SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr.’s towering two-run home run highlighted a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on to defeat Shohei Ohtani and the rival Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Tuesday night for a victory achieve. 2-1 lead in an exciting NL Division Series.

The Padres came within one win of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, which was packed with a record 47,744 towel-waving spectators.

The fans roared as Robert Suarez struck out Gavin Lux on a full-count pitch to complete a four-game save.

Tatis’ impressive home run gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernandez 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 slump in the playoffs, but apparently thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him, just as he did in the Padres’ 10-2 win on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, as tempers flared on the field and in the stands. Betts rounded first and walked toward the dugout before teammates and even King gestured that it was a homer.

Tatis’ shot into the left-field seats was his third of the series, falling just shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis hit two of San Diego’s six home runs on Sunday night. The flamboyant Tatis stood for a few seconds and watched the ball sail out of the yard, then turned his bat and gestured to the dugout before beginning his trot.

King earned his second win in as many playoff starts after allowing five runs and five hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and one walk. He pulled off a gem in the opening game of the wild-card series against Atlanta, when he became the first pitcher in history to strike out twelve with no runs and no walks in a postseason debut in the 4-0 victory of San Diego.

Betts gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning after some confusion.

He threw a fly ball to the left field corner with one out in the first inning nearly the same distance he did Sunday night at Dodger Stadium, when Profar jumped up and reached into the crowd to make the catch. After Profar landed, he trolled the fans by staring at them and bouncing up and down several times before throwing the ball to the infield.

Profar jumped again on Tuesday evening but couldn’t bring it back as the ball tipped off his glove and into the crowd. Betts went around first and turned to the dugout before finishing second. Betts’ teammates in the dugout, including Max Muncy, motioned for him to continue and King gestured with his right arm that it was fair.

Betts resumed his trot after his first playoff hit since Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against San Diego, which the Padres won in four games.

San Diego’s second-inning outburst came against losing pitcher Walker Buehler, who was making his first playoff start since Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS against Atlanta. Buehler missed the 2023 season after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in August 2022.

The first five Padres batters reached base and scored. Xander Bogaerts drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and David Peralta hit a two-run double. Kyle Higashioka hit a two-batter sacrifice fly before Tatis homered with two outs.

Manny Machado hit a leadoff single to end at third base after first baseman Freddie Freeman fielded Jackson Merrill’s grounder, hitting Machado on the left shoulder as he threw from his knees to second base.

Buehler also pitched five innings, allowing six runs and seven hits with no strikeouts and one walk.

The Dodgers opened the third by loading the bases on consecutive singles by Miguel Rojas, Shohei Ohtani and Betts before Hernández hit a towering shot to center.