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LOS ANGELES – When Gavin Lux showed up at the stadium on Thursday, the first thing the Dodgers wanted to know was if the young infielder-to-outfield was feeling okay. Once Lux told him he was feeling good, he was informed that a surprise awaited him on the center field wall.
It was the outline of a body imprinted in the wall, a “tribute” to Lux, who crashed in front of the wall on Wednesday. It was a moment of lightness for a situation that could have been much worse. Turns out Lux’s body outline had the best place in the house for the Dodgers laser show.
One night after hitting five homers in the last two innings of a spectacular comeback victory, the offense picked up where it left off, hitting four solo homers in the first four innings as the Dodgers completed. the Padres’ three-game sweep with an 8-3 win at Dodger Stadium, a third straight San Diego series sweep.
With the win, the Dodgers stayed within two games of the Giants, who beat the D-backs on Thursday, in the National League West race with three games left in the regular season. The Dodgers end the season with a three-game streak against the Brewers. San Francisco will host San Diego.
“Tonight was a clinic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the offense. “The guys came out focused and with energy and obviously a sold-out crowd, we fed off. Really a good series all around.
For the second night in a row, it was Mookie Betts who started the Dodgers’ offense. Betts wasted no time, hitting a home run for Padres right-hander Vince Velasquez. Corey Seager then followed the Betts lead, throwing his own home run to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead with just two batters in the game.
Remarkably, Betts and Seager weren’t the only ones to be turned back to back. In the fourth, Justin Turner and AJ Pollock each threw solo home runs over the fence at left center field to extend the Dodgers’ lead. After producing three runs in the sixth, Seager smashed the Dodgers’ fifth homer of the night and his second of the night in the seventh.
“It’s super good to get wins,” Betts said. “It’s been a while since [the offense has] clicked. It’s just good to know that we can do it.
The offensive was led by Seager, who must know that October is fast approaching. Seager, who won the National League Championship Series and World Series MVP in the Dodgers title race last season, is getting hot again at just the right time.
“We’ve seen it all in the playoffs and the last five weeks that’s what we’ve seen,” Roberts said of Seager’s recent performance. “He hits a lot harder, but as far as the drummers he puts together, it’s really remarkable.”
With a 3-on-4 performance on Thursday, Seager put the finishing touches on a scorching September, posting a .366 batting average with eight homers and 19 RBIs. Over the past two nights, the star shortstop has recorded three doubles and three homers. These successes haven’t come cheap either. Seager became the first Dodger with multiple circuits with an exit speed of 110 mph or more in one game since Statcast started tracking in 2015.
“He’s a special hitter,” Turner said. “He knows what he wants to do and he knows his swing as well as anyone. I would say right now he looks quite familiar. He’s a lot like that Corey Seager “bubble” we saw last year in the playoffs.
The Dodgers earned their 103rd win of the season, but they won’t be in control of their own destiny until the final weekend of the regular season. They’ll have to sweep the series against the Brewers, while hoping the Giants lose at least two to the Padres.
Regardless of what happens, the Dodgers seem to be playing loose and their roster has shown just how good they can be in the playoffs.
“These are two teams that are playing really good baseball in a pennant race,” said Roberts. “We just have to play good baseball, and however we get there, if we do, bring it. It doesn’t matter who we play, or what format.
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