Steve Webb
Game 157, 9/24/2024: Dodgers 2, Padres 4
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Ugh. That was most unpleasant. After a game filled with missed opportunities for the Dodgers in the first eight innings, it looked like there might be getting some traction as they started the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles and a run. Unfortunately, Miguel Rojas hit into a wildly unlikely game-ending TRIPLE F’N PLAY to end the game. Dodgers drop the first game of the series 4-2 to the Padres and there is now just two games separating these two powerhouses.
This one began with quite a bit of frustration on the part of the home team. After starter Landon Knack pitched a scoreless first inning, the Dodgers had quite an adventure in the bottom of the inning. Shohei Ohtani led off with a double and scored when Xander Bogaerts airmailed his throw on a routine Mookie Betts grounder. After an from Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers then got a single from Teoscar Hernandez to put runners at the corners and a great scoring chance. Unfortunately, Teo ran himself into a pickle, and Mookie Betts ended up getting thrown out at third. It was not great.
The Padres countered with a two-run homer from Jake Cronenworth to give the Padres the lead. The Dodgers would load up the bases with two out in the next inning, but Mookie Betts couldn’t lay off a sweeper from starter Michael King and the threat was extinguished. But once again, when the Dodgers failed to capitalize, the Padres did. In the top of the fourth, they cashed in a Jackson Profar leadoff double with a Xander Bogaerts single to take a 3-1 lead. Ten pitches and a balk later, Jake Croneworth doubled home another run to put the Dodgers in a three-run hole. Though Knack limited the damage to two runs, the inning took a lot out of him, as the rookie threw forty pitches, more than doubling his pitch count.
Knack’s night was over, but all credit to the bullpen in this one for keeping it close and at least giving the Dodgers a puncher’s chance in the bottom of the ninth. Brusdar Graterol pitched a 1-2-3 fifth. Daniel Hudson held the Padres scoreless in the sixth (good to see), and newcomer Edgardo Henriquez pitched a scoreless seventh. Henriquez’s big league debut started with a strikeout and looked solid and confident throughout. The Venezuelan righty was pumping straight gas, mixing his triple-digit heater with some nasty breaking stuff. He gave up a single to Kyle Higashioka, but struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. with some high cheese to end the inning. It will be interesting to see how he is deployed going forward. Finally, the underappreciated Brent Honeywell threw two scoreless inning to set up the ninth inning.
Entering the inning, things looked a bit grim. The back end of the order was coming up, and they were facing Padres closer Robert Suarez. But Suarez has struggled of late and this evening was no different. He gave up a leadoff single to Will Smith. Then, Tommy Edman hit a single to move Smith to third. Finally, Kike Hernandez singled to score a run and cut the deficit to just two runs.
The tying runs were on first and second and nobody was out. Miguel Rojas stepped into the batter’s box, and Dave Roberts was faced with a choice. Do you have Rojas bunt both runners into scoring position and risk the bat being taken out of on-deck hitter Shohei Ohtani’s hand. Or, do you let Rojas hit and hope for the best? At first, it looked like Roberts was going to opt for the former, as Rojas showed bunt on Suarez’s first offering, a pitch that he took at the bottom of the zone for a strike.
Then, either Rojas or Roberts changed course. Rojas swung away at the next pitch and sent a 97.3 mph ground ball toward third base. Unfortunately, it was right at the sure-handed Manny Machado. Machado scooped up the ball and took a couple of steps toward third, stepping on the bag for the first out. He then rifled the ball to second base, where Jake Croneworth got Tommy Edman on the force by inches. Cronenworth pivoted and whipped the ball to first baseman Donovan Solano to get Rojas by a step. 5-4-3. Triple play. With Ohtani on deck. Are you kidding me? Is this real life?
Unfortunately, it is. And the Dodgers’ job just got a little bit hard. They absolutely must get one win in the next two games, or things get very dicey indeed. Yikes!
Game Two of the series promises to be the best pitching matchup of week. White Sox escapee Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.42 ERA, 220 SO) will get the ball for Padres. And, for the Dodgers, Jack Flaherty, who was amazing three starts ago against the Guardians, less so in his last two against Atlanta and Miami. His ERA in September is 3.27, whereas Cease is coming off two straight scoreless outings and has a 2.49 ERA for the month. On paper, it’s probably advantage Cease and the Padres, but Flaherty has been awesome in the very recent past; here’s hoping he can find it again. First pitch will be the usual 7:10 PDT. Here we go…
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