Dodgers lose to Padres on game-ending triple play

LOS ANGELES — After coming out mostly flat for eight innings on Tuesday, the Dodgers finally started to resemble the team they’ve been all season long in the ninth.

Down three runs against one of the best closers in the sport, Will Smith, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández all singled, sending the packed house at Dodger Stadium into the frenzy they had waited nearly three hours for.

For most of that frame, it looked as if the Dodgers were destined to complete their second consecutive walk-off win. Instead, disaster struck.

With two on, nobody out and Shohei Ohtani looming on deck, Miguel Rojas grounded into a game-ending triple play to send the Dodgers to a devastating 4-2 loss to the Padres.

With the loss, L.A.’s lead atop the NL West is down to two games, the closest the race has been since April 24.

“Yeah, definitely a tough one for myself,” Rojas said. “I’m totally confident that I can get to a fastball. Unfortunately, I hit it on the ground and it’s been tough for me the last couple of days. I haven’t been able to get the job done, but definitely this one, especially for me, I think I let the team down on that one.”

As Rojas stepped up to the plate against Padres closer Robert Suarez, Ohtani quickly ran up to the on-deck circle. A few steps behind him was Mookie Betts, who could almost taste an opportunity at redemption for his second-inning strikeout with the bases loaded. Neither Ohtani or Betts got that opportunity.

Rojas said he had a bunt sign on the first pitch of the at-bat. But after falling behind 0-1, the Dodgers, almost shockingly, decided to let Rojas hit. Both Rojas and manager Dave Roberts reiterated that the decision came because of the way the Padres were set up defensively. L.A. believed that if Rojas got a bunt down, San Diego was going to try to execute a wheel play to get the lead runner out at third, which is what they were showing on the missed bunt attempt on the first pitch.

When asked if the club considered letting Rojas bunt regardless of the defensive alignment in order to bring up Ohtani and, perhaps, for Betts to get a chance, Roberts said the team felt confident with the decision.

“I just don’t think that you’re expecting a triple play,” said Roberts. “He hit the ball hard. And I just can’t play the game of, if it gets through then it’s a great play, and then if it’s hit right at him, it’s a bad play. The game tells you what to do. And in that situation, everyone is playing in, the shortstop is in the six-hole. There’s just a lot of holes out there. That’s just kind of the way you play baseball.”

“There’s less than a 1 percent chance that Shohei doesn’t come up to bat,” Roberts added. “Unfortunately, that small percentage came into play.”

With the NL West on the line, there was a different kind of buzz at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. From the national anthem to the first pitch thrown by Landon Knack, there was an energy the Dodgers haven’t experienced for a regular-season game in quite some time.

In a lot of ways, the three-game series against the Padres this week serves as a start for the postseason for the Dodgers. These are the types of games they will play the rest of the way.

Given that, the Dodgers have areas to improve. They went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and squandered two golden opportunities in the first couple of innings against right-hander Michael King.

The same buzz and energy will follow the Dodgers on Wednesday as they look to avoid real pressure falling over them with another loss. For now, they remain in a favorable position, but that could change quickly — especially since the Padres have already won the season series and hold the tiebreaker, should the teams end the season with identical records.

As this matchup continues, the Dodgers will be looking to avoid experiencing the kind of shock that was sent around Dodger Stadium in one of the wildest finishes you’ll ever see.

“I’ve never been a part of something like that,” Rojas said. “I let the team down today. Just come back tomorrow and try to get it done.”