The San Diego Padres outlast the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3

SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr.'s massive two-run home run capped a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres beat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday night to secure a win 2 :1 lead in an exciting NL Division Series.

The Padres were one win away from eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 takes place Wednesday night at Petco Park, where a record-breaking crowd of 47,744 spectators gathered, waving towels.

Fans cheered as Robert Suarez struck out Gavin Lux on a full-count pitch and completed a four-out save.

Tatis' stunning home run gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernandez hit a grand slam with one out in the third off Michael King, bringing the Dodgers within one run.

Mookie Betts also hit a home run for the Dodgers to overcome an 0-for-22 playoff loss, but apparently thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him, as he did Sunday night in the Dodgers' 10-2 win Padres had done at Dodger Stadium as tempers ran high on the field and in the stands. Betts turned first and headed toward the dugout before teammates and even King indicated it was a home run.

Tatis' shot to left field was his third of the series, falling just one shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis had two of San Diego's six home runs on Sunday night. The flamboyant Tatis stood for a few seconds watching the ball sail out of the yard, tossing his bat around and pointing toward the dugout before beginning his trot.

King picked up his second win in as many playoff starts after allowing five runs and five hits, three strikeouts and a walk in five innings. In the opening game of the Wild Card Series against Atlanta, he achieved a tour de force performance when he became the first pitcher in history to record 12 strikeouts with no runs and no walks in his postseason debut in San Diego's 4-0 victory.

Betts gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead after some confusion in the first.

He threw a fly ball into the left field corner with one out in the first inning, almost the same distance as he did Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, when Profar jumped and reached into the crowd to catch the ball. After Profar landed, he trolled fans by staring at them and jumping up and down several times before throwing the ball into the infield.

Profar jumped again Tuesday night but couldn't retrieve it and the ball flew off his glove and into the crowd. Betts turned first and turned toward the dugout before arriving second. Betts' teammates in the dugout, including Max Muncy, motioned for him to go ahead, and King gestured with his right arm that it was fair.

Betts resumed his run after his first playoff hit since Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against San Diego, which the Padres won in four games.

San Diego's second-inning breakout came against inferior pitcher Walker Buehler, who was making his first playoff start since Game 6 of the NLCS against Atlanta. Buehler missed the 2023 season after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022.

The first five Padres batters reached and scored. Xander Bogaerts drove in a run on a fielder's choice and David Peralta hit a two-run double. Kyle Higashioka hit a sacrifice fly two batters before Tatis hit a home run with two outs.

Manny Machado hit a leadoff single to reach third after first baseman Freddie Freeman caught Jackson Merrill's grounder and hit Machado in the left shoulder while he was throwing to second base from his knee.

Buehler also went five innings and allowed six runs and seven hits with no strikeouts and one walk.

The Dodgers opened the third by loading the bases with consecutive singles by Miguel Rojas, Shohei Ohtani and Betts before Hernández blasted a towering shot straight up the middle.