Dodgers let one slip away in Philadelphia

Maikel Franco hit the most-predicted grand slam ever, ruining an otherwise stellar Dodgers debut for Alex Wood, giving the Phillies a 6-2 victory in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Wood kept the Phillies off balance for most of the night with a mix of curveballs and changeups. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts and walked none through six innings in a 1-1 tie. But unfortunately for the left-hander, his night will mostly be remembered for the loss, and this seventh inning delivery.

This is a small part of a much larger thing but Vines are only allowed to be 6 seconds so https://t.co/ZOoCmP4LOz

— Ryan Thibs (@NotMrTibbs) August 5, 2015

That slip up by Wood was ruled a balk, putting runners at second and third base in a bizarre seventh inning that saw manager Don Mattingly decide to intentionally walk the mighty Cesar Hernandez with the heart of the Phillies order due up. One pitch after the balk, Wood walked Odubel Herrera to load the bases, ending his night.

Joel Peralta and his 29.1-percent ground ball rate was brought in with the bases loaded and one out, and his third pitch was a cement mixer flattened by Franco over the left field wall for a slam and a 5-1 Philadelphia advantage.

Peralta since returning from the disabled list in June has struck out seven of 55 batters faced (12.7 percent), while allowing eight runs on 16 hits in 11⅔ innings, with opposing batters hitting .320/.382/.560 against him.

On offense, the Dodgers threatened all night against Jerome Williams but had to kick themselves at their inability to cash in.

After getting nothing out of runners on second and third base with nobody out in the third inning and the bases loaded with none out in the fourth, the Dodgers finally scored against Williams in the fifth on an Andre Ethier single to right field, tying the game at 1-1.

But after that run, the Dodgers were unable to further capitalize in a first-and-third, one-out situation, with Williams striking out Yasmani Grandal and getting Yasiel Puig to fly out to left field to end the threat.

Though they only scored one run against Williams, the Dodgers' collecting seven hits and three walks against him helped end his night after five innings and 102 pitches.

The Dodgers rallied for a run in the eighth inning, though somehow Alberto Callaspo couldn't score from first base on a two-out double into the left field corner by Carl Crawford. They had runners at second and third with the tying run at the plate, but Ken Giles struck out Jimmy Rollins to end the threat.

Notes

Rollins, who received a prolonged standing ovation before his first at-bat in his first game back in Philadelphia, was 2-for-5 with a double against his old team.

Joc Pederson walked in each of his first three plate appearances, tying his career high with three walks, last set on May 10. Pederson had three walks, and 31 strikeouts, in his previous 90 plate appearances before Tuesday.

Luis Avilan made his Dodgers debut in the eighth inning. Trying to fit right in to the Dodgers bullpen, he allowed a run.

The Dodgers wore their "Los Angeles" road jerseys on Tuesday, technically their regular road jersey, for the first time since May 6. It snapped a string of 38 straight road games wearing the alternate "Dodgers" jerseys.

Up next

The Dodgers lean left again on Wednesday with Brett Anderson on the mound, facing off against old friend Aaron Harang for the Phillies.

Tuesday particulars

Home run: Maikel Franco (12)

WP - Jeanmar Gomez (1-2): 1⅔ IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout

LP - Alex Wood (7-7): 6⅓ IP, 8 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts

Sv - Ken Giles (3): 1⅓ IP, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts