The Los Angeles Dodgers made a switch to start Joe Kelly as an opener, and while the results left plenty to be expected, it was Blake Treinen on the hook in a 6-4 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Kelly’s insistence on throwing only his breaking ball quickly backfired as the Athletics opened the game with back-to-back doubles to take a 1-0 lead. Mark Cahna’s sacrifice fly and Cody Bellinger’s throwing error to third base brought in two more runs before Kelly could work his way out of trouble.
Urias has struggled in the first inning of his starts throughout the season, and with roles on the postseason pitching staff not completely set, the Dodgers tried the young left-hander out of the bullpen.
Urias has experience in such role, and certainly appeared comfortable against the A’s. He entered in the third and kept the Dodgers’ deficit at a minimum over his six innings pitched.
Urias didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning, when Oakland managed to cash in on a leadoff walk. Stephen Piscotty’s single put two on with nobody out, and Ramon Laureano’s RBI base hit put the Dodgers in a 4-2 hole.
Despite the loss, there were also encouraging signs with Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Justin Turner.
Muncy’s two-run homer in the third inning — his second in as many games against his former team — pulled the Dodgers to within one. Bellinger then led off the seventh with a home run, extending his hitting streak to eight games and cutting the A’s lead in half.
One night after being scratched from the lineup due to left hamstring discomfort, Turner made his first start at third base since returning from the 10-day injured list. He played the planned five innings in the field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Edwin Rios carried the baton from there, hitting a game-tying solo home run off Jake Diekman in the eighth inning. It marked the first run Diekman has allowed this season and Rios became the first left-handed batter to hit a homer off him since 2018.
It wound up being all for naught as Laureano connected for a game-winning two-run home run off former teammate, Treinen.
L.A. heads into Thursday’s rubber match needing a win to avoid losing just their second series of the season.
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