SAN DIEGO (AP) — Whereas the Los Angeles Dodgers are common individuals in postseason baseball, there was one thing uncommon about changing into the primary workforce within the pandemic-shortened season to clinch a berth within the expanded playoffs.

”It is totally different, I suppose. I simply discovered that out 5 minutes in the past,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated in his video information convention after the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 7-5 to take two of three in a matchup of the NL’s two high groups.

The Dodgers opened a Three 1/2-game lead of their quest for an eighth straight NL West title by beating the Padres for the second straight day. Dustin Might threw 5 1/Three gutty innings out of the bullpen, AJ Pollock and Chris Taylor homered and Will Smith drove in three runs.

”I am celebrating by saying I am happy with our guys and it was an important collection,” stated Roberts, who grew up in northern San Diego County and each performed for and was a coach with the Padres earlier than getting the Dodgers’ job. ”I believe it caught us all unexpectedly as a result of we have been so centered on making an attempt to win this collection. I believe phrase will journey as soon as we get on the aircraft.”

San Diego, quieted by Dodgers pitching a second straight sport even because it heads for its first playoff berth since successful the division in 2006, has misplaced two straight for the primary time since mid-August.

Might confirmed that as a part of COVID-19 protocols, MLB would not need groups having wild clubhouse celebrations after clinching.

Requested if the Dodgers had a celebration, he stated:

”No. We’re not allowed to.”

However clinching a postseason spot ”is one thing you grind for for the entire season,” he stated. ”This season is totally different however we needed to grind within the quarantine zone, so you are still going to really feel tremendous excited.”

At 35-15, the Dodgers breezed into the expanded 16-team postseason area. Los Angeles is looking for its first World Collection title since 1988, having misplaced within the Fall Traditional below Roberts in 2017 and 2018.

Mookie Betts tied his profession excessive with three stolen bases, had two hits and scored a run.

San Diego, quieted by Dodgers pitching a second straight sport even because it heads for its first playoff berth since successful the division in 2006, has misplaced two straight for the primary time since mid-August.

”At this time we simply acquired beat in virtually all areas, aspects of the sport,” rookie supervisor Jayce Tingler stated. ”We did not play as clear as we have now been defensively. Their guys over there on the mound, they’ve performed a superb job pitching, particularly the previous two days. It was good to scrap and crawl and battle again in it, however on the finish of the day we acquired into too massive a gap to beat.”

Might, who had been scheduled to begin earlier than Roberts determined to go together with a bullpen day, was the Dodgers’ third pitcher of the sport. He went 5 1/Three innings and was in management till Jurickson Profar homered to proper area with two outs within the seventh to drag the Padres to 7-3. Mitch Moreland reached on an error by second baseman Gavin Lux opening the inning.

After Profar’s homer, Might struck out Trent Grisham and blew off some steam by yelling a couple of profanities that may very well be heard round empty Petco Park. Grisham angered the Dodgers by briefly posing on the plate after homering off Clayton Kershaw within the Padres’ 7-2 win Monday night time.

Might allowed Manny Machado’s solo homer with one out within the eighth, his 14th, and was lifted by Roberts.

Till the seventh, Might had breezed by means of 4 innings by permitting solely a single and a stroll. He struck out six.

Might stated he felt his outing ”was fairly stable. There have been some miscues on my finish that ended up going a fairly lengthy methods. Simply location-wise, it wasn’t the place I wished on these two pitches and so they took benefit of it.”

Starter Brusdar Gasterol allowed a success and a run in 1 1/Three innings earlier than Adam Kolarek (3-0) allowed a success and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.

Pedro Baez acquired the ultimate two outs for his second save.

San Diego used 9 pitchers.

Pollock homered previous the palm timber to the correct of the batter’s eye in straightaway heart area off rookie Adrian Morejon (2-1) with two outs within the second. It was his 11th. Taylor greeted Garrett Richards with a leadoff shot into the second deck in left -center main off the sixth, his sixth, for a 7-1 lead.

TATIS JR.’S SLUMP

San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr., who had been thought-about the NL MVP front-runner lately, went Zero for Four to increase his droop to 2 for 27 over eight video games. His common has dropped from .314 to .281.

Story continues

”I do not suppose he is drained,” Tingler stated. ”I believe final night time he missed a homer by two or three ft, I believed he squared three balls up in the present day. Sadly, they have been proper into the lanes they have been enjoying. Simply going by means of just a little pocket, possibly making an attempt to do an excessive amount of at occasions. However I believe he is in place to get extraordinarily sizzling for us down the stretch.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Positioned LHP Caleb Ferguson on the IL with what Roberts stated was ”a fairly good” tear in his UCL. Ferguson had an MRI in Los Angeles earlier Wednesday after dealing with only one batter Tuesday night time. To take his roster spot, RHP Josh Sborz was recalled. …. Pollock got here out late within the sport with tightness in a hamstring.

Padres: Reinstated C Francisco Mejia (bruised left thumb) from the 10-day IL and optioned OF Abraham Almonte to the alternate coaching web site.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias (3-0, 3.53) is scheduled to begin the opener of a four-game collection Thursday night time at Colorado, which is able to counter with LHP Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.54).

Padres: RHP Chris Paddack (3-4, 4.74) is scheduled to begin Friday night time within the opener of a three-game collection at Seattle.

—

Extra AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports activities