Steve Webb
Game 40, 5/13/2024: Dodgers 1, Padres 2
SAN DIEGO, CA — You couldn’t have pitched better than Tyler Glasnow did on Friday night at Petco Park. No wait a minute, I take that back. You couldn’t have pitched better than Tyler Glasnow… unless you are Michael King. King, whom the Dodgers had already knocked around a bit in his previous two starts against them, had everything working in this one, going seven scoreless while striking out eleven. Glasnow on the other hand made just one mistake, giving up a solo home run to catcher Luis Campusano on the first pitch of his at-bat. So by the time the Dodgers tied it up late in the game, they were low on at-bats, and ended up losing 2-1 to the Padres in walkoff fashion.
This one was a good old-fashioned pitchers’ duel. King and Glasnow were both at the top of their games, and both pitched so great that it was only fitting that neither figured in the final decision. Both men went seven innings with very similar numbers: Glasnow gave up just the one hit, walked two while striking out ten. King had the seven scoreless, but had just a couple more baserunners as he walked three and gave up two hits. However to say that either pitcher “won the night” would be a disservice to the other. It was just brilliant work by both men.
The Dodgers finally broke through against the Padres bullpen in the eighth. And it was a classic “top of the order” inning that did it. With King at 100 pitches, Yuki Matsui came on to pitch the frame, and almost immediately the Dodgers went to work. Mookie Betts hit a single that bounced off Matsui and into right field. Shohei Ohtani followed that up with a double to the opposite field that had Betts chugging all the way to third.
With men at second and third and nobody out the Dodgers were in a pretty good spot to take the lead. However, they had to settle for only a tie, which they got on a Freddie Freeman sacrfice fly. But then, Padres manager Mike Shildt made a move that might have won them the ball game. With first base open, he had Matsui walk Will Smith to set up a lefty-lefty situation with Max Muncy. Muncy hit into a double play and the threat was extinguished. Still, the game was headed to the ninth all knotted at one apiece.
Blake Treinen pitched brilliantly in what came within a pitch of being an immaculate inning. Instead, he had to settle for a 1-2-3 frame that sent the Dodgers to the batrack. Unfortunately, Robert Suarez was more than up to the task in the top of the inning, and sent the Dodgers down in order as well, giving the Friars a chance to walk it off in the bottom of ninth.
And that is just what they did. Campusano drilled a double off Michael Grove into the left field corner to lead off the inning. Grove struck out Ha-Seong Kim with a little help from home plate umpire Mike Estabrook. That brought to the plate San Diego’s shiny new acquistion, batting champ Luis Arraez with a chance to win the game. Known for his ability to make contact, Arraez didn’t waste time showing off his bat-to-ball skills. Grove went with a cutter on the first pitch that hung out over the plate. For a hitter like Arraez, it might as well have been on a tee. He promptly whacked it into centerfield, and pinch runner Tyler Wade beat James Outman‘s throw home pretty easily, and that was that. Padres walk it off.
You hate to waste a great start like that. And you hate to see the Dodgers’ winning streak stop at seven. But sometimes, you come up against a pitcher who’s throwing the game of his life. And that is just what Michael King accomplished in this one. What can you do but tip your hat to the guy and hope for better things on Saturday. Saturday’s game starts a little earlier than Friday’s — the first pitch will be at 5:40 PDT. It’s going to be James Paxton looking to build on his solid outing against the Marlins against knuckleballing righty Matt Waldron. I’m guessing this one WON’T be a 2-1 affair.
New winning streak starts Saturday. See you then!
