Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — There was a time when “Darvish throws scoreless outing” would bring a smile to the faces of Dodger fans. Like 2017. And, there was a time when “Machado jacks two-run homer” would be met with cheers from the LA faithful. That would be 2018. But, in 2022, those two things are nothing but a big, fat bummer. A wild Dustin May got shelled in this one, and it just got uglier and uglier. Blame it on jeg lag, but it wasn’t pretty. In the end, it was a 7-1 Padres win, the Dodgers’ worst loss of the season, and the first time the team has lost three straight since early June.
Everybody’s favorite Padre goes yard
The first few innings were a little shaky for Dodgers starter Dustin May. Once again, he was having trouble zeroing in on the strike zone. He walked three in the first two innings, but managed to escape with zeroes on the board. May was not so lucky in the top of the third. After retiring Jurickson Profar, he walked new Padre Juan Soto to put a runner on for Manny Machado. And the boos barely had time to start registering before Machado put San Diego on the board. On a 1-0 curveball, Machado was all over May’s pitch, and drilled a two-run shot to left center.
Drury doubles the lead
Then, after another out, May’s control came back to haunt him again. He hit Jake Cronenworth with a cutter, getting third baseman Brandon Drury to the plate. Drury, who has been struggling mightily since being traded from Cincinnati, went to a 3-2 count with May before seeing a pitch he liked. He pasted a 97-mph sinker over the left centerfield fence and suddenly the Dodgers were in a deep, deep hole.
May gets wild and it ain’t pretty
May righted the ship for a couple of scoreless innings, but ran into wildness again in the top of the sixth. And the results were, um, not great. After another HBP and May’s fifth walk of the game, May’s night was done. Newcomer Heath Hembree came in and Jurickson Profar smashed a three-run shot to right to muddy up May’s scorecard a little bit more. His final line for the night: 5+ IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 5 K. May’s ERA is now 4.50. Clearly, the comeback has hit a little speedbump. The only Code Red in this game was for the Dodgers’ flatlining chances for victory.
After the three-run 6th pretty much put the game out of reach, Phil Bickford did come in an pitch two scoreless innings, so at least that happened. In the 9th, Hanser Alberto finished the game. Let’s just leave it at that.
Darvish pitches a gem at the Dodgers’ expense
Meanwhile, Yu Darvish was pretty much cruising in this one. The Dodgers got a Max Muncy single and a two-out double from Justin Turner, but not much else. In all, Darvish went seven strong scoreless innings, and gave the home crowd absolutely nothing to cheer about in their team’s return to LA. In the bottom of the 9th, JT hit another double and Joey Gallo drove him in to remove the stench of the shutout, but that was all that happened. There would be no 7-run comeback in this one. Flush it. Move on.
Battle of lefties on tap for Saturday
On Saturday, it’s going to be another solid pitching matchup. This time, the Dodgers’ Julio Urias will try to continue to ride his hot hand against the Padres. In his last seven starts, Urias is 6-1 with a ridiculous 1.05 ERA. He takes the mound against Sean Manaea, who is going through a real rough patch in his season. His ERA for August is a rough 7.88. The last time the Dodgers saw him, they blasted him for 8 ER in just four innings of work. So on paper, it is advantage Dodgers. We shall see.
Cans of Corn…
- For the first time all season, Trea Turner was not in the starting lineup. Let’s not do this again.
- Apparently, Turner was informed of the move on Thursday. Before Friday’s game, he said, “I knew it was going to happen eventually. (Dave Roberts) is probably right in the sense that it’s a good time. I feel good, I want to play, but probably makes sense to take a breather.”
- Gavin Lux was supposed to have started at short in Trea’s absence, but was a late scratch because of nagging neck pain. Hanser Alberto filled in instead.
- Before the game, Dave Roberts reported that Tony Gonsolin‘s MRI was “as good as we could have hoped.” Gonsolin resumed playing catch on Friday.
- Chris Taylor got plunked in the wrist/arm area by a Darvish cutter. Was in a lot of pain, but stayed in the game.
- Dustin May got Brandon Drury right in the helmet in the 6th. Scary, but that’s why they wear helmets.
- All this HBP business came to a head in the bottom of the 6th when it was Will Smith‘s turn to get plunked. Darvish shrugged about it and there was an umpires’ conference, resulting in warnings to both benches.
- This was the first time in 228 games that the Dodgers have lost by more than five runs, breaking the longest such streak in MLB history.
- Hanser pitched for the seventh time this season, a record for position players.
