SAN DIEGO -- After a Ha-Seong Kim homer off Clayton Kershaw in the fifth inning, a sold-out Petco Park broke out a thunderous “Beat L.A.” chant. So far this season, the Padres have done just that, leaving the Dodgers searching for answers against their division rival.

The combination of Kershaw being bitten by two homers and the Dodgers’ offense not figuring out left-hander Blake Snell hurt Los Angeles in the 3-2 loss to San Diego on Tuesday at Petco Park. But what’s most concerning is the fact the Dodgers have now lost six of the last seven meetings against the Padres. They’re 3-6 vs. their rivals this season.

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“We just have to find a way to win those games,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think the difference is they’ve gotten some timely hits and they’ve played really good defense against us. And they’ve pitched well.”

The Padres have indeed pitched very well. The Dodgers put constant pressure on Snell, loading the bases in the fourth and creating another chance to strike in the fifth. Snell, however, was able to get Steven Souza Jr. to ground out to short in the fourth, and he struck out Albert Pujols to end the threat in the fifth.

In the eighth -- now against the Padres’ bullpen -- the Dodgers had their best offensive chance of the night. The Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out. But third baseman Manny Machado made a heads-up defensive play, turning a back-breaking double play. The Dodgers got a run, but the potential for a big inning was wiped away. Los Angeles went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine men on base.

“We just have to continue taking good at-bats and get those hits when you need them,” Roberts said. “We had Snell on the ropes and we got his pitch count up -- we had opportunities. That’s baseball.”

With Snell tossing five shutout innings, the Dodgers have scored just nine runs over 47 2/3 innings against the Padres’ rotation. The Dodgers have been held to two or fewer runs in six of the nine meetings between the two teams. The Padres loaded up on good starting pitchers this offseason in their attempt to dethrone the Dodgers atop the NL West. It’s worked in the head-to-head matchups, and the Dodgers, who get Cody Bellinger back in the lineup on Wednesday, are going to have to respond.

“That’s what’s going to happen when you face good teams like them,” said Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor, when asked about how good the Padres’ pitching staff has been. “They brought these guys in for a reason, and they’re doing a good job. But we need to be better.”

While the Dodgers tried to get the bats going, Kershaw did enough to keep L.A. in the game. After allowing a two-run homer to Jake Cronenworth in the first inning, Kershaw settled down and delivered another quality start. In the fifth, however, Kershaw left an 0-2 curveball in the zone and Kim crushed it for a solo homer. The lefty allowed three runs on four hits, striking out seven in six innings.

“Just looking for a pitch to drive,” Cronenworth said of his homer vs. Kershaw. “He’s one of the best left-handers to ever do it. He doesn’t make too many mistakes, so when you get 'em, you’ve got to jump on 'em. I just put a good swing on it.”

The Dodgers are still optimistic that they can secure a ninth consecutive division title. Getting Bellinger back on Wednesday and Corey Seager in about two weeks will help. But the Dodgers are also going to have to play better against the Padres and Giants in the unexpected three-team race.

“I still like our guys,” Roberts said. “Now we just have to find a way to win with them.”

The Dodgers will have their hands full again on Wednesday against Joe Musgrove as they look to avoid getting swept out of San Diego, which would only intensify those “Beat L.A.” chants.