Padres Already Putting Game 1 Loss to Dodgers Behind Them

The Padres dropped Game 1 of the NLDS.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres could not hold on to an early 5-3 lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday. In front of the Dodger Stadium crowd awaiting their team's return to the postseason, the Padres got off to a hot start. Manny Machado hit a first-inning home run, and the Padres finished the inning with a 3-0 lead.

The lead did not last long as Shohei Ohtani blasted a three-run home run in the second inning as Dodger Stadium roared for their star designated hitter. The Padres re-took the lead in the third inning with two more runs but were unable to hold on. The Dodgers scored on three more runs in the fourth inning, before capping off with a seventh run in the fifth inning.

The Padres were unable to put any more runs on the board after the third inning, and both teams were held without runs after the fifth inning. Starting pitcher Dylan Cease allowed five earned runs, and the Padres lineup was shut out after that third inning. This ultimately resulted in a 7-5 loss for San Diego.

“They were better today,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said after the game, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “We couldn't close the door. ... Show up tomorrow and win -- simple as that.”

Tatis recorded two hits and two runs in Saturday's loss. He has had a great start to the postseason, recording three hits on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves and a home run in Tuesday's win over the Braves.

The Padres will simply have to turn the page and try to earn their first victory of the season on Sunday. This is not unfamiliar territory for the Padres. When they upset the Dodgers during the NLDS in 2022, the Dodgers won Game 1 before the Padres won the next three games to take the series. The Padres will need to earn a win in one of the next two games to extend the series and give them the chance to win and advance to the NLCS.

There is one more game of the series at Dodger Stadium before the series moves to Petco Park in San Diego, where the home crowd will be ready to watch their team try to advance to the NLCS.