LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani drove in the game-tying run before stealing his 56th base of the season in the sixth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Wednesday night to come within a win of securing the NL West.

The Dodgers extended their lead over the second-place Padres to three games with four to play, cutting their magic number to two. Los Angeles needs a win in the series finale on Thursday to earn its 11th division title in 12 years.

“You have to think about it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s right in front of us. We’re ready for it.”

The Padres’ five-game winning streak ended a night after they celebrated their victory reaching the postseason with a game-ending triple play on the field of their biggest rival. They still hold a 3 1/2 game lead over Arizona and the New York Mets for the top wild-card spot in the NL.

“We’re just going to keep coming,” said Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. “We’re definitely going to bring that same energy tomorrow and keep it going.”

Ohtani’s two-strike, two-out single to center Adrián Morejón scored Will Smith, who got a leadoff walk, to make it 4-3. Ohtani stole second base, matching Ichiro Suzuki’s run for a Japan-born player in a season.

“He’s someone I admire and look up to,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I’ll keep stealing if the opportunity arises.”

The Dodgers were unable to capitalize on this, however, as Mookie Betts followed with a pop-up to end the inning, popping up to every infield position.

With two outs in the ninth, Michael Kopech walked Jake Cronenworth to bring in the tying run. Brandon Lockridge ran in front of Cronenworth and stole second base. Donovan Solano missed hitting a 101 mph fastball from Kopech to end the game and keep the fans on their feet and cheering. Kopech earned his 15th save.

Alex Vesia (5-4) earned the win with one hitless inning as a reliever.

Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out Tatis on a flyout and striking out Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado on called third strikes.

“Tonight was a clinic,” Roberts said of Treinen. “He uses his whole toolbox.”

A shot from 136 yards by Tatis — the longest by a Padres player this season — tied the score at 3-3 with two outs in the fifth inning. It was his seventh home run in his last 13 games. San Diego remained hitless the rest of the way.

The Dodgers scored the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the fourth. Gavin Lux had an RBI single and Ohtani’s double drove into the Padres bullpen gate in right as the sellout crowd of 52,310 chanted “MVP! MVP!”

“There’s a sense of elevation when it comes to playing these meaningful games,” Ohtani said. “I’m really focused on quality at-bats.”

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada (6-3) suffered the loss.

Xander Bogaerts hit an RBI single and Cronenworth followed with an RBI groundout to second for a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

Teoscar Hernández’s two-strike, two-out RBI single scored Ohtani, who walked and reached second on Padres starter Dylan Cease’s wild pitch in the first. Hernández’s hit snapped a 16 1/3 scoreless-inning streak for Cease.

Ohtani leads the Major League with 130 runs scored, one shy of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record set last season by Freddie Freeman.

Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty gave up three runs and four hits in five innings. The right-handed pitcher struck out five and walked three.

Cease allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: SS Miguel Rojas left the game with a stiff left groin. He will have an MRI and injection on Thursday.

NEXT

Padres: RHP Joe Musgrove (6-5, 3.95 ERA) has thrown six scoreless innings in three of his four games this month.

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.63) is still hoping for his second win in his final regular-season start.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB