Jet Lagged Dodgers Can’t Overcome Costly Error and Bullpen Woes in San Diego

 Dodgers 3 11 2

Padres 6 9 0

WP- Vincent (2-0)

LP- Guerrier (2-3)

HR- Puig (6), Circiaco (2), A.J. Ellis (3)

The jet lagged Dodgers returned to Southern California for a four-game series at Petco Park. The Dodgers offense started off strong with a solo homerun from none other than number 66. The Dodgers would score another run in the sixth thanks to a sac fly by Juan Uribe. Stephen Fife pitched four innings of shutout ball until the fifth inning turned sour for the right-hander. A costly fielding error by Mark Ellis led to an unearned run followed by a second run on the heels of the defensive blunder.

Another two runs are served up in a long drawn out seventh inning. The Dodgers bullpen is completely ineffective as Guerrier gives up two runs and can’t get anyone out. Paco and Moylan barely make it out of the inning without more carnage. Moylan gave up another two runs on a huge Circiaco homerun, and the Dodgers were unable to put up anything offensively after the sixth inning. The Padres defense shined tonight while the Dodgers defense smelled of rotten fish.

Jason Marquis is able to fool the Dodger bats on junky low pitches. Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

There is a murmur of protest in the top of the ninth when A.J. Ellis blasts his third homerun of the season off Huston Street, but the lead is far too great to overcome. Fife and Marquis both pitch admirably, but neither starter is involved in the decision.

After Jason Marquis retires Skip Schumaker on a ground out to second, Yasiel Puig proceeds to clobber the first pitch he sees over the right center field wall for a homerun! Puig is amazing. That’s his sixth homerun of his young career. Hanley Ramirez singles with two outs, but Andre Ethier flies out to end the inning. The Dodgers take a 1-0 lead.

Stephen Fife goes to the mound in the home half of the first at Petco Park. Adrian Gonzalez flashes the leather on with a great diving stop on a ball hit down the line by Will Venable. Fife strikes out Chase Headley, and the Padres go down in order.

Marquis retires the Dodgers in order in the top of the second although Juan Uribe hits a very deep fly ball to left field where Chris Denorfia is at the warning track to catch it.

Fife is cruising along, and in the bottom of the second he retires the side in order and strikes out both Kyle Blanks and Alexi Amarista.

Fife draws a lead-off walk in the top of the third for the Dodgers. Skip Schumaker lines a single to left field to bring up Puig with runners at first and second and nobody out. This time Puig strikes out on a Marquis sinker in the dirt. Gonzalez also strikes out. Hanley scorches a line drive right at Chase Headley for the third out.

Yasmani Grandal draws a lead-off walk in the bottom of the third inning, but Fife is able to put the next three San Diego batters out for another scoreless inning.

Ethier strikes out to begin the fourth. Uribe grounds out, and A.J. Ellis singles to short. Pedro Ciriaco makes a nice try to make the play on the hard hit ball. Mark Ellis flies out to end the frame.

Fife’s fourth strikeout victim is Chase Headley with one out in the bottom of the fourth. That’s Headley’s second whiff of the game. Kyle Blanks bounces one over the center field fence for a  ground-rule double. That’s the first Padres hit of the night off Stephen Fife. Denorfia grounds out to third, and Fife has yet to surrender a run through four.

In the fifth, Marquis strikes out the opposing pitcher Fife for the first out. Schumaker

After pitching four scoreless innings, Fife fizzles out in the fifth as the Padres score twice. Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

comes up with his second hit of the game with a single to center field. Puig strikes out a second time on yet another pitch in the dirt. Schumaker is able to take second when a pitch gets away and rolls all the way to the backstop with Gonzo at the plate. They’ll rule that a stolen base for Skip. His second of the season. Gonzalez hits a little comebacker, and Schumaker is stranded at second as the Dodgers fail to score.

Amarista breaks his bat on a lead-off single in the bottom of the fifth. Grandal strikes out. Circiaco reaches on a rare error by Mark Ellis at second (only his third off the season). He tried to short hop the grounder, but it bounces off his glove and into right field. Don Mattingly comes out for a meeting on the mound. Circiaco steals second without a throw with Marquis at the plate. Marquis proceeds to slap a single to left field, and the Padres tie up the game 1-1 thanks to the costly error by MEllis. Logan Forsythe singles to right, and the Friars take a 2-1 lead as Circiaco comes in to score. There is a delay, and Fife stretches his back a bit. That’s not a good sign. He stays in the game nevertheless. Venable hits a very deep fly ball to right, but Puig is there. Both runners advance as Puig sails a throw all the way to third which can’t be cut off. Headley strikes out for the third time against Fife, but Diego scores twice and takes the lead.

Hanley Ramirez singles to lead-off the top of the sixth. Ethier singles to right field, and Hanley actually gets all the way to third on the play. Hanley tags up and scores on a sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe. It’s all tied up 2-2. A.J. Ellis hits a grounder to third, and the Padres go around the horn to end the inning with a double play.

Fife bounces back after that rough fifth inning, and he pitches a nice 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.

Nick Vincent will come in for the seventh in relief of Marquis. Logan Forsythe makes a great falling catch to rob Mark Ellis of a possible hit. Elian Herrera, freshly called back up, will pinch-hit for Stephen Fife. Chris Denorfia makes the second great defensive play for the Padres in the inning as he falls into the stands but holds on to the ball on a foul out by Herrera. Schumaker draws a two-out walk to bring up Puig. Puig disappointingly grounds in to a force out to end the frame.

Stephen Fife pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 6 strikeouts and a walk on 89 pitches.

Jason Marquis pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk on 109 pitches.

June 20, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Mattingly will call on Matt Guerrier for the bottom of the seventh. Grandal promptly hits a double in the left field corner which bounces back behind the screen. Schumaker put his hands up as Grandal comes all the way home. The umpire goes out to see what happened to the ball, and he calls it a ground-rule double. Circiaco proceeds to triple to the gap, and the Padres retake the lead 3-2. That’s going to be all for Guerrier who can’t even make an out. Paco Rodriguez will be called in. Mark Kotsay pops out to Hanley for the first out. The intentionally walk Forsythe. Venable reached on a fielder’s choice, but Adrian Gonzalez makes an amazing play to get Ciriaco out at home. He scoops up the little grounder with his glove and under hands it to A.J. who makes the tag! Headley, who struck out thrice against Fife, comes up with a RBI single up the middle. Ethier’s throw to third gets by Uribe, and the error allows Headley to advance to second. San Diego is up 4-2 now. Mattingly will go to the pen once again, and this time Peter Moylan comes in to try to get the last out. Moylan walks Blanks to load up the bases for Denorfia. He hits a fly ball to right, but the bullpen once again fails and cannot relieve anything as Padres score two.

Joe Thatcher, a side armed lefty, will pitch the top of the eighth for San Diego. Gonzalez flies out and goes 0-for-4. Hanley grounds out. Ethier collects his second single of the night (off a lefty too). That will be all for Thatcher as San Diego turns to their pen again. Luke Gregerson will try to get the final out of the inning. Uribe is robbed of a sure gapper double as Alexi Amarista makes a sliding catch for yet another defensive gem by the Padres.

Moylan is still in for the bottom of the eighth. Grandal manages to squeak a single past Gonzalez with one out. Pedro Circiaco crushes a huge two-run homerun to left field, and the Padres take a comfortable 6-2 lead. Jeff Decker walks. Forsythe flies out, but that’s still only the second out. With Venable at the plate, Decker is mowed down by A.J. trying to steal. You don’t run on A.J.!

We head to the ninth. Huston Street will come in to try to shut the Dodgers down for the night. A.J. Ellis has something to say about that, and he rips a solo homerun to center field! It’s still 6-3 San Diego. Mark Ellis singles. Jerry Hairston Jr. gets a pinch-hit single. Of course Schumaker grounds in to the double play. The Dodgers, down to their last out, leave it up to Puig. Unfortunately Puig goes down on strikes for the third time, and the Dodgers lose game one.

The Dodgers fall to 30-41.

Friday’s 7:10 p.m. game will be a battle of the Claytons. Clayton Kershaw will take on Clayton Richard in game two.