LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ethan Salas had RBI singles in a three-run seventh inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Thursday night to clinch their franchise-record third consecutive postseason berth and fifth in seven seasons.
It didn't come easily.
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San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill, right, claps after scoring on a single by Austin Hays as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia stands by during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Diego Padres' Ethan Salas, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Dustin Harris as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia stands by during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Dodgers closed to 4-2 in the ninth on Shohei Ohtani's RBI double off Padres closer Mason Miller.
Yuki Matsui (1-1) got the victory in relief. Miller earned his 38th save.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow (5-2) struck out a season-high 11 and took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Salas and Tatis broke it up with back-to-back singles. Salas scored on Dustin Harris' sacrifice fly to center.
The Padres got Glasnow out of the game in the seventh after Jackson Merrill doubled and Xander Bogaerts walked. Merrill scored from second as pinch-hitter Austin Hays' single against reliever Justin Wrobleski went off third baseman Max Muncy's glove.
Salas' two-strike single to center scored Bogaerts. Tatis followed with an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.
It was Glasnow's second straight game with at least 10 strikeouts. He gave up three runs and three hits.
While the Padres clinched a berth, the Dodgers locked up a bye and the Milwaukee Brewers secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
They avoided the wild-card round and earned home-field advantage in the NL Division Series before stepping on the field after Cincinnati beat Atlanta 7-6. The two-time defending World Series champions will open the postseason on Oct. 3.
The Dodgers' other run was scored on a balk by Adrian Morejon in the eighth.
Ohtani was back in the Dodgers' leadoff spot since the Padres started a right-handed pitcher. He was 2 for 5 with a strikeout. He batted second behind Mookie Betts and also went 1 for 4 in his return from the injured list on Wednesday.
Padres starter Nick Pivetta struck out five of nine batters in his first trip through the Dodgers' lineup. He gave up back-to-back, two-out hits to Ohtani and Betts before Freddie Freeman took a called third strike to end the inning.
Padres: They had yet to announce a starter for Friday's series opener against D-backs RHP Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.72 ERA).
Dodgers: LHP Tarik Skubal (11-7, 2.85) starts Friday at San Francisco against Giants RHP Yunior Marte (0-1, 4.66).
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill, right, claps after scoring on a single by Austin Hays as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia stands by during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Diego Padres' Ethan Salas, left, scores on a sacrifice fly by Dustin Harris as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia stands by during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers knew they’d have their hands full early in the season with their offense missing Josh Jacobs and their defense lacking Micah Parsons.
But they couldn’t have expected their home opener to go this miserably.
With a makeshift offensive line struggling to give Jordan Love time to throw or to create running room for Jacobs’ backups, the Packers were embarrassed by the previously winless Atlanta Falcons, losing 35-14 on Thursday night.
“Well, that was a humbling night,” coach Matt LaFleur said.
The Packers (1-2) were booed by the Lambeau Field crowd for much of the second half.
“It’s pretty disappointing,” tight end Tucker Kraft said. “It’s not going to help us win. Like I don’t know what people think that’s going to rally us or something like that. We’re grown men. We’re mentally strong enough, capable enough to get back on the field and play ball. But it’d probably be much easier with the 70,000 people behind us rather than opposing us.”
The Packers didn't give the crowd much reason to cheer, and they find themselves at a potential crossroads before the end of September.
This wasn’t what team president/CEO Ed Policy had in mind when he signed LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst to contract extensions even after the Packers ended the 2025 season with five straight losses, including a wild-card playoff defeat at Chicago in which they blew a 21-3 lead.
Green Bay has made three straight postseason appearances but looked nothing like a potential playoff team Thursday.
The losses of Parsons and Jacobs certainly hurt.
Parsons will miss at least one more game as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL that ended his 2025 All-Pro season early.
Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after he pleaded no contest two weeks ago to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend.
Meanwhile, injuries on the offensive line are hurting the Packers.
Green Bay played without two of its starting linemen after left guard Aaron Banks hurt his toe and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele tore his patellar tendon in a 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Bako-Bewele, who is Green Bay’s best lineman when healthy, won’t play again this season.
Although Love was only sacked once, the Falcons pressured him throughout the night.
“J-Love shouldn’t be getting touched or on the ground that much,” right tackle Anthony Belton said. “There’s no excuses to it. Just moving forward, we’ve got to keep hammering it every day to keep (him) clean. That’s just got to be our motto.”
The Packers have also lacked discipline. They committed an NFL-high 26 penalties through the first two weeks. They led 7-0 on Thursday when Brenton Cox Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third-down incompletion. Instead of punting, Atlanta scored a tying touchdown on that series and took control shortly thereafter.
One strength for Green Bay the first two weeks of the season was defending the run. The Packers had been allowing 2.9 yards per carry, the second-lowest average in the league.
That changed Thursday.
Atlanta outrushed Green Bay 242 yards to 17 and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Bijan Robinson led the way with 194 yards and two touchdowns.
Robinson threatened to break the single-game rushing record for a visiting player at Lambeau Field. Baltimore's Derrick Henry had 216 yards as the Ravens won 41-24 in the Packers' 2025 home finale.
The Packers have been outrushed by at least 225 yards in each of their last two home games, joining the 1955 Pittsburgh Steelers as the only team since at least 1933 with such a streak.
“You can’t point at the D-line, point at the ’backers, point at the safeties,” safety Evan Williams said. “You've got to understand it’s a team effort regardless of the end result. My response is just physicality is always the answer. So, yeah, just got to get back to the film room to see exactly what went wrong and correct it.”
Because Green Bay fell behind and couldn’t run the ball, its offense was one-dimensional. The Packers threw 53 passes and ran the ball just nine times.
Jacobs' absence leaves the Packers relying on MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson to lead their rushing attack. Each had four carries Thursday, with Lloyd gaining 11 yards and Johnson 6.
They were running in place for much of the night. And LaFleur will have to find a way to get them moving if he wants to salvage Green Bay's season.
“We’ve got a couple extra days here, and everybody’s got to take a long, hard look at themselves,” LaFleur said. “We’ve got to find solutions and just come back ready to work.”
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
A Green Bay Packers fan reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Green Bay Packers fans react during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Green Bay, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
