The Los Angeles Dodgers took the field Saturday night looking to avoid their first six-game losing streak since they dropped eight consecutive games in May 2013. San Diego, meanwhile, was fresh off ending a five-game skid, and nine-game losing streak to the Dodgers.
Ross Stripling began the night on a positive note, needing just eight pitches to retire the side in order in the first inning. Corey Seager drew a one-out walk, but Colin Rea proceeded to strikeout Justin Turner looking, and got Adrian Gonzalez to ground out.
Stripling retired the first two batters faced in the second inning before allowing back-to-back singles. He was then forced to a full count before striking out Adam Rosales to complete another scoreless frame.
Yasmani Grandal and Kiké Hernandez hit consecutive singles with no outs in the bottom of the second. Hernandez was erased on a Carl Crawford grounder that left runners on the corners. The Dodgers’ offensive slump continued as Joc Pederson grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Stripling ran into trouble in the third inning as a consecutive string of doubles from Jon Jay, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp gave the Padres a 2-0 lead. Rea walked Stripling to start the bottom of the third and it cost him as Utley followed with his first home run of the season.
Stripling retired the Padres in order in the fourth, ending the inning with a strikeout. After Crawford hit a two-out triple, Rea intentionally walked Pederson to face Stripling. The decision paid off for the Padres as Stripling struck out swinging.
CONTINUE READING: Padres stage two-out rally in fifth inning
Rea and Jay both went down swinging to give Stripling two quick outs in the fifth. However, the right-hander followed that by walking Myers and Kemp. Melvin Upton Jr. cashed in on the RBI situation by driving a two-run double to the right-center field gap.
Alexei Ramirez followed with an RBI single to left, extending the Padres’ lead to 5-2 and knocking Stripling out of the game. Louis Coleman entered and struck out Derek Norris to end the inning.
The Dodgers did little to make Rea work in the bottom of the fifth, going down in order on just five pitches. Coleman fielded a grounder up the first base line and dove to tag the base in time to retire Jemile Weeks.
Coleman then struck out Rosales and got Rea to fly out. The San Diego righty once again kept the Dodgers off the board for another inning, retiring Gonzalez, Grandal and Hernandez in order. Coleman exited with two outs in the seventh inning and responsible for Myers, who doubled in the inning.
Chris Hatcher heard boos upon entering the game, and did little to win the crowd over by promptly walking Upton Jr. Hatcher did manage to get out of the inning unscathed as Ramirez grounded into a force out.
Ryan Butcher worked around a two-out walk to pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick in the bottom of the seventh to throw a scoreless inning of relief. The Dodgers didn’t muster any offense the rest of the way and suffered a 5-2 loss, pushing their losing streak to six games.
In addition, the Dodgers’ 12-13 record in April translated to their first losing month since September 2013.