FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Padres - Series 5

FSM Essential Recap: Dodgers vs Padres – Series 5

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Los Angeles Dodgers (13-3)  |  San Diego Padres (10-7)

 

“Say ‘Dodgers’ and people know you’re talking about baseball. Say ‘Padres’ and they look around for a priest.”

– Tommy Lasorda

 

Game 3:

 

The Dodgers offense went quiet as they dropped the series finale to Padres, ending their 8-game winning streak.

The Dodgers struck first, thanks to a two-run home run from Chris Taylor. These would be the only Dodgers runs on the afternoon. The Boys in Blue finished the game with only three hits, two in the second inning and then a single in the eighth from Zach McKinstry.

Trevor Bauer made his fourth start of the season and once again pitched well. Bauer allowed only one run in six innings, a solo home run to Jake Cronenworth. The other two hits he allowed were courtesy of Manny Machado, who is currently hitting about infinity against Bauer in his career.

Bauer struck out seven and issued only one walk and was essentially not in any trouble at any point during the game. The Padres only were able to put a runner in scoring position against him once.

Bauer’s day was done after 98 pitches, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opted to go with Brusdar Graterol in the seventh inning. Brusdar was activated earlier in the day; this was Graterol’s first big-league game of the year, as he didn’t appear in any spring training games. Machado and Eric Hosmer welcomed him back with consecutive hits, quickly tying the game after five pitches. With two on and two out, Roberts went to Scott Alexander. He needed only two pitches, as Alexander got Wil Myers to ground out to end the inning.

The bottom of the eighth inning kicked off with an error from Corey Seager, and that proved to be the difference-maker. On a routine throw to first, Seager took Edwin Rios several feet off the bag, and the go-ahead run was on first. Dennis Santana came in to replace Alexander and was one out away from escaping the inning.

Hosmer struck again, singling in a run to put the Padres on the board. Tommy Pham then doubled to give the Padres a 5-2 lead.

 

Game 3 Boxscore:

 

WP: Keone Kela (2-0)

LP: Scott Alexander (0-1)

SV: Mark Melancon (6)

HR: Chris Taylor (3) Jake Cronenworth (1)

 

The Dodgers now travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Mariners for a quick 2 game series starting Monday. The first pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m as Dustin May takes the mound for the Dodgers, while Seattle will counter with Justice Sheffield. The game can be seen on SportsNet L.A.

 

Game 2:

 

It is the gift to baseball fans that keeps on giving. Dodgers and Padres is the series is everything that baseball hoped for and more. Saturday night at Petco Park saw a pitching duel that was every bit as good as advertised. We knew this one was Clayton Kershaw versus Yu Darvish, but perhaps didn’t realize how literally that would decide the outcome, a 2-0 Dodgers triumph that marked the eighth straight win for Los Angeles.

Darvish was sparkling from the jump, retiring his first 14 batters faced. With two outs in the fifth, he lost the perfect game by hitting Zach McKinstry on the foot with a pitch, then Luke Raley broke up the no-hitter with a single to center. Austin Barnes drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases, for none other than Kershaw himself.

But rather than provide an escape hatch for his mound counterpart, Kershaw battled. He fouled off three pitches in an eight-pitch battle, culminating in a bases-loaded walk for the game’s first run.

“Just trying to be annoying, really. I wasn’t going to get a hit off of him,” Kershaw said. “He’s got too good of stuff, so it’s just trying to be a nuisance as best you can.”

The Dodgers’ most recent bases-loaded walk by a pitcher also intimately involved Darvish, who was the batter in Game 3 of the 2017 NLCS.

Both pitchers allowed just four batters to reach base. All for Darvish came in the fifth inning, and he lasted seven. Kershaw gave up only two singles and two walks in his six innings, his 98th and final pitch inducing a perfectly-placed Wil Myers ground ball double play, eliciting a smile from Kershaw as he walked off the mound with his 18th consecutive scoreless inning.

While Kershaw and Darvish were the main characters in this one, neither one owned home plate quite like umpire Tom Hallion, whose animated strikeout call got a workout on Saturday, confounding both sides equally and often.

But the most contentious moment of Saturday — and maybe of the whole series that’s been full of them — came in the fourth inning, when Kershaw appeared to strike out Jurickson Profar looking to end the frame. But after a review, Profar was awarded first base for catcher’s interference because his late check-swing hit Austin Barnes’ glove.

After the call was overturned, Kershaw pointed at and yelled to Profar, “That’s a bullshit swing,” saying it twice. Profar responded with, “Shut the fuck up,” giving us our second Dodgers–Padres, let’s say argument of the series.

After the game, Kershaw said he took issue with Profar swinging late and directly into the catcher’s glove.

“I think Barnsey could have been seriously injured on that play,” Kershaw said. “I’m not saying it was intentional, but that was not a big-league swing right there. I asked the umpire if I can just hit the catcher’s glove every time. I’ve got a much better chance to do that than hitting the ball.”

 

There was a lot of hype entering this series, and rightfully so with arguably the two best teams in the National League facing off (perhaps with apologies to the Braves). But the matchup in San Diego has more than lived up to the advanced billing, giving us two close, thrilling games between two excellent teams.

Justin Turner ended that streak with some insurance in the form of a ninth-inning home run, the fifth of the best April of his career. Turner this season is hitting .426/.467/.815, and is tied atop the National League with 16 runs batted in, matching Ronald Acuña Jr.

With Kenley Jansen and Corey Knebel unavailable on Saturday, the final nine outs for the Dodgers came down to Jimmy Nelson (for the seventh), Blake Treinen (four outs in the eighth and ninth), then Victor Gonzalez for the final two outs in the ninth. Gonzalez is the fourth Dodgers pitcher to record a save this season, and the third different pitcher to do so in the last four days.

But of course, this series had to have a fitting ending, which was provided by Mookie Betts, with a diving catch in center field with two tying runs on base. “A walk-off catch,” as called by Joe Davis on SportsNet LA.

 

As pointed out to me by a long-time friend, and one of the biggest Dodgers fans that I know, Danny Villanueva, Mookie has A LOT of Kobe Bryant in him. “There’s a lot of Kobe in Mookie. Mookie magic as the Dodgers beat the Padres again.” Villanueva wrote to us family and friends on Facebook after the game. Mookie continues to make clutch play after clutch play in high-pressure situations, both offensively and defensively.

For Dodgers fans, and the organization, the 12-years, $365 million contract extension that Betts signed at the start of the 2020 season has been a steal. All Betts has done is transform the clubhouse, help win a World Series, and make huge play after huge play for L.A.

For Gonzalez, who saved two games with Double-A Tulsa in 2018, it was his first major league save.

With the win, the Dodgers are 13-2 for the second time in franchise history, along with the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers that started 22-2.

 

Game 2 Boxscore:

 

WP: Clayton Kershaw (3-1 / 2.19 ERA)

LP: Yu Darvish (1-1 / 2.55 ERA)

SV: Victor Gonzalez (0-0-1 / 1.80 ERA)

HR: Justin Turner (5)

 

Today’s matchup has two former Cy Young winners with Trevor Bauer against Blake Snell, each making their fourth start with their new team. The first pitch is at 1:10 p.m and can be seen on SportsNet LA and MLB Network.

 

Game 1:

 

The Dodgers and Padres kicked off their first series of the new MLB season, and it is the early favorite for the game of the year. If this is any indication of what we can expect from two of the best teams in baseball, we will be in for a treat all year! The NL West heavyweights went toe to toe and blow for blow in a game that had a little bit of everything and left fans screaming, “WHAT A FREAKING GAME!!”

The Padres jumped out to the early lead in the second inning. With two runners on and two outs, Luis Campusano (who was hitting below .100 entering the game) singled in a run to put San Diego on the board first.

L.A.’s offense was quiet through four innings, only racking up a couple of hits. Their biggest hit of the night didn’t come until the fifth inning when rookie Luke Raley SMASHED his first career home run to tie the game. The ball was hit 113.5 mph off his bat, officially making it the hardest-hit ball by the Dodgers this season.

After missing the last few weeks with a shoulder injury, Fernando Tatis Jr. was activated off the Injured List ahead of Friday’s game. We’ll be mentioning his name a few times here. He hit a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the fifth, putting the Padres back on top, giving them a 2-1 lead.

However, Tatis Jr. giveth, and then he taketh away.

In the top half of the sixth, the Padres were one strike away from escaping the inning with the lead. Chris Taylor grounded to Tatis Jr., who made an incredible diving stop to save the grounder from going into the outfield. He quickly turned and threw it to second, making an errant throw that allowed Max Muncy to score from first…. barely.

The Dodgers offense did some more damage in the eighth inning. Will Smith and Muncy both reached, with Zach McKinstry hitting a double to add another run for L.A., giving them the 5-3 edge. For McKinstry, the rookie continues to absolutely rake. Yes, it’s been two weeks, but he’s a very early Rookie of the Year candidate. Not bad for a 33rd round pick, eh?

Getting the start for L.A. was Walker Buehler. Although he wasn’t fantastic, he was good enough for the Dodgers. He went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits. For the game, he had only four strikeouts, but he did have 16 whiffs. There were multiple occasions on the night where the Padres could have added more runs, but Buehler was able to escape the jams every time.

Corey Knebel pitched in the eighth with a two-run lead, but he had his first blip of the season. He allowed two runs to score, letting the Padres tie the game at five apiece. Kenley Jansen was called upon with two outs and two runners on base. He came up in the clutch, issuing a groundout and sending the game to the ninth, all tied up.

Mookie Betts led off the top of the ninth with a single, then advanced to second on a sacrifice from Corey Seager. With the go-ahead runner on second, Turner stepped up to the plate. Just as he’s done all season, he delivered in the clutch. He singled to center field, bringing in the go-ahead run, putting the Dodgers in the lead, 6-5.

Jansen returned for the ninth inning and was one strike away from winning the game. He walked Manny Machado, and then Machado stole second and advanced to third on a ball in the dirt. With two strikes to Eric Hosmer, he singled to even the score at six, sending the game to extras.

 

The Dodgers didn’t do anything in the 10th, sending it to the bottom half of the inning tied up. Dennis Santana got the ball in the 10th and had the bases loaded with two outs. His prize? Tatis Jr. Santana, who has thrived in extra innings over the years, struck him out to escape the jam.

The 11th was the same, as the Dodgers did nothing at the plate. David Price got the ball in the bottom half of the inning, throwing a scoreless frame to send it to the 12th.

This was when the bats woke up, and the Dodgers put their foot on the gas. They scored five runs, putting the game out of reach for San Diego. Corey Seager led off the inning with a go-ahead two-run homer, putting the Dodgers ahead 8-6. The runs didn’t stop there.

Turner and Chris Taylor reached base, and then McKinstry drove in a run with a single. Raley then brought in a run with a single, and Price brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Price went back out there in the 12th and threw a scoreless inning, securing the win for the Dodgers, 11-6.

 

Game 1 Boxscore:

 

WP: David Price (1-0-1 / 5.87 ERA)

LP: Tim Hill (0-2 / 3.57 ERA)

HR: Luke Raley (1) Fernando Tatis Jr. (2) Corey Seager (2)

 

The Dodgers and Padres are back at it this evening. Clayton Kershaw (2-0 / 2.89) will face off against former Dodger Yu Darvish (1-0 / 3.06). The first pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m and the game can be seen on SportsNet LA.

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Joe Arrigo

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