Hernández's grand slam sends Dodgers past Padres as Ohtani leaves with biceps tightness

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) walks off the mound following the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. LOS ANGELES — There is a reason the Dodgers never believe they're out of a game.

>Not with this lineup. Not in this ballpark. Not with the atmosphere that can turn in an instant. Friday night was another reminder.

TEOSCAR GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/IiL6ziPJ36

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 4, 2026After trailing 3-0 through six innings, the Dodgers stormed back behind Teoscar Hernández's go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to stun the Padres, 4-3, at Dodger Stadium. It marked the Dodgers' second comeback victory of the series and their 27th comeback win of the season.

>Just one night after erasing a 6-0 deficit with 12 unanswered runs, they did it again. This team simply refuses to quit.

>For six innings, it looked like the Padres were in complete control. Michael King frustrated the Dodgers' offense, allowing just three hits while carrying a shutout into the seventh. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers every opportunity to stay within striking distance despite not having his sharpest outing.

>Ohtani battled through six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out nine over 110 pitches. His lone costly mistake came in the fourth inning when Jackson Merrill launched a 99-mph fastball over the center-field wall for the first home run Ohtani has surrendered at Dodger Stadium this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Jon Endow-Imagn Images

class="photoCaption">Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) throws during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

Another run crossed in the sixth after Xander Bogaerts doubled home Merrill, giving San Diego what felt like a comfortable 3-0 cushion.

>Even Ohtani viewed his outing as simply doing enough.

>"I think I did the bare minimum, which is to get through six, give the team the chance to win, keep the game in check, but there was some good and some bad in there," Ohtani said.

>Then came the seventh inning.

>Mookie Betts worked a leadoff walk. Max Muncy followed with a single. Kyle Tucker reached on an infield error by Jake Cronenworth to load the bases with nobody out.

>The stadium could sense the opportunity. Hernández wasted no time.

>On the very first pitch he saw, a 90-mph slider left over the heart of the plate, Hernández unloaded, sending a towering drive into the left-field pavilion.

>Dodger Stadium erupted.

>The grand slam, Hernández's sixth career slam, instantly flipped a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 Dodgers lead and completely changed the night's storyline.

>"Great, you know, the stadium was in a good vibe," Hernández said. "The fans were there trying to make something happen, trying to just get their energy that we need and the good vibe. It happens in that at-bat. He left one over the plate, and I just put a pretty good swing on that."

>The roar inside Chavez Ravine was electric, another chapter in what is becoming a season full of dramatic late-inning rallies.

>Yet even amid the celebration, there was concern surrounding the club's biggest star.

>Ohtani did not return after completing six innings and was pinch-hit for by Miguel Rojas in the seventh after experiencing tightness in his right biceps during his final at-bat.

>"It's my right biceps, same location I felt a couple of months ago," Ohtani said. "It went away relatively quickly, so I expect that to happen again."

>He added that he first noticed the discomfort during his swing in his final plate appearance.

>"On the swing I did feel it, but I was able to play through it," Ohtani said. "I always want to play if I can."

>Dave Roberts emphasized the decision to remove Ohtani was precautionary.

>"He's dealt with it before. He's a quick healer," Roberts said.

>Roberts confirmed Ohtani will not be in Saturday's lineup, with the club opting to monitor how his biceps responds overnight before determining any further course of action. Whether the injury impacts Ohtani's next scheduled start remains uncertain, especially with the All-Star break quickly approaching.

>The Dodgers have every reason to be cautious.

>Ohtani has been dominant on the mound, posting a 1.79 ERA after Friday's quality start while continuing to balance his return as a two-way player. Protecting the franchise cornerstone for the second half of the season remains far more important than pushing him through discomfort in early July.

>One encouraging sign came from Dalton Rushing, who said he and Ohtani were much more synchronized following the communication issues they experienced during their previous outing in Minnesota.

>"I thought tonight I had a good idea of what he was trying to do," Rushing said. "Thought we were on the same page a lot tonight. He's not an easy guy to call for, but also he's who he is for a reason."

>That chemistry showed throughout much of Ohtani's outing despite the three runs allowed.

>Still, Friday ultimately belonged to Hernández.

>For six innings, the Dodgers looked flat offensively. One swing erased all of that.

>That's what this team has done all season. They don't panic. They wait for an opportunity, and someone usually delivers.

>Thursday it was a 12-run avalanche after falling behind 6-0. Friday it was Hernández's thunderous grand slam.

>The Dodgers continue finding new ways to win, and that's becoming one of the defining traits of a club that believes no deficit is too large.

>Now, the attention shifts to Ohtani's health.

>He sounded optimistic. Roberts remained cautiously optimistic. The Dodgers will know more after seeing how his biceps responds Saturday morning. Until then, they'll gladly take another comeback victory over their division rival.

>And they'll hand the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Independence Day looking for yet another series win against San Diego.