The Battles Between Chris Capuano & Chase Headley

Chris Capuano pitched pretty well on Wednesday, a game that as manager Don Mattingly likes to say gives the Dodgers a chance to win. Capuano pitched into the seventh inning but suffered his first loss of the season, thanks in large part to Chase Headley, who homered and doubled to drive in the Padres' first three runs in their 4-2 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday at Petco Park.

Headley's two-run double in the sixth inning turned a one-run Dodgers' lead into a one-run deficit, and came with runners on first and third base and one out.

"In that last at-bat I was hoping for a double play there and trying to force contact but guided a changeup a little up in the zone and he was able to hit it to the gap," Capuano said.

Catcher Matt Treanor praised Capuano's start, which lasted 6 1/3 innings, in which he gave up four runs, including three earned, while striking out six. Treanor said Capuano really only made two mistakes, as the double to Headley and the home run to Headley (in the first inning) both came on pitches that missed location.

Headley also had a 10-pitch walk in the fourth inning, winning all three matchups against Capuano.

"That really was a fantastic at-bat. I was really bearing down there to make pitches and we was fouling some good ones off," Capuano said. "It's a battle you always want to win as a pitcher, and when a guy battles and draws a walk it can get at you a little bit."

Headley is 2-for-3 with three walks against Capuano this season, and has reached base in each of his last five plate appearances.

Notes

• Capuano's final batter was Yonder Alonso, who walked. Capuano appeared to argue with home plate umpire Brian Runge after his final pitch. Capuano explained:
  
  "Brian Runge has an interesting strike call. Sometimes he just says, 'Yeah' for a strike. I thought it was a pretty good pitch, a fastball down and away that looked like a strike to me," Capuano said. "I thought I heard 'Yeah' and Matt Treanor did too. I got the ball back walking back to the mound thinking it was a 3-1 count and saw Alsonso running to first."
  
• The Dodgers scored just two runs on Wednesday, and nothing after the first inning. They have scored six runs in three games since Matt Kemp was placed on the disabled list.
  
  "We just didn't do enough to score. You can't expect to win when you basically don't do anything, after the first two hitters until the ninth inning," Mattingly said. "We're not good enough to come down here and get four hits and think we're going to win a game."
• Mattingly focused more on Javy Guerra allowing two of his six inherited runners to score over the last two days than his 16 balls and just seven strikes.
  
  "Javy's been really good. I've kind of used him the last two days like a closer to keep us in the game," Mattingly said. "He's given us two chances to win in the last two days."
  
• With the loss, the Dodgers are now 9-8 against left-handed starters this season, a far cry from their 15-5 mark against right-handers. "We really haven't done a whole lot against lefties so far," Mattingly said.
  

Up Next

The Dodgers look for a split of the two-game road trip on Thursday night, with Aaron Harang getting the call in the ballpark he called home last season. Opening day starter Edinson Volquez starts for the Padres.