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Los Angeles Dodgers topple into sole possession of first place in the NL West, erasing a four-game skid with a 3-2 win over San Diego in the series opener. Clayton Kershaw delivered six sturdy innings, allowing two hits and one run, while the bullpen faced another late-inning scare before shutting the door. The Dodgers rode an early third-inning rally and a Teoscar Hernandez homer in the seventh to pull ahead, then leaned on a bullpen that has been scraping the bottom of the barrel for weeks due to injuries. The finish featured Alexis Diaz fanning two in relief and Jack Dreyer closing it out on Ryan O’Hearn’s fly ball, capping a win built on depth and timing. With the division still tied, LA now eyes a weekend set in which Blake Snell will clash with Dylan Cease, followed by Tyler Glasnow vs Yu Darvish. The tiebreaker against San Diego is secured with one more win, thanks to a 5-2 mark in head-to-head play this season.

The Dodgers have leaned on a deep bullpen roster to navigate August, and their willingness to deploy high-leverage relievers in high-leverage spots has become the team’s identity as injuries mount. Teoscar Hernandez added a seventh-inning homer to back Kershaw’s effort, while San Diego countered with critical bullpen work of its own and timely contact from Luis Arraez, whose sacrifice fly delivered the Padres’ run. The weekend slate will test the resilience of both clubs, as LA attempts to secure the tiebreaker and Padres aim to turn head-to-head momentum in their favor.