THE DODGERS are back in a tie for the NL West lesd.

The Los Angeles Dodgers tumbled back into a tie for first place in the National League West race after a 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night.
Both teams are 73-56.

The squeaker at PetCo Park came down to Teoscar Hernandez striking out swinging with two out and Freddie Freeman on third base in the top of the ninth inning.

The sole Dodger run came on a third inning home run by Alex Freeland, one of only three hits by the Blue Crew. San Diego grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and the rest of the game was a duel of pitching and defense.

Yu Darvish (3-3), a former Dodger, pitched six innings of one-hit ball for the winners. He struck out five batters and walked only one.

Dodger Slake Snell (3-2) pitched well, going seven innings and yielding six hits and the two runs. He struck out five batters and walked two. The series will continue Saturday and Sunday in San Diego.

In Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels also lost a close one, falling 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs. The game was deadlocked 2-all until Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a home run deep into right-center field in the eighth for the game-winner.

The Halos could only manage three hits in the game: a solo home run by Yoan Moncada (his 11th of the year) and two singles.

The loss put the Angels record at 61-67 and in fourth place in the American League West, two games back of the third place Texas Rangers.
The series resumes on Saturday and Sunday.