Nestor Cortes dominates the Dodgers, and the Padres surge into first place with a 5-1 victory

By: Greg Beacham, The Associated Press Posted: 10:09 PM CDT Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nestor Cortes took a perfect game into the sixth inning and combined with three relievers on a two-hitter as the San Diego Padres reclaimed the NL West lead with a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night.

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Ramón Laureano had a two-run single in the fourth and Xander Bogaerts added a two-run double in the eighth for the Padres (74-56), who have surged ahead of the Dodgers (73-57) during the archrivals’ final series of the regular season by allowing just five hits and two runs in back-to-back wins.

After getting swept at Chavez Ravine last weekend, San Diego has won its last five games.

San Diego Padres' Nestor Cortes follows through on a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

Alex Freeland hit his second career homer for the Dodgers, who have lost four of six. Los Angeles is in second place for only the second day since April 27.

Cortes (2-2) infamously gave up Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam while pitching for the Yankees in last year’s World Series, but the veteran left-hander thoroughly shut down the Dodgers this time around, matching Yu Darvish’s six innings of one-hit ball Friday for San Diego.

In his fourth start since joining the Padres at the July 31 trade deadline, Cortes retired the Dodgers’ first 16 batters before Miguel Rojas’ sixth-inning single.

Freeland connected off Jeremiah Estrada in the eighth to homer in his second straight game, but Bogaerts came through with only the Padres’ third hit of the night.

Adrian Morejon got four outs for his third save.

Tyler Glasnow (1-2) yielded two runs and three hits with four walks in four innings on his 32nd birthday.

Glasnow started well, but San Diego rallied in the fourth. Laureano, another trade-deadline acquisition, delivered a bases-loaded single before Jake Cronenworth’s sacrifice fly.

Key moment

Cortes got a mound visit after Rojas’ single, but calmly retired Buddy Kennedy and Shohei Ohtani on flyouts.

Key stat