Padres 5, Dodgers 1: Machado's 29th, and a Clinch Within Reach

A sinker to center, and October one night closer

September 23, 2026 - Los Angeles - The Padres had been shut out on Tuesday. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the mound again. Manny Machado barreled a sinker on the inside corner and sent it 409 feet to straightaway center. He thumped his chest around first. The dugout came up. The San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium and moved one win, or one Arizona loss, from a third straight postseason.

Clear. 74 degrees. Wind 4 mph out to center. First pitch 7:10 p.m. Attendance 48,201. The game lasted 3 hours, 5 minutes. San Diego had eight hits and no errors. Los Angeles had 10 hits and one error and left 12 on.

It was Machado's 29th homer of the year and the 29th of his career against the Dodgers, more than he has hit against any other club. Dustin Harris scored ahead of him. 2-0 in the fourth.

"We needed it," manager Craig Stammen said. "We hadn't scored in a while, and it kind of broke the ice."

"At the end of the day, we've got to take care of our business," Machado said. "We've got to win big ballgames."

Ray out, Morgan in, and a one-run answer

Robbie Ray had not allowed a run when Stammen took him out with one out and the bases loaded in the fourth. David Morgan was the better matchup for Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts. The catch was Shohei Ohtani if Morgan did not get both.

Edman hit a sacrifice fly. Teoscar Hernández scored. 2-1. Morgan got through it. Ray's line: 3 1/3 innings, seven hits, one earned, one walk, two strikeouts, 84 pitches. The hits were there. The runs were not, until the hook.

Yamamoto (14-9) lasted six: five hits, two earned, one walk, four strikeouts, 88 pitches, 63 strikes. The fifth was the inning that got away. Ethan Salas scored on a fielder's choice when Yamamoto threw the ball away. 3-1. Machado's sacrifice fly scored Fernando Tatis Jr.. 4-1.

Bradgley Rodriguez (4-3) threw two scoreless for the win: one hit, one walk, three strikeouts, 37 pitches. Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejon, and Mason Miller each threw a zero. Miller struck out two in the ninth and walked one.

Freddy Fermin singled Samad Taylor home in the ninth. 5-1. Taylor had walked, stolen two bases, and waited for someone to finish it. Fermin did.

Ten hits, 12 left on, and Ohtani's first look back

Los Angeles out-hit San Diego and lost. Hernández went 3-for-4 and scored. Andy Pages went 3-for-4 with a double. Kyle Tucker went 2-for-4 and stole. Ohtani singled in his first plate appearance back and finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Will Smith went 1-for-2 with three walks. Freddie Freeman went 0-for-5. Betts walked and went 0-for-4. Edman's sac fly was the only RBI.

That is a 1-run night with traffic in every direction. The Dodgers left the bases full of chances and watched Machado write the scoring.

Tatis went 3-for-5 with a double and a run. Machado went 1-for-4 with three RBI. Ty France singled. Jackson Merrill went 0-for-4 and threw Hernández out at second. Xander Bogaerts walked. Jake Cronenworth went 0-for-4. Salas singled and scored. Harris reached, scored, and stole.

Kris Bubic, Jack Dreyer, and Blake Treinen followed Yamamoto. Treinen allowed the ninth-inning run. The Dodgers are 97-61. They already have October. Wednesday was a loss that cost them nothing they had already locked up and cost them a chance to push San Diego back.

One game from a clinch, and a Wild Card to host

The Cubs and Phillies both lost. San Diego is 88-70 and holds a one-game lead on both for the top National League Wild Card. The Padres have already lost both tiebreakers. Stay ahead and they host a Wild Card Series at Petco Park, where they are 49-29. Game 1 is Tuesday.

Arizona plays Colorado on Thursday afternoon. If the Diamondbacks lose, San Diego clinches before it even takes batting practice. If not, the Padres need one win in their last four: Thursday in Los Angeles or any of three this weekend against Arizona at home.

"Yeah, definitely, we would like to play in front of our home crowd and bring that Wild Card home to San Diego," Machado said.

They did not clinch Wednesday. They did the thing that makes Thursday simple. They beat Yamamoto, they beat a 97-win club, and they scored five after a shutout the night before.

AthX Engine after the baseball

AthX Engine (our projection and scoring system) put San Diego at 12 team fantasy points, tied for fifth on the slate. Rodriguez had 9 pitching FP. Machado had 6 hitting FP. Yamamoto had 10 pitching FP in a loss. Los Angeles finished at minus-4.

Fantasy points measure the night under platform scoring rules. Share prices also move with traders through dynamic pricing. They are related. They are not the same number.

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*Sources: ESPN recap and box score, MLB.com Gameday wrap, MLB.com schedule, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*