The first Dodgers/Padres series of the regular season was billed as a heavyweight dogfight for division supremacy, and the first two rounds did not disappoint. The punk ass Padres came into the series hoping to assert their newfound authority over the NL West, despite the Dodgers winning the division the last eight seasons in a row. Naturally the Padres were ready to celebrate any April wins over the Dodgers like they had won the World Series, despite the UPS Browns never having won…… well……anything.
If you remember the Padres fans danced in the streets after merely winning a playoff series, and then were promptly swept by the World champion Dodgers. Resident fool Manny Machado made the most idiotic proclamations, proclaiming that he would put his entire contract on the line to bet the Padres would win the World Series before the Dodgers did. How’d that bet work out for you Machado?
The Dodgers won the first two games of the series at Petco Park. The boys in blue scored five runs in the top of the twelfth to beat the Padres in the series opener on Friday night. Then they outlasted the Friars 2-0 in what turned out to be a taut pitching duel between two of the best hurlers in the game, Clayton Kershaw And Yu “game 7” Darvish. With the Dodgers ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the ninth, and the Padres threatening with runners at second and third, Mookie Betts made a fantastic game saving diving reverse snow cone catch. You have to see it to believe it.
Before the ninth, the game was a tight pitcher’s duel. Kershaw tossed six shutout innings striking out eight and allowing just two hits. Darvish pitched seven innings and allowed one earned run, while striking out nine. Kershaw ended up with the well deserved win and the Dodger bullpen came through with flying colors.
The Dodgers plated one run in the fifth inning when Zack Mckinstry was hit by a pitch and then Luke Raley flared a single to center. After a walk to Austin Barnes loaded the bases, Kershaw’s walk plated the first run. Needless to say Darvish was angry.
The Dodgers scored one more run in the top of the ninth when Justin Turner led off the inning with a solo home run to extend the Dodger’s lead to 2-0. It was a well needed insurance run for the Dodgers. The key moment in the game came in the bottom of the sixth, when the Padres had runners at the corners with one out and Kershaw in trouble. But Wil Myers grounded into an inning ending double play. Chris Taylor and Max Muncy connected on a brilliant unassisted 4-3 double play.
Blake Treinen opened the bottom of the ninth, his second inning of work with Kenley Jansen not available. He struck out Machado, but Myers singled. The Dodgers made a double switch and brought in Victor Gonzalez. The young lefty uncorked a wild pitch and then walked Jurickson Profar. After a Jake Cronenworth ground out advanced the runners to second and third with two outs, Tommy Pham came to the plate and hit a liner to shallow right center, with Mookie Betts on the run and well……..
You can’t get any better than that. The series concludes on Sunday afternoon with another Marquee pitching match-up of Trevor Bauer versus Blake Snell. The Dodgers have now won eight in a row. Suck it San Diego.
Padres are really good and quite well run as an org. Not sure how we got to punks, but…
The Dodgers, OTOH, are also well run, but are even better.
Soon, the NL West will be exceptional when Zaidi gets his team properly constructed
They talk a lot of smack for a team that has never won anything Bluto. You saw them dance in the street last year after they won a playoff series right?
That’s the fans, not the team.
Who cares about the fans?
The team’s arrogance is shared by the fans. Its related in my opinion
I’m not sure what that means. Arrogance by association. Sounds daft and silly.
How are the Padres arrogant? By signing players, and drafting and developing well?
If so, aren’t the Dodgers equally guilty?
Am I now arrogant by association.
I’m not talking about their talent. I’m talking about their attitude. You heard about that stupid bet Machado made last year right? You did see them dancing in the dugout right?
Rivalry? What rivalry? Seriously.
Sure the Pouting Padres will win a few games, but at the end of the day the cream floats to the top, and the poop sinks to the bottom.
Class will always win over a bunch of crybabies. Their childish celebrations and showboating after a HR should be left on the Sandlots. It is something called respect. If you are going to talk the talk, then you should back it up and walk the walk.
The umps have been giving too long a leash to the North of the Borderers. Umps are lousy, but at least it was consistent to both sides. Our Dodgers have said less, and have gotten tossed.
So, go ahead San Diego… continue trying to make this 19 game series into more than it really is. Adding two or three expensive superstars will not beat a 26-man TEAM.
Have to bow to Darvish. He was dominating the Dodgers, until McKinstry stuck his big toe out and “hit the pitch”. That knocked Yu out of his comfort zone. He no longer could pull off that hesitation in his windup with a man on, and Raley took advantage of it. That was the game changer, that led to Darvish exiting, and JT jumping on the Padre reliever.
Instead of “noise sticks” the Padres ought to pass out crying towels. Bobbleheads, NO…. Brat Kids YES.
Go Dodgers!
The Umpire today was pitiful. His strike zone was bigger than Bluto’s head. But I will take 2 of 3 when your offense sputters like it has the last two games anytime. Heading for California tomorrow night. Won’t be posting for a while.
I agree.
The Padres are not good at regulating their emotions. I doubt they even think that they need to work on it. How does the saying go “million dollar talent with a 10cent head.”
With the way the umpires are calling games this season, I’d say that all teams need to keep their emotions in check.
Yes, Padres are punks. No mistakes here.
So, who got the last spank? It was not the Dodgers. DR was out-managed by his counterpart, but a big assist goes to the flatlined Dodger offense. The same old story, as so many scoring opportunities were squandered. The Dodgers just seem to lack the ability to score runs and slam the door shut. Add to that the sloppy defense coupled with the aggressive base running and web-gem defense by the Padres, that sealed the Dodger Blue coffin. DR has been killing the Dodgers with his overly exaggerated “shift”. This was obvious in the late innings last night.
Another wasted, dominating starting pitcher performance, clouded by an early hook, and mismanaged and taxed bullpen who could not hold a six run lead. When starters a cruising along, stick with them until they get into trouble. At least give them an opportunity to earn the win themself, instead of passing the torch to a vulnerable bullpen. If DR keeps pulling them after 5-6 innings, they will never be able to go 7-8, or possibly a complete game. It is early in the season, and the bullpen looks ragged already.
No matter how childish and classless the San Diego Swagger may seem to be, it obviously worked. And the Dodgers sheepishly say they are not affected buy the shenanigans. But seriously, they got bullied out of their own house, this weekend. You can see it in their faces as they retreated to the safety of their clubhouse.
It is still early in the season. I just hope this is a reality check, and the Dodgers learn something from this embarrassment.
Dodgers have a big red target on their backs (is Target now their corporate sponsor?) and they better wake up and defend their title. Otherwise their 2020 World Series Title will be worthy of an asterisk, designating it as a fluke of a shortened COVID season.