Padres vs. Dodgers score, takeaways: San Diego grabs NLDS lead as bullpen, Trent Grisham help take down L.A.

The 111-win Dodgers now need to win two games in a row to keep their season alive

In the San Diego Padres' first home playoff game with fans since 2006, the hosts gave the crowd a thrill as the Padres edged the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 2-1. With the win in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, the Padres took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. That means the Padres are one win from eliminating the Dodgers, who won a franchise-record 111 games during the regular season. 

Padres starter Blake Snell gutted out 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, and the San Diego bullpen continued to put zeroes on the board. On offense, Trent Grisham hit his third home run of the 2022 postseason. 

The winner of this series will advance to the NLCS to face the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies-Atlanta Braves NLDS. 

Now, for takeaways from Game 3.

Tony Gonsolin wasn't able to give the Dodgers much

Thanks to a forearm injury, Gonsolin missed more than a month down the stretch and only returned in time to make an abbreviated start against the Rockies on Oct. 3. In Game 3 on Friday night, he wasn't himself. The command was badly lacking, and Gonsolin's fastball velocity was down a tick or so (just as it was against Colorado in his last start). He endured a 31-pitch first inning, and Dave Roberts was moved to get Andrew Heaney warming up in that first frame. Things could have gotten worse in the second, but Gonsolin was able to escape disaster thanks in part to a Jurickson Profar bunt attempt gone wrong. 

Roberts had a leash of 75 pitches or so planned for Gonsolin in Game 3, but he was able to last for just 42 pitches and 1 1/3 innings. Over that span he allowed one run on four hits with one strikeout and one walk. Through the first two games of this series, the Dodgers dialed up eight relief appearances and eight relief innings. Even with the off day before Game 3 and the first-round bye, the L.A. pen is racking up some recent miles. That trend continued on Friday. 

The Padres' bullpen has been nails

Through the first two games of this series, the San Diego bullpen put up these digits: 9 1/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 9 SO, 4 BB. Then in the crucial Game 3, that same pen was tasked with protecting a one-run lead for 11 outs – including Nick Martinez in the sixth inheriting a runner in scoring position with one out. Once again, the San Diego relief corps rose to the challenge and did so against one of the best offenses in MLB. Now for those updated numbers for the NLDS: 13 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 15 SO, 4 BB. 

Trent Grisham continued with his postseason fireworks 

Pads center fielder and No. 8 hitter Trent Grisham endured a pretty rough regular season at the plate, but he was huge in the Wild Card Series upset over the Mets, as he homered twice in three games. Through the first two games of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Grisham didn't do much, but he rediscovered his first-round power strike in the fourth inning of Game 3: 

That one off Andrew Heaney left the bat at 109.8 mph and traveled 389 feet. That third home run of the 2022 postseason – through just six games played – put Grisham in elite franchise company: 

At minimum, he'll have at least two more games to tie or break Jim Leyritz's record. Most important is that the Padres probably wouldn't be in their current situation without Grisham's October power surge. 

The Dodgers again struggled with runners in scoring position

The Dodgers on Friday night came up empty in RISP situations for a second straight game. In Game 3, they went 0 for 9 with RISP, and that means they're now 0 for their last 19 in such spots. Suffice it to say, the Dodgers are a couple of timely hits away from this series being very different. 

History favors the Padres

Not surprisingly, the Padres are in a good position being up 2-1 in a best-of-five series. In the history of the best-of-five League Division Series, a team has taken a 2-1 lead in the series 67 times, and 49 of those teams up 2-1 went on to win the series. Framed another way, just 26.9 percent of teams down 2-1 in the LDS have come back to win said LDS.

For the Dodgers, the first step toward defying the odds and history comes in Game 4 on Saturday. Tyler Anderson goes for L.A. against Joe Musgrove, and first pitch is scheduled for 9:07 p.m. ET back at Petco Park in San Diego. Shortstop Trea Turner may be a game-time decision for the Dodgers. He injured his fingers in Game 3 while diving back to first base on a pick-off attempt. X-rays were negative. 

[Oct 15, 2022 at 12:22 am ET · Mike Axisa]

Padres win Game 3

2-1 win and a 2-1 series lead. A Cronenworth RBI single and a Grisham solo homer gave the Padres all the offense they'd need. Hader looks like he's back to being the best reliever in baseball. Utterly dominant in the ninth inning.

[Oct 15, 2022 at 12:19 am ET · Mike Axisa]

Hader looks so much better now that he did a few weeks ago. Confident, pitching with conviction.

[Oct 15, 2022 at 12:12 am ET · Mike Axisa]

Three outs to go

Hader vs. J. Turner, Taylor, and Thompson. Gallo, Bellinger, and Vargas are on the bench, but Bellinger and Gallo won't pinch-hit against the tough lefty.

[Oct 15, 2022 at 12:02 am ET · Mike Axisa]

Risky play, but Cronenworth should've let that pop up drop in and taken the force out at second. That swaps Turner for Smith at 1B.

[Oct 15, 2022 at 12:02 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Two outs

A flyout, near pickoff (there was a replay and not enough to overturn it) and pop out and Turner is still on first. I don't get it. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:54 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Trea Turner aboard to start

Turner with a grounder in the hole and Kim gets ahold of it, but that's always going to be a hit with Turner's speed. He might be running here, too. The Padres have a terrible rate of throwing out basestealers and Trea can fly. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:50 pm ET · Mike Axisa]

The Padres are six outs away from a 2-1 series lead. I assume it'll be Suárez in the 8th and Hader in the 9th.

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:44 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

The Dodgers have lost their DH

They pinch hit Gavin Lux for catcher Austin Barnes. Will Smith is the Dodgers' other catcher and he was in the DH spot. He'll move to catcher and that puts the pitcher in the DH spot. Cody Bellinger, Miguel Vargas and Joey Gallo are the Dodgers' remaining pinch-hitter types 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:31 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Padres leave two 

That's 12 men left on base, combined, in this 2-1 game.

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:23 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Two on for Padres' big boppers

Nola and Profar walk in front of Soto with Machado on deck. It would behoove the Padres to tack on here. The Dodgers won't flail at pitching with RISP forever. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:10 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

0-19

Dodgers are now 0 for their last 19 with RISP. It's 2-1 Padres through 5 1/2

[Oct 14, 2022 at 11:09 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

0-18

Dodgers in their last 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position ... zero hits

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:45 pm ET · Mike Axisa]

The Dodgers are 0 for their last 17 with runners in scoring position. Egads.

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:45 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Dodgers strand another

Freeman with a grounder to the left side right at Machado. Freeman hit it 106.3 miles per hour (95+ is considered hard contact) but it was an "at-him" ball. 2-1 Padres through 4 1/2 innings. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:43 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Still no hits ...

Mookie Betts with a sac fly to make it 2-1 Padres, but then Trea Turner pops out in foul territory to Manny Machado (there was a slight collision with catcher Austin Nola, but no harm). Two outs and a runner on third for Freddie Freeman. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:40 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Serious trouble for Snell

A Trayce Thompson bloop single and then hard line drive in the right-center gap by Austin Barnes means there are runners at second and third with no out for the top of the order for the Dodgers. Can they bust through with some RISPy hits? 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:20 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Situational hitting

It's not predictive, but it can tell the story of how we got here. The Dodgers are 0 for their last 15 with runners in scoring position. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:19 pm ET · Mike Axisa]

Trent Grisham, agent of postseason chaos.

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:18 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

2-0 Padres

Trent Grisham with another postseason homer. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:16 pm ET · Mike Axisa]

Snell needed a quick inning. That wasn't THAT quick, but it was quick enough.

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:09 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Heaney works out of it

Two strikeouts to end the threat by Andrew Heaney. The great Crash Davis once said strikeouts are fascist, but when your defense is letting you down, you gotta take matters into your own hands as a dictator on the mound. Those are the rules. 

[Oct 14, 2022 at 10:02 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

A miscue ...

With a runner on first and one out, Jake Cronenworth sent a blooper between the left fielder and shortstop. Trea Turner (SS) called Chris Taylor (LF) off and then dropped it, so now the Padres have two on. Remember, in Game 2 a Dodgers error opened the door to a Padres run.