Dodgers 6 Padres 7: Emotional Roller Coaster

This entire game was a complete emotional roller coaster and the Dodgers fell to the San Diego Padres in the series opener to a walk off home run.

To say this game had its up’s and down’s would be an understatement. In the first inning the Dodgers walked twice and had one hit, but did not score. Scott Kazmir had a great bottom of the first and put together a quick 1-2-3 inning. Sadly from there he struggled. Kazmir ended up pitching 5.2 innings, allowed five runs and struck out five. The killer for Kazmir today was all the walks he allowed. Kazmir walked seven batters, that is three more walks than Clayton Kershaw has allowed all season. Kazmir did not get much love from the home plate umpire either. It seemed that his pitches were just barley missing the corners. Either way, the walks killed Kazmir and also racked up his pitch count.

In the bottom of the second inning the Padres would jump out in front and score two runs, but the Dodgers would bounceback by scoring one run in the top of the third inning when a Corey Seager double would drive in Enrique Hernandez. The Dodgers would again score in the top of the fourth inning when Yasiel Puig led off the inning with a single and then Yasmani Grandal doubled him in. It was great base running by Puig, who took off like the “wild horse” he is and scored from first on a double. In the top of the fifth inning, Trayce Thompson would reach base on a single and Joc Pederson crushed a ball to right center in order to extend their lead.

However, Derek Norris would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score Dodgers 4, Padres 3. The home runs did not stop there. Christian Bethancourt hit a two run home run in the next inning which gave the Padres the lead. After a few painful innings, Justin Turner would come up in the top of the eighth inning to hit a two run home run, which then gave the Dodgers the lead by a score of 6-5. Pedro Baez appeared on the mound for the bottom of the eighth and got two quick outs, but allowed a double which forced Dave Roberts to bring in closer Kenley Jansen. Jansen on three pitches struck Norris out and it was off to the ninth.

The Dodgers would go quietly in the top of the ninth and all seemed to be looking great. With a one run lead and our most reliable bullpen pitchers on the mound it looked like the Dodgers were on their way to a win. Jansen allowed a lead off single and then the worst thing ever happened, Melvin Upton Jr. crushed a ball into right center for the walk off win. This is the first time that Jansen has allowed a walk off homer in his career. His last blown save dates all the way back to August 23, 2015. Jansen has converted on his last 25 straight saves before this evening. He proved that he too is imperfect tonight. Though it is not like Jansen to give up a lead and blow a game, it still hurts.

I do not know about you, but at this moment in time I wanted to throw up. This game was such a roller coaster. It was back and forth all night. Nothing went right for the Dodgers tonight. Kazmir struggled and again another starter would not complete five innings, the bullpen gave up runs and Jansen who has not pitched for awhile, came in and blew the game. Of all people in tonight’s game Dodger fans needed Jansen to come through like he usually does.

They will face the Padres again tomorrow at 7:10 PM. All I know is this team better figure out their problems and do so quickly before it gets any worse. Good news of the day, the Chicago Cubs beat the Giants which means that after dropping another game, the Dodgers still remain in second place by 3.5 games.