Jun 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) measures his bat during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Los Angeles, California – Monday night in Los Angeles had all the makings of a statement game — but it wasn’t the one the Padres were hoping to make.
Facing Shohei Ohtani in his long-awaited pitching debut for the Dodgers, San Diego struck first and held a brief lead, but couldn’t hold off an L.A. lineup that erupted for five runs in the fourth inning. The Padres ultimately dropped the series opener 6–3 at Dodger Stadium, a frustrating start to a crucial four-game set.
Ohtani, returning to the mound for the first time since undergoing elbow surgery in 2023, allowed a first-inning run when Manny Machado lifted a sacrifice fly to center. But the two-way superstar quickly flipped the narrative. He delivered a two-out RBI double to tie the game in the third, then drove in another run in the fourth — one of four straight RBI singles that turned a 2–1 Padres lead into a 6–2 deficit.
San Diego starter Dylan Cease looked dominant early, retiring the first six batters he faced and striking out five in a row — including Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman in order. But the wheels came off in the fourth after Cease hit Andy Pages with one out. The moment sparked a tense exchange, with Pages staring down Cease and the benches beginning to stir. The damage came quickly after that.
Cease gave up eight hits and six earned runs over five innings, despite striking out nine. The turning point was that fourth inning, where L.A. hitters didn’t try to do too much — spraying the ball to all fields and capitalizing on missed locations. Cease’s ERA now sits at 4.12 as he falls to 2–6 on the season.
The Padres offense showed life in spots. Xander Bogaerts gave San Diego its only lead of the night with a go-ahead RBI double in the fourth, and Machado added a solo homer in the sixth — his second straight game with a long ball. But the Friars couldn’t solve the Dodgers bullpen after Ohtani’s one-inning cameo. Rookie Ben Casparius picked up the win with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The loss drops the Padres to 38–37, and with Ohtani no longer pitching in the series, Tuesday offers a clearer path forward. Randy Vásquez (3–4, 3.57 ERA) gets the ball against a Dodgers team expected to go with a bullpen game. With the division race tightening, San Diego needs to capitalize — and fast.
