Dodgers Recap: Casey Schmitt’s Grand Slam Sinks Dodgers in Opener with the Giants

CHAVEZ RAVINE– Perhaps their luck was turning around after an impressive series win down in San Diego. But instead, the Dodgers dropped the series opener against San Francisco, and their first of ten straight games at home. Los Angeles is also no longer solely in first place in the NL West for the first time since April, in a virtual tie with the Giants with identical 41-29 records.

In what was billed to be a pitching duel between Logan Webb and Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned out to be much more one-sided. Giants shortstop Willy Adames homered on the fifth pitch Yamamoto threw. It was the 29th first inning homer Dodger pitching has allowed this season, the most in the majors. In the bottom of the first, Webb struck out both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts before inducing a weak fly ball from Freddie Freeman. It’s another quiet first inning for the top of the Dodgers’ order, a part of the lineup that hasn’t produced enough since the calendar’s flipped to June.

In the bottom of the second, however, the Dodgers manufactured a run to tie the game, as Andy Pages‘ sacrifice fly was dropped at the plate by Giants catcher Andrew Knizner. Michael Conforto lined out, thwarting any further damage. In the top of the third inning, Yamamoto walked three of the first five hitters. He didn’t have his best command, but he certainly wasn’t aided by the home plate umpire, who was all over the place. Still, he had a chance to work out of it, with the soft part of the Giants’ lineup at the plate.

With a 1-1 count to Giants third baseman (and replacement for regular Matt Chapman) Casey Schmitt, Yamamoto left a splitter over the plate. Schmitt smashed it 423 feet into the left field bleachers for a grand slam. The swing cemented another rough outing for Yamamoto, whose earned run average is almost six in the month of June. Los Angeles really needs to start getting more out of their best starting pitcher, especially with Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and others sidelined.

Justin Wrobleski took over for Yamamoto in the fifth, and was actually pretty good the rest of the way, save for a solo homer he allowed to Knizner in the eighth. But he was effective, and combined with Yamamoto to cover the entire game. If nothing else, the bullpen was spared. Teoscar Hernandez also homered, in the seventh, his second straight game with a homer. Hernandez was the only player to get a hit off of Logan Webb, going 2 for 2. Every other player was 0-19 combined.

The Dodgers, who’ve struggled to hit opposing starters this month, will look to bounce back tomorrow night at 7:10 PM against righthander Landen Roupp. Clayton Kershaw takes the bump for Los Angeles. The Dodgers will need to find a way to win in order to not fall into second place. Again, it’s June, so the standings don’t overly matter, but in the NL West, every game counts. Especially against division rivals.

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