Dodgers 3, Padres 2 at Dodger Stadium; a season-defining, tight-win that snaps LA’s four-game skid and nudges them back into a first-place tie in the NL West. Clayton Kershaw delivered six strong innings, aided by a clean defensive effort that stifled San Diego’s threats. LA’s offense leveraged timely contact from Conforto and Freeland, plus a productive Ohtani RBI, a Betts sac fly, and Teoscar Hernández’s seventh-inning insurance blast for a slim lead the bullpen finally preserved. With Max Muncy on the IL, the victory underscored the resilience of a star-studded lineup and a bullpen that finally held a late lead.

Six shut-down frames from Kershaw set the tone, while flawless defense by Freeman, Freeland, and others helped him work around a solo shot by Laureano. The Padres, forced into a bullpen game after Michael King’s shoulder issue, countered with a late rally that was quelled by Alexis Díaz and Jack Dreyer in the ninth. The result: the Dodgers climb back atop the division, exorcising the closing-game demons that had haunted them for weeks.