The Padres and Dodgers traded haymakers in Game 3, with the Padres taking a commanding series lead.

It felt like the actual baseball game would never arrive on Tuesday evening. The off day on Monday and during the day on Tuesday, the battles were being fight at the microphone during press conferences and online on social media between baseball media and fans.

Finally, mercifully, the game started. The two rivals traded big innings, and the Padres eventually won a heated, tense game 6-5 to take a 2-1 series lead. The game started with Michael King and Walker Buehler on the mound for their respective teams.

It began with a jaw-dropping moment between Mookie Betts and Jurickson Profar. Again. On Sunday, Profar robbed Betts of a game-tying homer over the short left-field fence, and theatrics ensued. This time, Betts hit a ball about one row deeper into the stands, and Profar nearly did it again, but the ball fell over the fence for a home run. Betts had given the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Manny Machado led off with a single. On a ground ball to first by Jackson Merrill, Machado ran to second and altered the throw to second by Freddie Freeman. The ball sailed into left field, and Freeman was charged with an error. That sparked a huge rally. Five straight Padres reached base. David Peralta lined a double down the line for the go-ahead, two-run double.

Kyle Higashioka finally made an out in the inning, but it was a productive one as a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 4-1.

Then, pandemonium.

Fernando Tatis Jr. came up to the plate with Jake Cronenworth on first and two outs. He lined a moonshot over the left field wall for an emphatic, cathartic two-run shot. The record crowd at Petco Park broke out in a deafening frenzy, and it looked like the Padres were about to blow the Dodgers out of the water again, leading 6-1.

FERNANDO. TATIS. JR. 🤩 #NLDS pic.twitter.com/DbwB6Q0TPJ

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2024

To the Dodgers’ credit, they fought back. Los Angeles immediately responded by loading the bases with the first three batters. Freeman lined out. All of a sudden, the Padres were a double play away from getting out of it. Then Teoscar Hernandez lined a Michael King pitch over the center field wall for a clutch grand slam, bringing the Dodgers within one. That certainly changed the mood in the ballpark from a party to a tense lull.

There, it would stay for basically the remainder of the game. It became a battle of the bullpens. The two teams used a combined seven relievers to post zeroes the rest of the way.

Credit to Padres manager Mike Shildt, who pushed all the right buttons at the end. It certainly helps to have Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Tanner Scott, and Robert Suarez to close it out at the end. That’s exactly what happened. Scott was able to retire Shohei Ohtani in the eighth, ensuring they would not have to deal with him again the rest of the game.

Robert Suarez came in, with his electrifying entrance and equally electrifying fastball, and closed the door with four clean outs. He earned a four-out save, and the Padres earned a 2-1 series lead.

The Padres are now one win away from returning to the National League Championship Series, where they eventually were eliminated in 2022. They have higher goals this season. Dylan Cease will take the mound for Game 4, looking to clinch the series for San Diego.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but one step at a time." 👏

Fernando Tatis Jr. caught up with Joe Davis and John Smoltz after the Padres took Game 3 of the NLDS over the Dodgers pic.twitter.com/caTTBJf8cM

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 9, 2024

Nick Lee

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.