Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts runs to first base after hitting a single during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto connects for a single during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado grounds into a fielder’s choice during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado runs for first base after grounding into a fielder’s choice during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy, left, watches his throw to first as the San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto stands on second base after being forced out during the first inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. Manny Machado was safe at first base. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Wil Myers hits a two-run single during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Jake Cronenworth, left, congratulates Manny Machado after he scored on a single by Wil Myers during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman is safe at second base as the Padres’ Jake Cronenworth is unable to handle the throw during the fourth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Max Muncy tosses his bat after hitting a fly out during the fourth inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell walks off the mound during the fourth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, rear, throws to first too late to complete a double play as the Dodgers’ Justin Turner slides after being forced out during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. Max Muncy was safe at first and Trea Turner scored. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, right, watches his throw to first too late to complete a double play as the Dodgers’ Justin Turner slides after being forced out during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. Max Muncy was safe at first and Trea Turner scored. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner looks on after being tagged out at second on a fielder’s choice during the sixth inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor connects for an RBI single during the sixth inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Nick Martinez reacts during the sixth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts is hit by a pitch during the seventh inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Trea Turner singles during the seventh inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner reacts to a high, inside pitch while batting during the seventh inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner falls to the ground dodging a high pitch during the seventh inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado shows his frustration after striking out during the eighth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner loses control of the ball before throwing to first too late to get the San Diego Padres’ Brandon Drury during the eighth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. Trent Grisham scored the go-ahead run on the play. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Trea Turner scores the tying run on a passed ball during the ninth inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ Trea Turner scores the tying run on a passed ball during the ninth inning of their game against the Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader reacts after the Dodgers’ Trea Turner scored the tying run on a passed ball during the ninth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader, right, talks on the mound with third baseman Manny Machado, center, and catcher Jorge Alfaro after the Dodgers’ Trea Turner scored the tying run on a passed ball during the ninth inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel takes a moment before pitching the 10th inning of their game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. Kimbrel walked three batters (one intentionally), including a bases-loaded free pass that gave the Padres a 4-3 win. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Jorge Alfaro reacts after drawing a bases-loaded walk, forcing in the winning run during the 10th inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Jorge Alfaro jogs to first after drawing a bases-loaded walk, forcing in the winning run during the 10th inning of their game against the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel leaves the field after giving up a bases-loaded walk during the 10th inning of their 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Jorge Alfaro, right, celebrates with teammates after the Padres defeated the Dodgers, 4-3, on Alfaro’s bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning on Tuesday night in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The San Diego Padres’ Jake Cronenworth, left, Brandon Dixon (16) and Luis Campusano, right, congratulate Jorge Alfaro after he drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the winning run in the 10th inning of their 4-3 victory over the Dodgers on Tuesday night in San Diego. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO — The Denver Nuggets have opened training camp at UC San Diego so a handful of players, including DeAndre Jordan and Nikola Jokic, were at Petco Park on Tuesday night to watch the Dodgers play the San Diego Padres.
They must have found it as devoid of action and slow to develop as a James Harden dribble drive.
They didn’t make it to the end, leaving before Craig Kimbrel walked three batters in the bottom of the 10th inning including Jorge Alfaro with the bases loaded to give the Padres a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ ninth loss in 14 extra-inning games this season put history on hold. Their 106 wins are still tied for the franchise record. At the same time, their magic number to clinch the best record in baseball and secure home-field advantage through the World Series remains four (over the Houston Astros).
They did not look like a team on the verge of making history. They went 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14 runners on base and had costly defensive mistakes to help the Padres along.
“We didn’t play a clean game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When you’re going to play tight ballgames, every play that’s not made there’s an effect. We just didn’t play our best baseball.
“We had opportunities to win tonight. Offensively, defensively we didn’t get it done and got beat.”
It is not the first time in the past two weeks that Roberts has bemoaned the lack of “a clean game.” But he said he is not concerned about it being more than a momentary trend.
“Not at all,” he said. “I guess I’d rather have it happen now than later. But for me, the way that we prepare, the way we play, the intent – it’s all where it needs to be.”
Kimbrel most definitely is not – and it could land him on the outside looking in when the Dodgers form their postseason roster.
When the Dodgers failed to score in the top of the 10th inning, Roberts sent Kimbrel out to protect the tie score in the bottom of the inning.
Ha-Seong Kim bunted the Padres’ free runner to third to start things. After intentionally walking Juan Soto, Kimbrel struck out Manny Machado.
“I thought that Manny at-bat is as good as it needs to be,” Roberts said. “Just a real good battle right there and Craig made pitches when he needed to.”
That was the last highlight for Kimbrel. He got ahead of Brandon Drury 1-and-2 then missed with three pitches to walk him and load the bases. He got ahead of Alfaro with a first-pitch strike and had the count even at 2-and-2 before missing badly with two fastballs to walk Alfaro.
It was the Padres catcher’s first walk since July 26 and only his 11th walk in 271 plate appearances this season.
“You don’t want to have three walks in an inning,” Kimbrel said. “I had the advantage on all the hitters. I just yanked some fastballs and threw some non-competitive pitches.
“It’s frustrating I felt like I was on line. I was just yanking the ball. Frustrated, that’s all I can say.”
“Every day is a test,” Roberts said. “He’s gotta go out there. I’ll keep giving him opportunities when it makes sense and we’ll make decisions as we get down the line.”
Kimbrel confidently said he believes he can contribute in the postseason but acknowledged that he has to “prove that.”
“I don’t think I can. I know I can,” he said. “Just gotta do it.”
The Dodgers could have avoided the extra-inning scenario with Kimbrel if they had done anything against Padres starter Blake Snell. Snell set the languid tone for the night (which took more than four hours to each its conclusion) by going to a full count on eight of the first 11 Dodgers batters and throwing 96 pitches before bowing out (as he so often does) after five innings. For all that, the Dodgers didn’t score a run off Snell.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. But even Wil Myers’ two-run single took its sweet ol’ time bounding through the middle of the Dodgers’ defense.
Tyler Anderson retired the next 16 consecutive batters after Myers’ single and the Dodgers finally broke through to tie the game in the sixth when Padres reliever Nick Martinez gave up a leadoff single to Trea Turner and walked two to load the bases. Max Muncy bounced into an inning-ending double play that was overturned by replay, allowing one run to score and keeping the inning alive. Chris Taylor took advantage, tying the score at 2-2 with an RBI single.
For Dodgers’ Andre Jackson, striking out Albert Pujols was a breath of fresh air
They loaded the bases again with one out in the seventh but came up empty.
Instead, they helped the Padres put together a go-ahead rally in the eighth.
Taylor misplayed Austin Nola’s drive over his head to start the inning. It went off his glove for a double.
“I just alligator-armed it,” Taylor said. “That’s a ball I should catch.”
Two walks by Caleb Ferguson loaded the bases with one out. Chris Martin came in and struck out Machado then broke Drury’s bat, getting a slow ground ball to the left side. But third baseman Justin Turner bobbled it, throwing late to first base as the go-ahead run scored.
Trea Turner led off the ninth with a double off Padres closer Josh Hader and eventually scored on a passed ball by Alfaro, setting up extra innings.
