Padres hold off the Dodgers 2-1, set up first-place tie

It wasn't a "must win" game for the Padres, but it felt like a "prove it" game and they did. The pitching was brilliant and the offense was good enough for the Padres to net a win and, once again, tie the Dodgers atop the division.

I'm doing a live post-game show about this game right now! Tune in here:

Last weekend, I noticed a change in Yu Darvish. After giving up 2 home runs in the 1st inning at Dodger Stadium, it seemed as though Freddy Fermín was calling pitches through the PitchCom system. Previously, and since it was introduced to MLB, Darvish had used the PitchCom system to call his own pitches.

Darvish was just about perfect after that 1st inning last weekend and he was just about perfect in tonight's game, with Fermín once again calling the pitches, through six innings against the Dodgers at Petco Park. While striking out five, Darvish walked just one Dodger and gave up just one hit. Unfortunately, that hit went over the fence.

The Padres did their damage in the 4th inning, collecting three hits after Blake Snell led off the inning by walking Fernando Tatis Jr. The result? A 2-1 lead for the Padres that Darvish was able to hand over to the bullpen.

Jason Adam did his job, coming in and sitting down Will Smith, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández in order in the 7th inning.

Mason Miller came in to pitch the 8th, after only throwing 5 pitches last night against the Giants, and quickly walked two of the first three batters that he faced. Luckily, he was able to induce a double-play groundball (which included Miller himself picking a throw in the dirt while field 1B) to get out of it with a lead still at 2-1.

A brilliant defensive play by Mookie Betts kept the Padres off the board in the bottom of the 8th before Robert Suarez trotted in from the bullpen with a one-run lead and a chance to convert his 34th save of the season.

After Shohei Ohtani hit a deep fly ball that was caught just in front of the centerfield wall, Mookie Betts got on with a single against the Padres' closer. Will Smith went down on strikes, unable to catch up to a 100mph fastball, before Freddie Freeman hooked a single into right field that left men on the corners for Teoscar Hernández.

Suarez set Hernández down on strikes, winning the game for San Diego and tying these two teams at the top of the NL West heading into tomorrow's game 2 of this 3-game series.