Freddie Freeman's RBI Single in 10th Inning Gives Dodgers Franchise Record 107th Win
Freddie Freeman's RBI Single in 10th Inning Gives Dodgers Franchise Record 107th Win

Freddie Freeman singled in Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 1-0 on Wednesday night to set the franchise single-season record with their 107th win.

The win by the NL West champion Dodgers kept the Padres’ magic number at four for clinching a wild-card berth in a full season for the first time since 2006.

It also put the Dodgers in position to win their ninth straight series against the Padres since June 2021. The series finale is Thursday night. The teams went to extra innings for the second straight night.

The Dodgers have already clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the NL playoffs.

Betts started as the automatic runner on second base and advanced on a passed ball before scoring on Freeman’s hit to center off Steven Wilson (4-2), his career-high 192nd.

Alex Vesia (5-0), who grew up in the San Diego area, pitched the ninth for the win. Tommy Kahnle pitched the 10th for his first save. He got Kim Ha-seong to ground out to end it with Jurickson Profar on third base.

The Padres are closing in on their first playoff berth in a full season since winning the NL West for the second straight year in 2006. They beat St. Louis in a wild-card series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before being swept in the division series by the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.

Dodgers lefty Julio Urías, a leading contender for the NL Cy Young Award, threw six scoreless innings while Padres righty Joe Musgrove, a first-time All-Star this season, went five scoreless frames.

Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres
Julio Urias #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on September 28, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Musgrove labored through 106 pitches before handing off a scoreless tie to Tim Hill.

Musgrove loaded the bases in the first and fifth innings and escaped both jams by striking out Joey Gallo. He threw 34 pitches in an 18-minute first inning. After striking out Gallo to end the fifth on his last pitch of the night, Musgrove pumped his right fist and hollered.

The Padres wasted a prime scoring chance in the sixth, when they had runners on first and third with one out. Manny Machado walked with one out, stole second and was called out. But he signaled to the dugout to challenge the play even before he got up off the ground, and the call was overturned. He advanced on Brandon Drury’s single but Urias retired Will Myers and Jake Cronenworth on infield popups.

Musgrove allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked four.

Urias went six innings, allowing six hits, striking out five and walking two.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Placed RHP Phil Bickford (2-1, 4.72 ERA in 60 appearances) on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder fatigue and activated RHP Yency Almonte from the IL. Almonte (0-0, 1.15 ERA in 29 appearances) had been on the IL since Aug. 7 with right elbow tightness. He made three rehab appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City. … Manager Dave Roberts said Tony Gonsolin, on the IL with a right forearm strain, is scheduled to start Monday at Dodger Stadium against Colorado and pitch three innings.

UP NEXT

Neither team has named a starter for the series finale Wednesday night.

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