The Dodgers, pushed to the limit by a formidable opponent, found peace of mind after a 4-3 win over the Padres on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium and now have more control over the NL West outcome.

It’s only fitting that in this team’s most crucial regular-season game, the most important, the Most Valuable Player, would play the role of hero. Shohei Ohtani’s 2-RBI effort paved the way for the Dodgers’ victory. The first of Ohtani’s runs batted in came against Cease in the fourth, and a few innings later he reached Arian Morejón for a go-ahead single.

Ohtani’s second hit gave the Dodgers the lead in the sixth inning and left him emotional heading into the dugout, something that’s become more common in recent weeks as the playoffs draw ever closer.

When dangerous offenses face great pitchers, the advantage usually goes to the pitcher in most low-scoring All-Star games. On a night when both starters were far from their sharpest selves, neither offense was fully able to capitalize on the pregame stuff in an impactful way.

It’s become a cliché to hear about capitalizing on first inning opportunities against an ace, but it’s a cliché because it’s true. Once again, the Dodgers had a chance to punish Dylan Cease in the first inning after he walked multiple batters but settled for a run. This set a trend that would follow through the first half of the game, with the Dodgers threatening and settling for a run, and the Padres quickly answering, reaching Jack Flaherty.

The Dodgers’ early lead disappeared as soon as it came, with San Diego scoring two runs in the second. It should not go unnoticed that the threat was much greater, and had it been any of the other Dodger starters on the mound, Yoshiobu Yamamoto excepted, the damage would have been greater. After the first three were reached, San Diego had runners on the corners, Flaherty on the ropes and no outs, scoring just one run.

Both starters struggled until the scenario repeated itself in the fourth inning. The Dodgers regained the lead with a two-out rally at the bottom of the lineup, but Fernando Tatis Jr. tied the score in the fifth with a huge home run.

When you need 100 pitches to cover five innings and allow three runs, you’re not considered an ace, but another look at Flaherty reveals a pitcher who kept the Dodgers in a regular-season game with a near-postseason feel. That would be much the same lie for Cease, who also left his bullpen to cover four innings in a tie game.

While the Padres’ bullpen faltered at the first sign of trouble, the Dodgers’ held firm. Blake Treinen deserves some attention, having mowed down the heart of the order in just seven pitches and retaining the ability to pitch again tomorrow.

Sunday details

Homeruns: Fernando Tatis Jr. (21)

WP —Alex Vesia (5-4): 1+ IP, 2 walks

LP — Jeremiah Estrada (6-3): ⅔ IP, 1 run, 2 walks, 1 strikeout

Sv — Michael Kopech (15): 1 IP, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Next

These two teams will square off for the final time in 2024 at the same time and place on Thursday (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Joe Musgrove and Walker Buehler will square off in a battle of the longest-tenured starting pitchers to pitch in this series. If the Dodgers win on Thursday, they’ll clinch the division.