Rookie Lauer dazzles in near-shutout as Padres down Dodgers
Rookie left-hander Eric Lauer came within an out of a complete-game shutout Tuesday night and Austin Hedges and Wil Myers homered in a four-run fifth inning as the host San Diego Padres scored a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park.
Hedges hit a three-run homer to break the scoreless tie. Myers' homer was his sixth in four games and eighth of the season.
Lauer, 23, the Padres' 25th overall pick in the 2016 draft, held the Dodgers scoreless on three hits and two walks for 8 2/3 innings when Max Muncy homered to left-center for the Dodgers' lone run. Lauer finished with eight strikeouts -- fanning both Matt Kemp and Logan Forsythe three times.
Right-handed reliever Kirby Yates struck out Kemp for the fourth time for the final out to record his third save.
Lauer (5-5) threw a career-high 115 pitches while falling an out short of becoming the first Padre to throw a complete game this season.
Lauer has made two starts against the Dodgers this season and has allowed one run on 11 hits and three walks with 13 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings. He is 2-0 against the Dodgers and 3-5 against the rest of the league with a 5.31 earned run average in 13 starts.
In addition, Lauer picked Muncy off first after walking the first baseman to open the second inning. Lauer leads the majors with nine pick-offs this season.
Left-hander Rich Hill (2-4) took the loss for the Dodgers, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
The only walk triggered his downfall.
Jose Pirela drew it leading off the Padres' fifth and advanced to second on Freddy Galvis' single. Hedges then pulled a 1-and-2 Hill fastball into the left-field seats to give the Padres a 3-0 lead -- the 381-drive being Hedges' fourth homer of the season and his second in the span of five games.
After Hill retired the next two hitters, Myers launched a 382-foot drive into the seats in left center -- giving the left fielder six homers over the last four games -- three on Saturday, a game-winning homer in the 16th inning on Sunday, one Monday and one Tuesday.
Center-fielder Manuel Margot made two diving catches in center behind Lauer. Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger robbed Eric Hosmer of a home run with a leaping catch at the fence in center when the game was still scoreless in the fourth.
--Field Level Media
