Before the game we learned that Dodger’s game 3 starting pitcher Walker Buehler was robbed of his watch at the Santa Monica pier. I feel like Dodger fans were robbed of all joy in this depressing loss. Teoscar Hernandez hit an exciting grand slam home run in the top of the third to pull the Dodgers within one, but the Dodgers had a nightmare bottom of the second inning allowing six runs and making several sloppy defensive miscues as the Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-5 on Tuesday night at Petco Park. The loss drops the Dodgers to just one game from elimination. Sound familiar?
Buehler isn’t the big game pitcher he once was, but he gave the Dodgers some innings and he certainly can’t be blamed for the poor defense behind him. Buehler tossed five innings and was later seen throwing a tantrum in the Dodger’s dugout after that horrendous six-run second inning. But he started out well, notching a clean bottom of the first inning. The Dodgers were able to get to Padre’s starter Michael King. In the top of the first, Mookie Betts smashed a solo home run to left field. It once again appeared as if Jurickson Profar had robbed Mookie of another home run as he leaped up and into the stands, but this time the ball bounced off his glove. It looked almost like a carbon copy of the play from game 2 in which Profar robbed Mookie and taunted Dodger fans in the left field corner. Mookie wasn’t sure at first, but then it was confirmed a home run. The Dodgers had something they have not had once in this series, an early lead.
The second inning was a horror show. It reminded me of that yakity-yak song. Manny Machado started the frame with a single. Jackson Merrill grounded what should have been an easy double play to first. Freddie Freeman playing on a bad ankle had to go down to his knees to field the ball. Without getting up, he tried to throw to second but his throw sailed off of Machado’s left shoulder and everyone was safe. Xander Bogaerts grounder to short also should have been a double play, but Miguel Rojas, playing with a sore groin couldn’t get the out at second. Former Dodger David Peralta doubled home two, and a Jake Cronenworth single advanced Peralta to third. Kyle Higashioka’s sacrifice fly plated Cronenworth and the Padres now led 4-1. To make things even worse, Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a home run to left center and the Dodgers were down 6-1. We all felt like throwing a tantrum once that inning was finished.
Thank god for Teoscar Hernandez, who single-handedly seemed to bring the Dodgers back from the dead in the top of the third frame. Rojas, Shohei Ohtani, and Mookie Betts reached on three consecutive singles to load the bases. After Mookie’s single, Rojas had to leave the game because of his injury. Teoscar smashes a grand slam home run over the center field wall. That pulled the Dodgers back into the game with a 6-5 score.
TEOSCAR HERNANDEZ HAVE MY KIDS PLEASE DO ANYTHING YOU WANT pic.twitter.com/ltbnK4dwPN
— sky (@GonsolinRBW) October 9, 2024
You would think after Teo’s grand slam that the Dodgers would rally to win this game. That it would give them some energy. But these are Andrew Friedman’s Dodgers, and they simply can’t win in the postseason. The Dodgers managed just one hit the rest of the game, while the San Diego bullpen shut them out.
Now the Dodgers are on the brink of elimination. Reports are indicating that the Padres are giving the ball to Dylan Cease in game 4 on short rest. The Dodgers are giving the ball to….yeah you guessed it, the bullpen. The Dodgers are doing a bullpen game in an elimination game on the road. At least that is what is being reported. As usual over the last three years, they have no plans, or strategies. Dave Roberts has no solutions. Postseason baseball is none of the Dodger’s business anymore. We shouldn’t expect anything different from them.
