This year's MLB playoffs have made one thing clear: momentum means little — unless you're the San Diego Padres. After dropping Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Padres rallied to tie the series in Game 2. In a pivotal Game 3 at Petco Park, the Padres outlasted the Dodgers, securing a 6-5 victory to take a 2-1 series lead.
What was supposed to be a routine win for the Dodgers quickly unraveled, largely due to a second-inning collapse. Here are three Dodgers who failed to deliver, leaving fans frustrated and anxious as their team now faces elimination.
Freddie Freeman has been battling an ankle injury since the end of the regular season, and it’s clear it has impacted his postseason form. Although he powered through the discomfort for three games, a costly error in the second inning overshadowed his efforts.
After Manny Machado singled to center field, Jackson Merrill hit a sharp line drive to Freeman. Struggling to stay on his feet, Freeman, from his knees, attempted an ambitious double play, but his throw to second base was wild, hitting Machado’s helmet. The ball ricocheted into left-center field, putting runners on the corners and swinging the momentum firmly in San Diego's favor.
Freeman’s eagerness for a double play led to a rash decision — he could have simply underhanded the ball to Walker Buehler at first base for a safer out. Moments later, he missed another hard-hit ball down the right-field line, which allowed the Padres to tack on two more runs, widening the gap. Offensively, Freeman didn’t fare much better, going just 1-for-4.
His lone hit came in the eighth inning, but the damage had already been done. Pinch-runner Chris Taylor replaced him to avoid further strain on Freeman’s injured ankle, marking the end of a tough night for the 35-year-old veteran.
Walker Buehler came into Game 3 with a respectable postseason résumé, holding a 3-4 record, a 3.40 ERA, and 101 strikeouts over 16 playoff appearances. Despite a shaky regular season, the Dodgers were left with no choice but to start him, given their injury-depleted rotation. Buehler navigated through the top of the Padres' order in the first inning, but everything fell apart in the second.
Manny Machado led off with a single, setting the stage for Freeman's costly error. However, the real backbreaker came when Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a three-run home run off Buehler on an 0-2 count with two outs. The ill-advised 94 MPH four-seam fastball — a pitch Tatis Jr. hit .297 against this season — sealed the Dodgers' fate for the night. Had Buehler gone with a cutter, a pitch that held Tatis Jr. to just a .200 average, the damage might have been avoided.
Visibly frustrated, Buehler stormed into the dugout after the inning, hurling his glove and a trash can in anger. Despite the meltdown, manager Dave Roberts let him pitch into the fifth inning, though he eventually removed Buehler after one more batter, bringing a frustrating outing to an end.
"Obviously, the pitch to Tatis was a bad decision,” Roberts acknowledged after the game. "When you give a team as good as the Padres extra opportunities, it becomes almost impossible to prevent runs.”
Despite breakout performances from Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández, the Dodgers couldn’t find a way to seal the victory. They managed just one hit in the final four innings, struggling to make an impact against the Padres' bullpen. As the team now faces the brink of elimination, they'll need to regroup and find a way to spark their offense.
The Dodgers now face a do-or-die Game 4, with their once-promising season on the brink. They will face Dylan Cease, the same pitcher they managed to beat in Game 1. With a chance to force a decisive Game 5, the Dodgers must dig deep to avoid an early postseason exit and keep their World Series hopes alive.
