Jun 11, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia (51) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – The San Diego Padres couldn’t find the big hit when they needed it most on Wednesday afternoon, falling 5–2 to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the final game of a three-game set at Petco Park.
The Padres loaded the bases twice — once in the second and again in the seventh — but managed just a single run in those critical moments. In total, San Diego left seven runners on base and scratched out only four hits, as missed opportunities and a pair of longballs from the Dodgers proved costly.
Randy Vásquez turned in another solid performance for the Padres, working 4.2 innings and allowing just two hits and a single run — a solo shot from Michael Conforto in the fifth inning that tied the game at 1-1. The 26-year-old righty struck out four and lowered his ERA to 3.57 in the process.
But once Vásquez exited, Los Angeles seized control. Teoscar Hernández broke the game open in the sixth, launching a three-run homer off Adrian Morejon to give the Dodgers a 4–1 lead. It was a gut punch that San Diego’s slumping lineup couldn’t answer.
Gavin Sheets brought the Padres within two with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth, but the momentum stalled quickly. In the seventh, San Diego threatened again — loading the bases with one out — but Luis Arraez popped out and Manny Machado grounded weakly to short, prompting a wave of cheers from the Dodgers faithful in the stands.
The Padres’ top three hitters — Fernando Tatis Jr., Arraez, and Machado — went a combined 0-for-10, with little hard contact between them. The team’s only run in the early innings came on a bases-loaded walk drawn by backup catcher Martín Maldonado in the second.
Will Smith added a final insurance run for Los Angeles in the ninth with an RBI single, padding a frustrating afternoon for Padres fans and setting the tone for a pivotal road trip ahead.
San Diego now heads to Arizona for its first matchup of the season with the Diamondbacks before returning to Los Angeles on Monday for a rematch with the Dodgers. With the NL West tightening and the bats cooling, the Padres will need more from their stars — and soon.
