SAN DIEGO — Shohei Ohtani delivered the decisive blow Wednesday night at Petco Park, launching a two-run home run in the sixth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres 5-3 in a tightly contested NL West rivalry game that tightened the division race considerably.

The Dodgers entered the series trailing San Diego by two games in the NL West, and the urgency showed from the first pitch. Los Angeles starter Bobby Miller worked into the sixth inning, allowing three runs on seven hits before turning the ball over to a bullpen that held firm the rest of the way. Freddie Freeman added an RBI double in the fourth to stake the Dodgers to an early lead they would not fully relinquish.

Ohtani, who has been among the National League's most productive hitters through the first quarter of the season, turned on a 2-1 fastball from Padres reliever Robert Suarez and drove it 427 feet into the left-center bleachers. The blast drew a standing roar from a contingent of Dodger faithful who made the trip south on Interstate 5, and gave Los Angeles a 5-3 cushion it would carry to the final out.

San Diego threatened in the eighth when Manny Machado worked a leadoff walk and Luis Arraez singled to put runners at the corners, but Dodgers closer Evan Phillips induced a Jurickson Profar groundout and struck out the next two batters to strand both runners. The save was Phillips' 14th of the season and his fifth in six chances against NL West opponents.

With the victory, Los Angeles moved to within one game of San Diego in the division standings, setting up a pivotal series finale Thursday that could see the Dodgers pull level. Manager Dave Roberts praised his club's resilience, saying afterward, 'We came into their park and we competed from the first inning. That's the identity we want.' San Diego manager Mike Shildt acknowledged the loss stings but noted his team has the rotation depth to respond. The two clubs are expected to meet again for a four-game set in Los Angeles in mid-June.