Padres 5, Dodgers 3: Galvis and Renfroe launch bombs

The Rockies should be very grateful for Hunter Renfroe and Freddy Galvis, who made the NL West race a little tighter tonight by driving in three runs with a pair of homers. Eric Lauer held the Dodgers in check, allowing just one run in five innings of work. The bullpen put in four frames of solid relief, giving up just one more run in that span and keeping Lauer in the win column.

The Dodgers got on board first when Kiké Hernández took Lauer deep in the third, but that was one of only four hits the starter allowed, and his teammates didn’t let the LA lead last. Franmil Reyes led off the fourth with a single, and Hunter Renfroe worked a full count off Ross Stripling before getting a juicy slider. That ball went over the left field fence to give Renfroe his 24th homer of the season and the Padres a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The good guys got some insurance in the seventh when Freddy Galvis hit lucky number thirteen to right field.

Craig Stammen was glad for that breathing room when he got dinged up in the eighth. Joc Pederson hit a double up the middle and came home when Yasiel Puig singled to left. The Friars answered back with some more insurance in the ninth. Galvis led off with a single, and Manuel Margot made it a pair. With nobody out, Justin Turner botched a play at third allowing Austin Hedges to reach first and load the bases. A Wil Myers double brought two more runs home and gave Kirby Yates a three run lead to work with.

Yates gave up a one-out single to Alex Verdugo, who didn’t advance when Turner popped up for the second out. Verdugo did get second on defensive indifference while Manny Machado was at the plate, and that ended up giving the Dodgers one more run when Machado singled up the middle. But Joc Pederson struck out to end the game and start the series with a Padres win.

The Pads will continue their efforts to keep the Dodgers out of the playoffs when Jacob Nix takes on Rich Hill tomorrow. First pitch at 6:10 PM.