Dodger Bullpen Blows Yet Another Game, Puig Leaves With Sore Hip, Kenley Stinks in Walk-Off Loss To Padres

Just when I thought I don’t understand Baseball anymore, the Dodger bullpen reminded me of why this club isn’t very good.  I said I couldn’t take the Dodgers seriously until they won four games in a row. I stand by that statement as the club was unable to hold a 5-1 lead, as the pesky Padres walked-off to a 6-5 win. Thus ending the Dodgers three game winning streak, and the club’s attempt for a fourth win in a row. Kenley Jansen looked like crap, blowing a 5-3 lead, and allowing three runs to score in the blink of an eye. All the club had to do was hold a 5-1 lead against a poor hitting club. Let’s not start counting our chickens just yet. The Dodger bullpen still stinks.

Dodgers  5 9 0

Padres     6 9 2

WP-Thayer-3-2

LP-Jansen-0-3

HR-Smith-7-8

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers have been playing more like a cohesive unit these days though. They had won eight of their last eleven games and made up 6.5 games in the standings. Of course I am overwhelmingly happy. (Not tonight though) I don’t know what to think anymore. Come to think of it this is almost a year to the day that the incredible run started last year. Oh and come to think of it the Dodgers were in San Diego at this time last year too.

I don’t know why the Dodgers play so awful the first two months of the season. I don’t get you Baseball. Regardless, the Dodgers had to make five runs stand up to beat San Diego, the worst hitting team in the league tonight. But it wasn’t enough as the club stopped scoring after the fifth inning. The Padres scored one in the fifth, one in the sixth, and then three off of Jansen in the bottom of the ninth to win it. Puig had to be removed from the game after his hip injury started bothering him again. Oh and the Dodger bullpen still stinks.

Starter Dan Haren had a rough job following Clayton Kershaw’s masterpiece from Wednesday night. Nobody could follow Kershaw’s gem. But going from Kershaw’s no-hitter to Haren is like going from a masterpiece of art to chicken scratch on a piece of paper.

Still Haren was alright, despite allowing two more home runs. Oddly enough Haren has now allowed 12 home runs in his last eight starts, after allowing just two in his first seven starts. Haren allowed three earned runs in 5.2 innings, but tired out in the sixth. He made 100 pitches, and whiffed five.

His opponent Ian Kennedy pitched fairly well too, but was knocked out in the fifth inning. He allowed five runs on seven hits through five innings.

But the Dodger bullpen is pretty bad this year. More importantly Kenley Jansen is not the same pitcher this season. The Dodgers have overused him , and he blew his fourth save of the year tonight.

Ok what’s with this guy?Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers scored twice in the first inning to take an early lead. Dee Gordon led off with a triple into the gap, and then scored when Jace Peterson’s errant relay throw went wild. Then after Hanley was thrown out on a busted hit and run play. Gonzo doubled, and Kemp singled him home. The Dodgers added three more in the fifth on a two-run infield single from Puig and a sacrifice fly from Gonzalez.

Seth Smith hits like the second coming off Babe Ruth whenever he plays against the Dodgers. He hit two home runs and a double in a three hit night. His home run in the first inning put the Padres on the board, and his second home run came in the fifth inning. That made the score 5-2 Dodgers.

The third run came home on a double from Amarista, and a pinch-hit RBI single from rookie Jake Goebbert. The Padres made several great defensive plays in the early innings, which cost the Dodgers several runs. Two leaping catches from Peterson at second base, and a diving catch from Chris Denorfia in right field.

Then Kenley came in with a two-run lead and gave up the game within mere seconds. Kenley has really stunk this year, and if the Dodgers are going to go anywhere, they’re going to need some bullpen help. Jansen’s ERA is now 4.55.

Kennedy nearly throws for the cycle in the top of the first inning. He gives up a single, double, and triple. The Dodgers score two runs out of it. Dee Gordon leads off the game with a triple off the base of the wall in the center field gap, and he scores on an errant relay throw from Jace Peterson. One batter, and it’s 1-0 Dodgers. Hanley singles to right, but is left out to dry on a busted hit and run play when Yasiel Puig fails to make contact and whiffs. With two outs, Gonzalez doubles down the line in left. Kemp’s single through the hole in left scores Gonzo, to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. Peterson atones for his error by making a leaping catch on Andre Ethier’s line drive to end the inning.

The Padres get one back in the bottom half of the first. After Haren gets Denorfia to ground out, and Cabrera is called out on strikes, Seth Smith homers over the center field wall. Dodgers lead 2-1. ^hat’s Smith’s third home run against the Dodgers this year.

The Dodgers threaten again in the top of the second, but the Padres make two great defensive plays to keep the Dodgers from scoring. Justin Turner doubles to left, and would have scored on A.J. Ellis’s slicing line drive into the right field corner. But Denorfia makes an outstanding diving catch to rob AJ. Turner is able to tag up and go to third. Haren whiffs, and Gordon walks. Gordon steals second base, his 38 steal of the year. San Diego gets another terrific defensive play when guess who? Yes it’s Peterson again, making a leaping catch on Hanley’s liner for the third out.

Haren retires the Padres in order in the bottom of the second. In the top of the third, Puig flies out to right. Gonzo grounds to first, and Kemp whiffs. Haren matches Kennedy’s zero with a scoreless frame of his own in the third.

San Diego threatens in the bottom of the fourth, but the Dodgers get out of it. Smith walks, as Haren pitches around him. He whiffs Yasmani Grandal. Tommy Medica’s grounder could have been a double play, but Turner bobbles the ball and is only able to get the out at first. Cameron Maybin sendsPuig back to the wall for the third out.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers score three unanswered runs in the top of the fifth. Thanks to two wild pitches, an error, and a sacrifice fly. Haren starts off the inning with a bloop single to center. He’s forced out at second on Gordon’s grounder. Then the first wild pitch sends Gordon to second. Hanley walks. Then Kennedy uncorks another wild pitch. He’s got ten on the season. The runners advance to second and third. Then with the infield up, Puig singles off of Amarista’s glove, as the ball gets through the hole at short. This allows Gordon and Hanley to both come around and score. Puig ends up at third on the play. Dodgers lead 4-1. Gonzo cashes in Puig on his deep fly to center. That makes it 5-1 Dodgers.

San Diego plates a run in the bottom of the fifth. Amarista leads off with a double to left. After Peterson whiffs, Amarista steals third. Pinch-hitter Jake Goebbert, making his major league debut, gets his first major league hit. His single to right scores Amarista and the Dodger’s lead is now 5-2.

Smith hits another home run off of Haren in the bottom of the sixth. His second of the night makes the score 5-3 Dodgers. The Padres knock Haren out of the game later in the frame. Medica singles, and the Dodgers are unable to turn a double play on Maybin’s force. Then Haren is hooked in a standard Donnieswitch. Miguel Rojas replaces Turner at third, and bats ninth. Howell walksAmarista, beforewhiffing Peterson to end the inning. Dodgers up 5-3 after six.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Blaine Boyer retires the Dodgers in order in the top of the seventh. J.P. Howell and Brandon League combine to stop the Padres in the bottom of the seventh. Kevin Quackenbush pitches the eighth inning for the Padres. Puig is seen limping, and sure enough he has to come out of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Scott Van Slyke goes into right, as Brian Wilson comes in to pitch.

The Dodgers dodge a huge bullet in the eighth. Smith leads off with a booming double off the top of the center field wall. Very nearly hitting his third home run of the game. Grandal lines out to Triunfel. Van Slyke misjudges Medica’s fly ball to left, but recovers nicely to make an over the shoulder like catch. Smith tags to third. But Wilson gets Maybin to pop out to end the frame. Dodgers hanging on to a 5-3 lead.

Kenley immediately blows the game in the bottom of the ninth. Amarista singles to center. Carlos Quentin doubles into the corner to score Amarista. Now it’s 5-4 Dodgers. Nobody out. I think the Padres were out of players as Andrew Cashner has to pinch-run for Quentin. Then Venable doubles in Cashner to tie the score. Rene Rivera’s bunt attempt is fielded by Rojas, who throws to first. Cashner moves to third. Evereth Caberera’s sacrifice fly scores Venable. That’s how the game ends, on a sacrifice fly. You stink Kenley.

The Dodgers missed a golden opportunity to move to within three games of the Giants. The Snakes helped us out by beating them 4-1. However the Dodger bullpen remains lousy. Just when we all thought things were turning around, the bullpen blows another one, and Puig gets hurt again.

The Dodgers are now 40-35, and are still unable to win four consecutive games. The Boys in Blue will try not to stink so much on Saturday evening in game two. Josh Beckett will face Tyson Ross at 7:10 PM.