The San Diego Padres simply do not quit.
Faced with a six-run deficit at hostile Dodger Stadium, the Padres authored a remarkable comeback against the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen to tie the game 7-7. They completed the comeback in the 11th inning to grab an 8-7 victory and take three of four games from their Southern California rivals.
The comeback started in the seventh when catcher Victor Caratini laced a two-run single. Two more Padres runs came home in the eighth, forcing Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to use Jimmy Nelson in a save situation as Kenley Jansen was unavailable. Nelson surrendered the lead on four singles, with Manny Machado's base hit driving in the tying run.
The @Padres have come all the way back from down 6 runs to tie it in the 9th.
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2021
THIS SERIES! pic.twitter.com/wZSmRno0EQ
Nelson eventually got out of the inning without surrendering the lead. Los Angeles didn't score in their half of the ninth, sending the game into extra innings. It took until the 11th for the winning run to score on an Eric Hosmer sacrifice fly.
Seven unanswered runs and the @Padres take the lead in the 11th. pic.twitter.com/s6aW8j6xhr
— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2021
Los Angeles threatened to win multiple times after San Diego tied it. The Dodgers left a leadoff single on base in the ninth, stranded the bases loaded in the 10th, and left two more runners on in the 11th. All told, Dave Roberts' club left 18 runners on base.
The Padres' comeback was one of the most stunning in-game turnarounds in the last half-century of baseball:
The Padres trailed 7-1 entering the 7th inning.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 26, 2021
Over the last 50 seasons, teams trailing by 6+ runs entering the 7th inning have gone 100-13,547. That's a win percentage of .007.
Teams this season are 0-49 when trailing by 6+ entering the 7th inning.
The game is now tied 7-7. pic.twitter.com/ncmsWiqasM
Tonight the @Padres became the first team to win a game despite ...
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) April 26, 2021
-being on the road
-facing a team with a .700+ win pct (min. 20 games)
-trailing by 6+ runs
-in 7th inning or later
... since the Giants did so against the 50-21 Cubs at Wrigley on July 9, 1918.
This game was the latest chapter of what's quickly becoming baseball's best and most dramatic rivalry. In their seven games this season, the Dodgers and Padres have gone to extras twice, and all but two of their nine-inning contests were decided by two runs or less.
