Justin Turner hit a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead, two-run shot in the seventh inning, as the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers opened a four-game series against the second-place San Diego Padres with a 3-1 home victory on Thursday.
Turner went 3-for-3, while five Dodgers pitchers held the Padres’ offense in check. Los Angeles opened a season-high, 11-game homestand with a victory in their first home meeting against the Padres this season.
Outside of Turner, Padres starter Joe Musgrove kept the Los Angeles offense off balance before taking his second consecutive loss following a 12-start unbeaten stretch to begin the year. Musgrove (8-2) gave up three runs on five hits over seven innings with a walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts.
Padres third baseman Manny Machado had a hit in four at-bats of his return after missing the previous nine games because of a sprained left ankle. He struck out three times.
Los Angeles earned its second win in a row after a 1-3 slump. San Diego took its fourth loss in five games.
San Diego jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Machado doubled and Nomar Mazara brought him home with a two-out single.
The Padres were poised to increase the lead in the second inning when they had runners at the corners and one out. Jurickson Profar hit a fly ball to right field, and Chris Taylor threw out Trent Grisham at the plate for a double play.
The Dodgers evened the score in the second inning on Turner’s first homer of the night, a shot just over the wall in left-center field. It was his first long ball since May 18.
Both offenses stalled until the seventh inning when Max Muncy worked a one-out walk against Musgrove and Turner blasted a two-run shot to the right of straightaway center field. It was his sixth of the season and his first multi-homer game since Sept. 7, 2021.
Dodgers starter Mitch White gave up one run on six hits over 4 2/3 innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Justin Bruihl followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings after he was recalled earlier Thursday.
Evan Phillips (2-3) added 1 1/3 shutout innings, and Alex Vesia got the last two outs in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth inning, striking out two, for his 14th save.
–Field Level Media
