Tatis, Padres Rock Dodgers

SAN DIEGO -- — Fernando Tatis Jr.'s towering two-run home run highlighted a six-run second inning, and the held on to beat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in a tense NL Division Series.

Tatis' impressive homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with one out in the third off Michael King to bring the Dodgers within a run.

Mookie Betts also homered for the Dodgers to break an 0-for-22 playoff slump, but apparently thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him like he did in Sunday night's 10-2 Padres win at Dodger Stadium, when tempers flared on the field and in the stands. Betts rounded first and headed toward the dugout before teammates and even King motioned that it was a homer.

The Dodgers are on the brink of losing in the NLDS for the third straight season.

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Tatis' shot into the left-field seats was his third of the series, leaving him one shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis had two of San Diego's six homers Sunday night.

Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 and struck out twice. He hit a three-run homer in the Dodgers' Game 1 victory but has been a nonfactor in the two losses, going 1 for 8 and fanning four times.

Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers will go with a bullpen game on Wednesday night. The Padres will start RHP Dylan Cease on short rest.

The MLB Playoffs are on ESPN 102.3/AM 1000 KSOO.