Cease knocked around, Padres can’t keep up with Dodgers in series opener
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Dodger Stadium- Los Angeles, CA
The Padres and Dodgers began a four-game set in L.A. on Monday in what will be seven games in the past 10 days. The biggest story of the day around baseball was the pitching debut of Shohei Ohtani, albeit a short one. Ohtani was set to be the “opener” on Monday, appearing in an MLB game as a pitcher for the first time since August 23, 2023, when he was with the Angels.
Dylan Cease took the mound for San Diego to try and counter the momentum.
It was the Padres who set the tone early, making a clearly rusty Ohtani labor in the first inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the game with a single, followed by one from Luis Arraez. Tatis scored on a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado to open the scoring. After 28 pitches, Ohtani’s planned brief outing was done.
The Dodgers lurked, waiting for Cease to show cracks in the armor. Ohtani contributed with the bat, driving in Andy Pages with a double in the bottom of the third to tie the game. The Padres quickly responded in the fourth with an RBI double by Xander Bogaerts, giving the lead back to San Diego.
Cease then crumbled in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ lineup seemed to have timed Cease up and teed off. After getting the leadoff man out, Cease allowed the next four batters to reach base safely. That included a two-run, go-ahead single by Max Muncy. Tommy Edman singled with two outs to make it 4-2. Ohtani and Mookie Betts hit back-to-back RBI singles to balloon L.A.’s lead to four.
Overall, Cease lasted just five innings, getting knocked around for eight hits and six earned runs. This continues a turbulent season for Cease, in a contract year. His season ERA now sits at 4.69, and it marked the second time this season he has allowed at least six runs in a start.
Manny Machado did his best to spark a rally, swatting his 11th homer in the top of the sixth. The solo shot cut the lead to three. Unfortunately, the Padres rarely threatened after that. Following Ohtani’s departure from the mound, six Dodgers relievers, including former Padres Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, combined to finish the job for L.A.
Manny Machado – San Diego Padres (11) pic.twitter.com/4QdJ0C24X4
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) June 17, 2025
Wandy Peralta and David Morgan combined for three scoreless innings in relief after Cease. But it was too little, too late. One bad inning undid the Padres on Monday.
With the 6-3 loss, the Padres fall to 39-32. More troubling is that they are now 25-29, since their 14-3 start. And now they are just 1-3 against the Dodgers so far.
They look to even this series tomorrow with Randy Vasquez on the hill.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.