ERIC HOSMER

Major League Baseball payrolls dropped 4% in 2021 compared to the league’s last full season, and the $4.05 billion total was the lowest in a fully completed year since 2015.

The San Francisco Giants finally won the NL West without needing to wait for the rival Dodgers' result on the season’s final day, pounding the San Diego Padres 11-4 for a franchise-record 107th victory to top the 1904 New York team.

In 51 innings for the Dodgers, Scherzer has allowed just 29 hits and struck out 72. Overall, the 37-year-old Scherzer leads the majors with a 2.17 ERA and is a combined 14-4 for the Dodgers and Nationals. The Dodgers have already clinched a playoff spot and are two games behind the first-place Giants in the NL West. CHANCE TO CLINCHMilwaukee can secure its fourth consecutive postseason appearance with another win over the Chicago Cubs and losses by Cincinnati and San Diego. Yu Darvish (8-10, 4.32) starts for San Diego.

In 51 innings for the Dodgers, Scherzer has allowed just 29 hits and struck out 72. Overall, the 37-year-old Scherzer leads the majors with a 2.17 ERA and is a combined 14-4 for the Dodgers and Nationals. The Dodgers have already clinched a playoff spot and are competing with the Giants for the NL West title. Sonny Gray (7-7, 3.80) starts for the Reds as they aim for a wild-card spot. Both teams are chasing the Cardinals, Padres and Reds for the final NL wild card and trying to keep the NL East-leading Braves within sight, too.

Max Scherzer has dominated since being traded to the Dodgers, and tries to extend his success streak when he pitches at Cincinnati on Saturday in a matchup with playoff implications.

Scherzer retired his first 22 batters before Eric Hosmer doubled to deep right with one out in the eighth. The three-time Cy Young Award winner threw an immaculate inning in the second with three strikeouts on nine pitches. In a big blow, San Diego starter Blake Snell left after 11 pitches with a left adductor injury. Corey Seager and Mookie Betts hit solo homers, and Justin Turner added a three-run blast in the seventh to back Scherzer (14-4). Adams then nearly hit Trea Turner, who went down in a heap, drawing prolonged boos from the crowd.

Max Scherzer got his 3,000th career strikeout and took a perfect game into the eighth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 8-0 to complete a three-game sweep.

Max Scherzer of the Los Angeles Dodgers is pitching a perfect game through seven innings against the San Diego Padres.

Max Scherzer of the Los Angeles Dodgers has become the 19th player in major league history with 3,000 strikeouts.

Jake Cronenworth hit a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 4-3 to take two of three from the AL West leaders.

AJ Pollock hit a two-run single and robbed Manny Machado of a two-run homer to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the sinking San Diego Padres 5-2 in a series opener between NL West rivals headed in opposite directions.

Diamondbacks rookie Tyler Gilbert has thrown seven hitless innings in his first big league start against the San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers and Giants are back at it Tuesday night, renewing their long rivalry in San Francisco with 12-game winner Julio Urias on the mound for Los Angeles against Logan Webb in the opener of a three-game series.

The teams were to play the regularly scheduled game later in the day. Fernando Tatis Jr. had his third four-hit game of the season and scored twice for the Padres, and Tommy Pham had three hits and two walks. The game was halted Saturday night with the Padres leading 8-4 in the middle of the sixth inning. Nationals starter Patrick Corbin (6-8) gave up six runs on 10 hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. All-Star Game starter Max Scherzer (7-4, 2.66) is looking to bounce back after allowing a season-high seven earned runs against the Padres on July 8.

Four San Diego relievers combined to toss four scoreless innings and the Padres defeated the Washington Nationals 10-4 in the completion of a game that was suspended the previous night because of a shooting outside the stadium.

Rookie reliever Daniel Camarena hit a stunning grand slam off Washington ace Max Scherzer and the San Diego Padres overcame an eight-run deficit, finally beating the Nationals 9-8 on Trent Grisham’s RBI single in the ninth inning.

Dodgers Padres Baseball San Diego Padres' Victor Caratini (17) hits a solo home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, June 23, 2021, in San Diego. San Diego is 7-3 this season against the Dodgers, including winning four straight, and has won two of the three series against the eight-time defending division champions. The Dodgers swept the Padres in the NL Division Series in October en route to winning the World Series. San Diego has won seven straight games overall, including a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds, after losing 13 of their previous 17 games. This was San Diego’s first sweep of the Dodgers since April 15-17, 2013, at Dodger Stadium.

Trent Grisham drew a go-ahead, bases-loaded walk with one out in the eighth and the San Diego Padres hit three solo homers off Trevor Bauer and beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 for their first three-game sweep of the NL West rivals in eight seasons.

Victor Caratini hit a two-run, game-ending homer two batters after Eric Hosmer hit a tying, two-run homer for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Cincinnati Reds in a 6-4 thriller before the first sellout crowd at Petco Park since 2019.

Manny Machado and Brian O’Grady each homered and had three RBIs to lead the San Diego Padres over the Chicago Cubs 9-4 in the opener of a three-game series between National League contenders.

Javier Báez lined a two-run homer, Anthony Rizzo had two doubles among three hits and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-1 on for their third straight win and ninth in 10 games.

Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a monstrous, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to tie it, Wil Myers hit a three-run drive in the 12th and the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 11-8.

Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice, including a 447-foot grand slam, and drove in six runs for the San Diego Padres, who beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 to sweep a nine-game homestand.

Fernando Tatis Jr. became the fastest shortstop in history to hit 50 home runs, punctuating his three-run shot with a bat flip, and made another spectacular defensive play for the San Diego Padres, who routed the Seattle Mariners 16-1 for their seventh straight win.

Two-way star Shohei Ohtani makes his sixth pitching start of the season Wednesday when the Angels face Aaron Civale and the Indians.

The virus-stricken Yankees are set to open a series in Baltimore a day after revealing shortstop Gleyber Torres tested positive for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated and having previously had COVID-19.

Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes is set to face St. Louis on Thursday in his first start since testing positive for the coronavirus last month.

Padres Rockies Baseball Colorado Rockies' Josh Fuentes is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run off San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell during the second inning of the second game of a baseball doubleheader Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) (David Zalubowski)DENVER — (AP) — Josh Fuentes capped a big night with a two-out, walk-off single in the eighth inning after earlier hitting a two-run homer and the Colorado Rockies salvaged a doubleheader split by beating the virus-hampered San Diego Padres 3-2 on Wednesday. The Padres were poised for more, only to run themselves out of the inning with one out and runners on first and second. He was back in his usual spot behind the plate for the second game. They split with the Rockies on June 28, 1994, at Mile High Stadium and lost both on July 3, 1999, at Coors Field.

The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees are both short-staffed due to COVID-19 outbreaks, but neither has had to interrupt their schedule.

Josh Fuentes capped a big night with a two-out, walk-off single in the eighth inning after earlier hitting a two-run homer and the Colorado Rockies salvaged a doubleheader split by beating the virus-hampered San Diego Padres 3-2.

The virus-depleted San Diego Padres made a series of moves to bolster a lineup that is missing outfielder Wil Myers and shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. after they tested positive for the coronavirus.

Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.27 ERA) and Blake Snell (1-0, 4.15) are slated to start for the Padres in the doubleheader. Harvey, now with the Orioles, returned to Citi Field with the Reds later that season but did not pitch. Third base coach Phil Nevin and first base coach Reggie Willits are away from the team after positive COVID-19 tests. Several coaches missed the game due to contact tracing, but Boone said the tracing did not include any players. “There’s a few people that we sent home just as a precaution to make sure," Boone said before the game.

San Diego shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and outfielder Wil Myers tested positive for COVID-19, and the Padres are shorthanded heading into a doubleheader Wednesday against Colorado at Coors Field.

Padres Giants Baseball San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. throws out San Francisco Giants' Austin Slater at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, May 9, 2021. “Wil tested positive for COVID and that’s why he had to leave the game," Tingler said. Tingler said he learned of Tatis’ positive test in a phone call late Monday night. “It is what it is,” Myers said before the game, prior to his positive test result. San Diego recalled infielder/outfielder Tucupita Marcano and right-hander Nabil Crismatt from Triple-A El Paso and selected the contract of outfielder John Andreoli to the 40-man roster.

The San Diego Padres already were minus star Fernando Tatis Jr. and two backups before the first pitch at Colorado because of COVID-19 concerns.

San Diego star Fernando Tatis Jr. and outfielder Wil Myers have tested positive for COVID-19 while first baseman Eric Hosmer and two backups are now out for contact tracing, leaving the Padres shorthanded at Coors Field.

Fernando Tatís Jr. scored on Eric Hosmer’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning and the San Diego Padres rallied from a late six-run deficit for an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Eric Hosmer delivered the tying and go-ahead RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings, helping the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 to avoid a sweep in the first series of the year between the NL West rivals.

Corey Seager hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer on Tim Hill’s first pitch of the 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 11-6 in a tense, entertaining first matchup this season between NL West rivals who have visions of deep playoff runs.

San Diego rookie Ryan Weathers makes his first big league start when Mookie Betts and the champion Dodgers visit Petco Park in the first matchup this season between the NL West rivals.

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove has thrown the first no-hitter in the history of his hometown team.

Matt Harvey gets another fresh beginning in Boston on Saturday when he’s scheduled to take the mound for the Baltimore Orioles.

New York starter Jordan Montgomery gave up two hits in three scoreless innings. Brubaker allowed two hits over two scoreless innings and Chase De Jong followed with two shutout innings. MARLINS 4, METS 4Miami starter Pablo Lopez gave up a hit and a walk over three scoreless innings. German Marquez scattered three hits and a walk over three scoreless innings for Colorado. Kansas City starter Jakob Junis pitched three innings and gave up one hit, a leadoff homer to Trent Grisham.

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn adjusts his face covering as he watches players during baseball spring training Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in Phoenix. When he walks in the door, it’s going to be a huge moment for the 2021 White Sox. The guys can’t wait to see him, and he can’t wait to see them.”AdAbreu helped the White Sox return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. In the first batch of results disclosed by the league last Friday, 13 positive tests were found among 4,336 samples. It will be the first time since last spring training that they played in front of fans.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)SAN DIEGO – Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to take a ground ball or swing a bat at spring training and he’s already the talk of the San Diego Padres’ clubhouse. Giancarlo Stanton, now with the New York Yankees, signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with Miami in 2015. Bryce Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia in 2019. Tatis’ deal will be the third-largest. Tatis was literally raised in the game at the feet of his father, who played 11 seasons in the big leagues.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)ARLINGTON, Texas – Clayton Kershaw can't shake his postseason curse, not even in a neutral-site NL Championship Series a few miles from his hometown. If the Hall of Fame is in his future, Kershaw won't be alone among star pitchers who struggled in the playoffs. Greg Maddux was 11-14 in the playoffs, most of those decisions when Atlanta won just one World Series during a run of 14 straight NL East titles. Kershaw now has 11 career postseason starts of allowing at least four runs, tied with Maddux for the second-most. Ozuna's first homer in Game 4 was the 27th Kershaw has allowed in the playoffs, breaking a tie with Justin Verlander for second-most, also behind Pettitte (31).

Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Turner (10) and his teammates celebrate after defeating the San Diego Padres 12-3 in Game 3 of a baseball National League Division Series. Smith delivered an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run double in the ninth off the 11th Padres pitcher — a postseason record. The Dodgers open the best-of-seven NLCS on Monday in the Texas Rangers' new $1.2 billion stadium with a retractable roof. In 59 postseason games, the Southern California native has hit .294 (64 for 218) with nine homers. Dodgers: Their fourth postseason series against Atlanta, which swept Miami in the other NLDS played about four hours away in Houston.

(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas – Fernando Tatis Jr. bent backward from his knees and stared skyward after his wild throw became San Diego's playoff-high fifth error and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers the tying run. The 21-year-old budding superstar and the rest of the Padres will have to wait at least another year for the club's first trip past the National League Division Series since 1998. The Padres couldn't add to their majors-leading seven grand slams from the regular season, although Jake Cronenworth's walk and Trent Grisham's infield single with the bases loaded gave the Padres a brief 2-1 lead in the second. Tatis grounded weakly to third base and finished the series 2 of 11. Trevor Rosenthal, gave up a pair of two-run hits in the ninth when he became the Padres' 11th pitcher, two more than the previous high.

That average of 2.93 homers per postseason game tops the regular-season mark of 2.57. The Athletics and Astros combined to connect seven times as the A’s avoided a sweep with a 9-7 win. Houston will make another attempt to advance to its fourth consecutive ALCS in Game 4 on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. Kyle Wright will make his postseason debut when he starts against Miami rookie Sixto Sanchez as Atlanta aims to sweep the best-of-five NL Division Series. ESPN’s wild-card game averaged 5,591,000 to 7,604,000 from 2014-17.

“It’s going to take a while to wind down from that one,” said Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP. “Certainly turned out being the difference in the game,” Padres rookie manager Jayce Tingler said. Leading off the next inning, Bellinger went after a low pitch and drove it 433 feet to center to make it 4-1. When the Dodgers went to bat after Bellinger's catch, Justin Turner had a sacrifice fly and Muncy his second RBI single to make it 6-3. I’ll keep thinking through it.”HOMER NOTESThe Padres became the first team in 20 games this postseason to lose when outhomering their opponent.

Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Dylan Floro works against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Denver. While Clevinger was among the 15 pitchers on the Padres roster released Tuesday, fellow starter Dinelson Lamet was again left off because of injury. The Dodgers added a pitcher to their roster for the NLDS, where they will have 14 pitchers and 14 position players after carrying only 13 pitchers for the first round series against Milwaukee. Right-handed reliever Dylan Floro (3-0, 2.59 ERA) was the pitcher added for the longer NLDS. The Padres last week became the first team to use eight or more pitchers in three consecutive playoff games.

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., center, celebrates with teammates after the Padres defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in Game 3 of a National League wild-card baseball series Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in San Diego. San Diego became the first team in baseball history to use eight or more pitchers in three straight postseason games. The Padres rewarded their long-suffering fans by winning one of the most meaningful games of any kind in San Diego in a long time. The city’s only major professional championship remains the San Diego Chargers’ 1963 AFL title. The Padres lost 4-1 to the Detroit Tigers in the 1984 World Series and were swept by the New York Yankees in the 1998 Fall Classic.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Given a chance to catch their breath after a crazy month and a half, the St. Louis Cardinals settled into the playoffs with yet another win against the San Diego Padres. San Diego native Tommy Edman singled and Goldschmidt homered to left. Dylan Carlson doubled, 38-year-old Yadier Molina hit an RBI single and Paul DeJong doubled before Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly. Kim allowed Eric Hosmer’s sac fly in the first, Aaron Nola’s sac fly in the second and Tommy Pham’s RBI single in the third. Dexter Fowler hit an RBI single in the ninth off Trevor Rosenthal, who started his big league career with the Cardinals.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Mike Clevinger works against a Los Angeles Angels batter during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres might have suffered a blow to the front of their playoff rotation when right-hander Mike Clevinger was suddenly pulled after only one inning in his start Wednesday in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Manager Jayce Tingler said on Tuesday that Clevinger threw a bullpen session on Monday and seemed good to go for Wednesday afternoon’s start. Clevinger, obtained in a blockbuster trade with Cleveland on Aug. 31, breezed through a perfect first inning on 12 pitches, including striking out Mike Trout and David Fletcher. Ohtani's seventh homer went an estimated 430 feet into what's ordinarily a beer deck.

San Diego Padres shortstop Eric Hosmer, center, celebrates after the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in San Diego. The Padres clinched a spot in the playoffs. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

But going into this last week, a lot of postseason spots are still wide open. Tampa Bay, Oakland, the White Sox and Minnesota also have earned AL spots, and Cleveland, Toronto and Houston have the inside track on the three remaining positions. With six spots in play, it should be an entertaining week with Cincinnati, Milwaukee and San Francisco all at .500. NICE STARTDane Dunning is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts for the White Sox since making his major league debut this season. The White Sox lead second-place Minnesota by 2 1/2 games.

San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. (23), Jurickson Profar (10), and Jake Cronenworth (9) celebrate after the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners in a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)SAN DIEGO – After 14 long years, the San Diego Padres are back in the playoffs, this time with a cast of stars who never flinch when they get down. The Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 7-4 Sunday with a three-run rally in the 11th inning that included a go-ahead double by newcomer Mitch Moreland. “I just feel so happy for the city of San Diego," said Tatis, 21, the son of the former big leaguer. They haven't won a playoff series since beating Atlanta in the 1998 NLCS before being swept by the New York Yankees in the World Series.

San Diego Padres' Wil Myers (4) follows through on a grand slam swing in the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)ARLINGTON, Texas Wil Myers hit a first-inning grand slam and the San Diego Padres, with Fernando Tatis Jr. again leading the charge, beat the Texas Rangers 6-4 Tuesday for a two-game sweep. Four of Texas five hits off seven Padres pitchers came in the fourth inning, including Joey Gallos three-run homer. Padres RHP Chris Paddack (2-2, 4.91) allowed five home runs in his previous two starts over 8 2/3 innings. Rangers RHP Lance Lynn (3-0, 1.11) leads the majors in ERA and comes off his first complete game since 2014.