LOS ANGELES -- Anyone who flipped the channel or walked away from their screen after the top of the second inning could hardly be blamed.
Trailing by six runs to a division rival before even recording six defensive outs is usually a signal to call it a night. Instead, the Dodgers put together a steady rally, turning an early blowout into a 12-7 win over the Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
The comeback marked the Dodgers’ second-largest margin of victory in a game they trailed by six or more runs since at least 1900, trailing only a 12-6 win over the Braves on May 13, 1951. It was also their first comeback win of at least six runs since July 13, 2022, in St. Louis.
The initial deficit rested heavily on the shoulders of starter Roki Sasaki. Looking to bounce back from a rough performance against these same Padres just six days prior, Sasaki struggled to find his rhythm early. The Padres attacked his pitch mix from the jump, striking quickly on a first-inning, two-run homer by Manny Machado before lashing a solo shot from Jackson Merrill and a three-run blast by Jake Cronenworth in the second.
Sasaki pitched three innings, surrendering seven hits, two walks and six earned runs on 88 pitches. While he recovered to strike out the side in the third, three home runs surrendered on the night ultimately forced an early call to the bullpen.
Manager Dave Roberts noted that the team plans to run a deep dive into Sasaki's performance to see if the Padres had a tactical advantage.
"They were on everything Roki threw," Roberts said. "You could see it. We're going to do a little dive and see if he was tipping his pitches. There's a little bit of adjustment you need to make, but you look at some of the pitches -- they weren't good pitches either. You still got to make good pitches."
Sasaki was candid about the hurdle of navigating the lineup twice in under a week.
"Last outing, I was not able to execute my pitches and I fell behind the count," Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo. "This time I was able to execute my pitches at some point, but still, like I say, there are a lot of things involved [as to] why I'm not doing great. So I [have to] kind of go back and see what's really happening."
Despite the recent slide, Roberts confirmed Sasaki will remain in the rotation for his next turn.
"He's going to start next week," Roberts said. "I just don't think right now we have another alternative. It's a good lesson for him to keep going and try to fight through this."
Following Sasaki's exit, the Dodgers’ bullpen halted the Padres' momentum. Relievers Will Klein, Brock Stewart, Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henríquez, Paul Gervase and Tanner Scott combined to log five innings of relief, allowing just three hits and one run, while striking out six. Their ability to stall San Diego's offense held the line, keeping the Padres stuck at six runs until the ninth inning and providing the necessary runway for the lineup to take over.
Dalton Rushing initiated the offensive response in the bottom of the second, tagging San Diego starter Randy Vásquez for a two-run home run to pull the Dodgers within four. Rushing, who finished the night 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored, credited a recent chat with Roberts for his sudden surge.
"It was kind of started by Doc," Rushing said. "He saw something from his perspective from the side, mentioned it, and we tinkered with it a little bit. It's more setup and just a comfort thing. When your body's moving a lot in the box, it's hard to pick up 100 [mph] with four or five different pitches. I think it just helped me get back to owning what I'm good at."
The Dodgers chipped away further in the third with an RBI double from Max Muncy and a run-scoring single by Kyle Tucker, who turned in his own 4-for-4 night alongside a walk to extend his on-base streak to a career-high nine consecutive plate appearances.
"The last four games have felt a lot better," said Tucker. "I'm seeing the ball really well, putting the barrel on the ball. When they do come over the plate with the pitch, I'm able to put it in play. As a team overall, we feel like we're never out of the game."
The breakthrough arrived in the bottom of the fourth against reliever Wandy Peralta. Andy Pages tied the game at 6-6 with a two-run double before Mookie Betts followed with an RBI double to capture the lead. Muncy added an RBI single later in the frame to cap the four-run outburst.
Los Angeles continued to apply pressure, capitalizing on a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, and a final RBI single from Rushing to secure the final margin. By keeping the Padres at bay and executing with runners on base, the Dodgers transformed what began as a blowout into a statement win, extending their lead in the NL West to 13 games.