LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs, Bradgley Rodriguez pitched two scoreless innings in relief, and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, at Dodger Stadium. The Padres improved to 88-70 and continued their push toward a third consecutive postseason appearance. The Dodgers fell to 97-61. San Diego can clinch a playoff spot Thursday with a victory over Los Angeles or an Arizona loss at Colorado. If the Padres keep winning, they also could begin the playoffs at home. The game drew 48,201 and took 3 hours, 5 minutes.

Robbie Ray started for San Diego and worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run with one walk and two strikeouts. Rodriguez earned the win after giving up one hit and one walk while striking out three over two innings, improving to 4-3. Yuki Matsui allowed one hit and one walk in one inning. Mason Miller struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning. David Morgan recorded two outs with one walk and one strikeout. Adrian Morejon allowed one hit in a scoreless inning. Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the loss for Los Angeles, pitching six innings and giving up five hits, two earned runs and one walk while striking out four. He dropped to 14-9. Jack Dreyer struck out one in 1 1/3 hitless innings, and Kris Bubic allowed one hit in a scoreless inning for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers collected early hits but could not score. In the first, Mookie Betts flew out in foul territory, Shohei Ohtani singled to right, Will Smith grounded into a force out and Freddie Freeman struck out swinging. San Diego got a leadoff single from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the top of the first, but Dustin Harris grounded into a force out, Machado flew out and Ty France lined out. In the second, Jackson Merrill grounded out, Xander Bogaerts grounded out sharply and Jake Cronenworth was called out on strikes. Los Angeles got a single from Teoscar Hernandez, but he was thrown out at second, and Kyle Tucker added a single before Andy Pages struck out and Max Muncy lined out.

San Diego broke through in the fourth. Harris was hit by a pitch after the Padres challenged the call and it was overturned. Machado then homered on a fly ball to center field, scoring Harris. The two-run shot, Machado’s 29th of the season, gave San Diego a 2-0 lead. France followed with a single to center, but Merrill grounded into a force out, Bogaerts walked, Cronenworth lined out to left and Samad Taylor grounded into a force out to end the inning.

Los Angeles answered in the bottom of the fourth. Hernandez singled, Tucker singled and Pages singled to load the bases. Muncy flew out to center for the first out. Tommy Edman then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Hernandez and cutting the deficit to 2-1. Betts walked to reload the bases, but Ohtani struck out swinging to end the threat.

The Padres restored a cushion in the fifth. Ethan Salas singled and Tatis singled to put runners on first and second. Harris reached on a fielder’s choice, with Salas scoring and Tatis advancing to third. A throwing error by Yamamoto allowed Harris to move to second. Machado followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Tatis. France grounded out, moving Harris to third, and Merrill lined out to left, but San Diego led 4-1.

Los Angeles threatened again in the fifth when Smith walked, but Freeman grounded into a double play from Cronenworth to Bogaerts to France. Hernandez singled, but Tucker grounded out softly to pitcher Matsui. In the sixth, Pages doubled to left, but Muncy and Edman struck out swinging and Betts grounded out. In the third, Ohtani walked and Smith singled, but Freeman lined out to left. Smith walked again in the seventh, but Freeman flew out and Hernandez struck out swinging. Pages singled in the eighth, but Miguel Rojas lined out and Edman grounded out.

The Padres added an insurance run in the ninth. Cronenworth lined out to left, Taylor walked, and Freddy Fermin singled to left field, scoring Taylor. Tatis then doubled to center field, moving Fermin to third. Harris reached on a fielder’s choice, and Fermin was thrown out at home on a play from Freeman to Smith. Machado popped out to second to end the inning, but San Diego had a 5-1 lead.

Rodriguez returned for the bottom of the ninth and finished the game. Betts struck out swinging and Ohtani struck out swinging. Smith walked after a Padres challenge of a pitch result was confirmed. Freeman then lined out sharply to left fielder Jase Bowen, ending the game. Rodriguez’s two-inning stint helped San Diego close out a game that had major playoff implications.

San Diego finished with eight hits, while Los Angeles had 10. The Dodgers’ inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position proved costly. Los Angeles loaded the bases in the fourth and got only one run on Edman’s sacrifice fly. The Dodgers also grounded into a double play in the fifth, left Smith on base in the seventh and stranded a runner in the eighth. Machado’s three RBIs and the Padres’ bullpen work made the difference. San Diego did not clinch a playoff spot Wednesday, but the Padres can do so Thursday. A win in Los Angeles or an Arizona loss in Colorado would send San Diego back to the postseason for a third consecutive year. Once the Padres clinch, they can begin lining up their playoff rotation and reducing the workload of some high-leverage relievers.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Diego 9, Los Angeles 8. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Dodgers a 58.8 percent pregame win probability. The Dodgers were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 6 and the over-under line of 8.5 were part of the pregame betting information.