If there was a place the Los Angeles Dodgers could perhaps get back on track and find some consistency that’s eluded them, it was at Petco Park against an inept San Diego Padres offense.
The Dodgers swept the three-game Opening Series in San Diego, outscoring the Padres 25-0 in the process. One of their wins came with Scott Kazmir on the mound for his regular-season debut with the Dodgers.
Kazmir shook off an up-and-down Spring Training and final tuneup start to toss six shutout innings, holding the Padres to one hit and collecting five strikeouts in the April 5 start. Kazmir was back on the mound at Petco Park on Friday, though failed to duplicate that success.
He battled command issues — walking seven batters — plus issued an intentional walk and had a hit by pitch. After purposely putting Adam Rosales on first to load the bases with two outs in the second inning, Kazmir allowed a two-run single to Padres starter Christian Friedrich.
Kazmir didn’t pull any punches when assessing his outing, via Andy McCullough of the LA Times:
“It’s almost embarrassing,” Kazmir said. “Seven walks. It’s unacceptable.”
However, it was A.J. Ellis who took the responsibility for some of the pitches Kazmir and Dodgers relievers threw:
“There were some pitches we’d like to take back, a lot of regrettable pitch calls that I made,” Ellis said. “I take responsibility for a lot of the runs that were put out there today.”
The Dodgers battled back to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning, which Kazmir allowed the Padres to quickly cut in half on a Derek Norris solo home run in the bottom of the fifth. After yet another walk in the sixth inning, Kazmir gave up a two-run, go-ahead homer to pinch-hitter Christian Bethancourt.
The knock out punch came in the ninth inning on a Melvin Upton Jr. two-run walk-off homer. Kazmir didn’t receive a decision, with Kenley Jansen taking the loss in his first blown save since last August.
