Mookie Betts reached on an error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts that allowed Ohtani to score. The Dodgers were up 1-0 with Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy due up, a runner at second base and nobody out. Freeman lined out, Hernandez singled, but the ball was hit too hard to allow Betts to score. Then Max Muncy popped out, keeping Betts at third.

They tried to steal a run with two strikes on Will Smith, and, well, it was Dodgers baserunning in a nutshell.

Immediately, after the missed opportunity, the Padres came back with a two-run homer by Jake Cronenworth. Still, the Dodgers made starter Michael King work in the bottom of the second, loading the bases for Mookie Betts. Who promptly struck out on a check swing to end the inning. 

The Dodgers alternated between futility with runners in scoring position, strike outs, or quick in-play outs, while allowing the Padres to add on two more runs. Then the ninth inning happened.

Padres Dodgers triple play

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Higashioka #20, Robert Suarez #75 and Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after the 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a playoff spot at Dodger Stadium on September 24, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Padres Clinch Postseason Berth With Walk Off Triple Play

Padres closer Robert Suarez has struggled this month, allowing runs in the majority of his recent outings. It seemed like Tuesday night could be one of his worst outings yet.

Will Smith led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, Tommy Edman singled, sending Smith to third. Kike Hernandez lined a broken-bat single to center to make the score 4-2, and put runners at first and second with no one out. Miguel Rojas was due up, with Ohtani, the hottest hitter on the planet, on deck with the potential to tie or win the game.

Rojas tried to get a bunt down on the first pitch, but missed, and on the second pitch, lined a perfectly placed ground ball directly to third baseman Manny Machado. Machado stepped on third, threw to second, with the Padres easily completing the turn to get Rojas at first.

Game over, Padres clinch a postseason berth, the division lead shrinks to two, and Shohei Ohtani is left on deck with a chance to win the game. On a triple play. You couldn’t script it any better for San Diego.

It’s easy to look at the Dodgers season as a success; they’re still in good position to win their 11th division title in 12 seasons. They’ve clinched their 12th consecutive postseason berth. Ohtani has set records and Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been as advertised.

But Tuesday’s game is a microcosm of the issues plaguing the team: all too often, despite their talent, they’ve found a way to lose. Injuries, underperformance, months-long slumps, and missed opportunities. The Dodgers entered the season as overwhelming favorites to win the division. They remained that way for much of the season. But the Padres have stopped losing, going 41-17 since the All-Star break, a 115-win pace over a full year. In part because they’ve made the most of their opportunities, blown the fewest leads of any team in baseball, their rotation is healthy and performing, and they’ve made key defensive plays when they need to. 

The Dodgers are relying on untested rookies like Landon Knack. They’ve struggled to close out big leads, including losing three games in the span of 13 days after building up a 5-run cushion. The lineup is filled with high upside, large downside players. High variance hitters who have a dominant week followed by two weeks of struggles. And of course, the ever-present injuries.

Tuesday’s game was an example of why the Padres might be the most feared team in the sport heading into the playoffs. Even when they wobble, momentarily, they find a way to win. The Dodgers all-too-often do the opposite.