Dodgers Way
FanSided

Dodgers Recaps: Defensive, Base Running and Bullpen Woes in First Loss

By Stacie Wheeler

facebooktwitterreddit

April showers bring May flowers. It was a rainy day in L.A. on Tuesday, and the Dodgers were looking to continue their lightning strikes against the San Diego Padres in the second game of the 2015 regular season. After a come-from-behind 6-3 win on Opening Day, the Dodgers got a taste of the revamped Padres lineup led by former Dodger Matt Kemp.

Dodgers 3 7 3

Padres 7 11 0

WP- Benoit (1-0)

LP- Hatcher (0-1)

HR- Gonzalez (2)

Matt Kemp received a well earned ovation from the crowd at Dodger Stadium on Monday, and rightfully so. Kemp, who was supposed to be a Dodger forever, predictably gave his former team a tough time while donning the brown uniform as a Padre. It was so strange, almost surreal, to see Matt Kemp facing Clayton Kershaw. The Bison might not be hitting blasts for the Dodgers anymore, but we should never forget the contributions Kemp made to the Dodgers over his career while in Blue.

More from Dodgers Way

Even though Hanley Ramirez hit two homeruns in Boston’s opener, including a grand slam (the Dodgers haven’t had one of those since 2013), the Dodgers were able to find offense out of their retooled roster on Opening Day.

I See You Jimmy Rollins.

Rollins, who seemed to embrace the Dodger fans during Spring Training, was the Opening Day hero with his exhilarating three-run homerun (which probably will land on my year-end Top Ten Homeruns of 2015 list).

A menacing dark gloomy sky seemed like the perfect backdrop for Zack Greinke on the mound, but it foreshadowed the bleak outcome of the first loss of the season for the Dodgers.

"“Now the grind begins.” -Vin Scully"

Even though Greinke had a solid start, the three errors (two from Jimmy Rollins), base running blunders and bullpen shakiness led to the Dodgers first loss of the season.

San Diego took the early 1-0 lead. Matt Kemp continued to give his old team a hard time, and he singled on a two-strike count against Greinke with two outs in the first inning. Justin Upton then proceeded to hit a triple past a diving Carl Crawford in left field, and Kemp easily scored as the ball bounced all the way to the wall.

The first error of the season for the Dodgers was a bobbled routine ground ball by Jimmy Rollins hit by Alexi Amarista with two outs in the second inning. No damage is done in the scoreless frame.

Apr 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A general view of a tarp on the field prior to the game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Carl Crawford made up for his fielding blunder in the bottom of the second with a two-out double to the gap in center field. Joc Pederson had an opportunity to tie up the game with two on after Juan Uribe walked, but he popped up to Wil Myers in center field to end the inning.

Jimmy Rollins not only made the first error of the year for the Dodgers, but he was also cut down at third with perhaps the first Dodgers TOOTBLAN of the year in the bottom of the third. Jimmy smacked a double to left field, but he tried to stretch it into a triple. Will Middlebrooks tagged out the sliding Rollins on a throw by Amarista.

The Dodgers left two men on in the second inning, and they left another two men on in the fourth. After a leadoff single by Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick reached on a force out after Amarista lost the ball in the midst of throwing to first. Kendrick then stole second base, and Yasmani Grandal walked in his first Dodger at bat. With two on and one out, Crawford hit a deep fly ball to left field for the second out. Uribe hit a little groundball to third, and the Dodgers squandered another scoring opportunity.

At one point Zack Greinke retired twelve batters in a row, and that costly error in the first inning by Rollins was the only difference maker in the game. There were a smattering of boos in the sixth inning when Matt Kemp came to the plate, and Greinke walked him to break the string of retired batters. Greinke pitched solidly in his first start to the season, but he was not involved in the decision.

Zack Greinke pitched 6 inning and allowed 1 run on 2 hits with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk on 94 pitches.

The Dodgers turned the tables on the Padres in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Yasiel Puig, who struggled at the plate on Opening Day, doubled to the gap. Puig scored the tying run after Adrian Gonzalez followed with a double of his own. Howie Kendrick then snuck a single past the middle infield, and Gonzo brought in the second run of the frame. Kendrick, who advanced to second on a Grandal groundout, was mowed down by Derek Norris trying to steal third.

The base running is still problematic like it was last season.

Tyson Ross pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks on 90 pitches.

Pedro Baez took over for Greinke in the top of the seventh inning, and Don Mattingly‘s over management of the bullpen allowed the Padres to tie the game up. Baez was throwing some serious heat, and he struck out both Middlebrooks and Gyorko with 97-mph fastballs. Don Mattingly called in lefty Paco Rodriguez to face pinch-hitter Clint Barmes for the final out, but Paco allowed a single.

Then came the traditional DonnieSwitch™. Justin Turner took over at third base, and Yimi Garcia came out of the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte. Yonder Alonso, who singled against Baez earlier, scored on a rolling error by Jimmy Rollins (his second error of the night) on a shallow Solarte pop fly to center.

Apr 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins (11) reacts after being tagged out after trying to extend a double into a triple during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

The Padres broke the 2-2 tie in eighth. After Yimi Garcia allowed a leadoff single to Norris, Matt Kemp’s grounder moved him to second. Garcia intentionally walked Justin Upton, and Middlebrooks flied out to Puig (who forgot how many outs there were). Donnie’s pitching changes once again failed. J.P. Howell served up a RBI single to Alonso, and the Padres took a 3-2 lead.

The Dodgers come back to tie it up again in the bottom of the eighth on a solo homerun by Adrian Gonzalez! That’s Gonzo’s second homerun in as many games. He’s now 6-for-9 on the season with two singles, two doubles and two homeruns.

Chris Hatcher pitched the ninth inning as he did on Opening Day, but this time was not very successful. Barmes came up with a second base hit since coming off the bench for the Padres, and pinch-hitter Cory Spangenberg reached safely on a sacrifice and throwing error by Yasmani Grandal who hit Spangenberg as he ran to first base. The Padres took back the lead, 4-3, on a Wil Myers RBI single which went right by the diving Kendrick.

Another three runs come in on a Norris double and a Middlebrooks RBI single off Juan Nicasio, and it was suddenly 7-3 after the four-run inning for the Friars.

Craig Kimbrel shut the door on the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth predictably. He struck out Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson and Justin Turner in order.

The Dodgers are now 1-1 on the season. The Opening Series concludes on Wednesday in the rubber game as Brandon McCarthy makes his Dodger debut in game 3. San Diego will counter with hard throwing Andrew Cashner.

Blue Bits:

I may have caught Zack Greinke *gasp* smiling during his Spring Training bullpen session at Camelback Ranch.

Home/LA Dodgers News