Set to play split-squad games on Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost two starters before first pitch at Camelback Ranch against the San Diego Padres.
First, Scott Van Slyke was scratched from the lineup with a hip flexor, then minutes before he was set to take the mound, Mike Bolsinger was scratched due to abdominal tightness. Bolsinger is the perceived frontrunner in the competition for the Dodgers’ fifth starter job.
Jeremy Kehrt was called on for the emergency start and he promptly gave up a leadoff single to Jon Jay. Cory Spangenberg lined a base hit to right field, but an out was recorded as Yasiel Puig cut down Jay on his attempt to go first to third base.
Kehrt completed a scoreless frame by getting Matt Kemp to ground out and striking out Wil Myers. Robbie Erlin set Howie Kendrick, Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner down in order.
The wheels quickly fell off for Kehrt in the second inning. Yangervis Solarte was hit by a pitch and he scored immediately after on a Derek Norris RBI double. After an Alexei Ramirez single put runners on the corners, Melvin Upton Jr. drove both in on a double down the left field line.
Jay lined a one-out single to center, extending the Padres’ lead to 4-0 and the rout was on. Kemp and Myers both hit an RBI single, with the latter knocking Kehrt out of the game. Carlos Frias needed one pitch to induce an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Joc Pederson hit a two-out single to center in the bottom of the second, but was stranded as Corey Brown grounded into a force out. Frias retired the Padres in order to keep the Dodgers’ deficit at 6-0 heading to the bottom of the third.
CONTINUE READING: Dodgers load the bases in sixth inning, Yusniel Diaz makes debut
Howie Kendrick hit a hanging curveball into center field for a two-out single in the bottom of the third. Puig extended the inning by drawing a four-pitch walk, but Turner struck out swinging to end the threat.
The Padres loaded the bases with none out in the fourth behind singles from Erlin, Jay and Spangenberg. Kemp grounded into a double play that scored a run and extended the Padres’ lead to 7-0.
Another run scored on a wild pitch before Frias ended the inning by catching Myers looking at called strike three. Jamey Wright came on in relief of Frias in the fifth and surrendered a two-out RBI double to Upton Jr.
Pinch-hitter Jabari Blash lined a too-hot-to-handle base hit by Turner, pushing the Padres’ lead to 10-0. The Dodgers had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when both runners advanced on a wild pitch.
Puig was unable to get Los Angeles on the board as he grounded out to end the inning. Chin-hui Tsao gave up a trio of doubles in the sixth, with two of them scoring a run. Two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with none out for the Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth.
Brown ensured the Dodgers wouldn’t be shut out with a two-run base hit to right field. Brandon Hicks tacked on another run as he scored on a Luis Perdomo wild pitch. Yusniel Diaz made his Dodgers debut with a pinch-hit appearance that amounted to an RBI single.
Pedro Baez worked around two walks and an error to throw a scoreless frame in the seventh. With Jack Murphy standing on first base, Brendon Davis hit a double that scored Murphy on a fielding error by Alex Dickerson, cutting the Padres’ lead to 12-5.
Chris Hatcher allowed back-to-back base hits in the ninth, then proceeded to strikeout the side. However, the Dodgers didn’t make any noise in their half and were swept in their split-squad action on Sunday.