At every mention of their rivalry with the Padres this week, or reference to revenge after last year’s playoff elimination, the Dodgers have preached nothing but poise and control.
Emotions have been downplayed. Ramifications minimized. The importance of a single early-season series kept in perspective.
“If you want to let the outside noise control you, then sure,” outfielder Mookie Betts said when asked if the energy was different this weekend. “But it’s still the same game we always play.”
That attitude was apparent on Saturday night, as the Dodgers navigated their way to a 2-1 win over the Padres that quieted a sold-out crowd and evened a three-game series against their Southern California foes.
The Dodgers (20-14) managed only three hits but got a big one when they needed it — opening the scoring on a two-run blast from Chris Taylor in the top of the fourth.
The team’s pitching staff, meanwhile, made the lead stand up, combining Dustin May’s scoreless six-inning start with a couple of high-wire escapes from the bullpen to turn Sunday’s national TV finale into a weekend rubber match.
Before the game, it was Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw who took the team’s latest turn ratcheting down the emotions of this trip — the Dodgers’ first since being eliminated by the Padres in the National League Division Series last year.
Dodgers pitcher Dustin May reacts after the last out of the sixth inning Saturday in San Diego.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
Following the Padres’ series-opening win Friday, in which Kershaw took the loss, the Petco Park scoreboard flashed a meme of the future Hall of Famer with a string of superimposed tears strolling down his face.
Video of the meme was widely circulated on social media Friday night and Saturday afternoon, drawing ire from factions of the Dodgers fan base online.
When asked about the prank before first pitch Saturday, however, Kershaw defused the situation, declining to “take the bait” on a situation he seemed to have little care for.
“Someone showed it to me this morning,” he said. “If you don’t like it, pitch better. I don’t think they do it if we win.”
That much, the Dodgers did Saturday night.
Early on, May and Padres left-hander Blake Snell traded zeros in a pitchers’ duel, each taking advantage of a wide strike zone from home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez to breeze by their first turn through the order.
With May continuing to cruise in the fourth, however, Snell finally blinked.
After retiring 11 in a row to start the game, Snell issued a two-out walk to Will Smith. Two pitches later, he hung a center-cut changeup to Taylor.
The result: A two-run blast that went sailing into the second deck of seats on the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field, marking Taylor’s sixth home run in a year he has struggled to produce much else at the plate.
That was all the breathing room May needed, as he finished a scoreless six-inning outing yielding only three hits and one walk while striking out six.
Through seven starts this year, the right-hander has a 2.68 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP and team-best 4-1 record.
The Dodgers bullpen — much improved in recent weeks after aligning Caleb Ferguson, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips as their highest-leverage arms — completed the win with contributions from all three.
Ferguson stranded a one-out walk in the seventh, firing his 10th straight outing without giving up a run.
Graterol limited damage in the eighth inning, giving up just one run despite back-to-back leadoff doubles from Brett Sullivan and Fernando Tatis Jr.
That set the stage for Phillips to pitch the ninth — an opportunity he never got in Game 4 last year when the Dodgers squandered a late lead in their elimination loss.
This time, the right-hander took advantage, finishing off a victory in which the Dodgers still struggled to manufacture much at the plate, once again going hitless with runners in scoring position, but this time managing to overcome it all anyway, calmly collecting their first defeat of the Padres to maintain first place in the division standings.
Short hops
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts missed Saturday night’s game in order to attend his son Cole’s graduation from Loyola Marymont. Bench coach Danny Lehmann, who was promoted to that role this offseason after previously serving as the club’s game-planning coach, was the acting manager in Roberts’ place. … Max Muncy was back in the lineup Saturday after leaving Friday’s game early with “flu-like symptoms.” Muncy served as the designated hitter.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
