True Blue LA - May 21: Padres 3, Dodgers 2 (11)Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-05-21T23:31:18-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/115295172016-05-21T23:31:18-07:002016-05-21T23:31:18-07:00Grandal leaves with ankle contusion, X-rays negative
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<figcaption>Denis Poroy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> catcher <span>Yasmani Grandal</span> left Saturday night's game in the 10th inning, after fouling a ball off his right ankle. He had X-rays after the game that came back negative, but <span>A.J. Ellis</span> will start in Sunday afternoon's series finale against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a>.</p>
<p>Grandal was 0-for-4 on the night with a pair of strikeouts, and grounded into a force out in the top of the 10th inning. But in between innings, Grandal was getting checked out by Dodgers trainers and <span>Kike Hernandez</span> was warming up <span>J.P. Howell</span>, until Ellis came in to replace Grandal behind the plate.</p>
<p>Here is the summary of events from the various beat writers and reporters in San Diego:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Grandal walked out of clubhouse limping.</p>
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) <a href="https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/734262753838276609">May 22, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yasmani Grandal left the game with a Right Ankle contusion. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash">#Dodgers</a></p>
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) <a href="https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/734264245932556290">May 22, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yasmani Grandal got x-rays on ankle postgame. A.J. Ellis starts tomorrow.</p>
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) <a href="https://twitter.com/jphoornstra/status/734266892710354944">May 22, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash">#Dodgers</a> Yasmani Grandal went for X-rays. Fouled ball off "inside part of his ankle" according to mgr <span>Dave Roberts</span></p>
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) <a href="https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/734266987619090432">May 22, 2016</a>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">And <a href="https://twitter.com/YazmanianDVL08">@YazmanianDVL08</a>'s x-rays are negative.</p>
— Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/734267343736442881">May 22, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dodgers?src=hash">#Dodgers</a> Yasmani Grandal said X-rays on his foot were negative. "It looks worse than it is ." Hit on top of right foot. Re-evaluate tomorrow</p>
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) <a href="https://twitter.com/billplunkettocr/status/734269267185565696">May 22, 2016</a>
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https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/21/11735294/yasmani-grandal-right-ankle-contusion-dodgersEric Stephen2016-05-21T23:08:46-07:002016-05-21T23:08:46-07:00Dodgers find another way to lose
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<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In a game that saw the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> strike out their third-most batters ever, they still managed to lose thanks to three straight walks, falling to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> 3-2 on a walk-off walk in 11 innings on Saturday night at Petco Park in San Diego.</p>
<p>The entire bottom of the 11th inning was so surreal even before the ending. One night after he hit a walk-off two-run homer, Melvin Upton Jr. looked like he did it again, this time to left field. Both team's television announcers - Charley Steiner for the Dodgers and Don Orsillo for the Padres - thought the ball was gone (hell, we all did!), yet it somehow died into the glove of <span>Trayce Thompson</span> on the warning track.</p>
<p>That left two outs and one on base for Chin-hui Tsao who had some margin for error. Then he walked Derek Norris. Then he walked <span>Brett Wallace</span> to load the bases. Then Tsao ran the count 3-0 to <span>Yangervis Solarte</span>, who started to back out of the box on Tsao's fourth pitch of the at-bat, which also was wide of the mark.</p>
<p>Game over, arguably in even more frustrating fashion than on Friday night, even though the Dodgers were living on borrowed time in a sense.</p>
<p>Tsao threw 26 pitches. He threw nine strikes. Tsao lost.</p>
<p>The Dodgers pitchers struck out 19 Padres on the night, <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/a2hhh">the third-most in franchise history</a>. They also lost their fourth game in a row.</p>
<h4>Wood you rather?</h4>
<p>Alex Wood was fantastic on Saturday. He didn't allow a hit until fourth inning, and didn't allow a run until the sixth inning. He struck out the side in the third and the fifth innings, and struck out two in the first, fourth and sixth. He ended his night with a new career high of 13 strikeouts, continuing a month-long stretch of steady improvement from the left-hander.</p>
<p>Wood allowed four hits and one walk in total, including allowing the first two runners to reach base in the seventh, which marked the end of his night.</p>
<p>Wood is the first Dodgers pitcher dating back to at least 1913 <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/3VWOe">with 13 or more strikeouts in six or fewer innings</a>.</p>
<p>One of Wood's runners scored later in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 2-2 and leaving Wood with a no-decision.</p>
<p>We can talk about home and road splits all day, but the most disappointing thing about <span>Alex Wood's</span> Dodgers tenure had been his relative lack of strikeouts. He had a 24.2-percent strikeout rate in 2013-2014 with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a>, but that dropped to 17.7 percent with Atlanta in 2015 before he was traded in July.</p>
<p>With the Dodgers, Wood struck out just 16.8 percent of his batters in the final two months last year, then posted a 16.7 percent in April 2016.</p>
<p>But whatever adjustment he made has worked wonders in his last five starts, beginning with April 29. He struck out nine twice during that span before setting his new career high with 13 on Saturday. In those five starts, Wood has 43 strikeouts and five walks in 30⅓ innings, to go with a 2.67 ERA.</p>
<p>With no wins, thanks to eight total runs of support in those five games while Wood was in the game.</p>
<h4>The offense</h4>
<p>In between Padres sacrifice flies in the sixth and seventh, the Dodgers plated two runs in the seventh inning. <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> opened the inning with his second shift-beating single to left field of the night in his first start since Monday, then <span>Trayce Thompson</span> homered over the center field wall.</p>
<p>Those were their only two runs of the game.</p>
<p>Saturday marked the sixth straight start for Thompson, who is 6-for-20 (.300) during that span with three home runs. He has a team-leading six home runs and 14 RBI in May.</p>
<h4>Up next</h4>
<p><span>Kenta Maeda</span> starts for the Dodgers in the series finale on Sunday afternoon, a 1:40 p.m. PT start at Petco Park. The Padres will turn to right-hander <span>Colin Rea</span>, going for the sweep</p>
<h4>Saturday particulars</h4>
<p><b>Home run</b>: Trayce Thompson (7)</p>
<p><b>WP - <span>Brad Hand</span> (1-0)</b>: 2 IP, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>LP - Chin-hui Tsao (0-1)</b>: ⅔ IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 3 walks</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/21/11735132/chin-hui-tsao-wild-dodgers-walk-off-walk-loss-padres-shrimp-wtfEric Stephen2016-05-21T15:31:51-07:002016-05-21T15:31:51-07:00Gonzalez returns to Dodgers lineup
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<figcaption>Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> is back in the starting lineup for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> in their second game of this weekend series against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> at Petco Park.</p>
<p>Gonzalez starts for the first time since Monday, a game he left after five innings with lower back tightness. He missed the next three games, his first games this season, and the first time he missed three consecutive full games since Aug. 20-23, 2005, when he was with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a>.</p>
<p>Gonzalez did enter Friday night's game in a double switch and played the final two innings at first base. He also batted, flying out in his only plate appearance, but it was his fourth game in a row not in the starting lineup, the first time that happened since May 3-6, 2006, his first season with the Padres.</p>
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<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
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<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#1e90ff" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#996600" width="125"><font color="#ffff66"><b>Padres</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Utley (L)<br>
</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Jay (L)</td>
</tr>
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<td>SS</td>
<td>Seager (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Myers</td>
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<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Kemp</td>
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<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Upton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Thompson</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Norris</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Pederson (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Wallace (L)</td>
</tr>
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<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Ramirez</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Grandal (S)</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Rosales</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Wood</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Vargas</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span><b>Location</b>: Petco Park<br><b>Time</b>: 7:10 p.m. PT<br> <b>TV</b>: SportsNet LA, MLB Network<br><b>Radio</b>: AM 570</span>
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<p>Gonzalez, hitting .280/.360/.406 with four home runs and six doubles in 40 games this season, averaged 159 games and 155 starts per season from 2006-2015.</p>
<p>He has yet to put the ball in play against San Diego starter <span>Cesar Vargas</span>, with a walk and two strikeouts against the rookie right-hander on April 29 in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Since joining the Dodgers in 2012, Gonzalez has hit .290/.341/.514 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 70 games against the Padres, including .262/.323/.426 with six home runs and 25 RBI in 36 games at Petco Park.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/21/11730078/adrian-gonzalez-returns-dodgers-lineup-padresEric Stephen2016-05-21T12:41:52-07:002016-05-21T12:41:52-07:00Wood, Dodgers seek road rebound in SD
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<figcaption>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> on Saturday try to restore order after a stunning loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> in the series opener, a defeat that was quite rare given the circumstances and the location.</p>
<p>All MLB teams since the start of 2004 are 15,947-3,120 (.836) when scoring six or more runs. At Petco Park — which opened in 2004 — teams are 429-44 (.907) in such games.</p>
<p>The Dodgers are 26-2 (.929) when scoring six or more runs at Petco Park.</p>
<p>Their other loss came on Sept. 3, 2015, a 10-7 loss that saw San Diego score four runs in the eighth inning to erase a Dodgers lead. That was also the last Dodgers loss in San Diego, with six victories in between crushing defeats.</p>
<p>Last Sept. 3 was also the major league debut of <span>Corey Seager</span>, so these losses are <i>clearly</i> his fault.</p>
<p>Seager was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk in Friday's game, and was 2-for-4 with a double in his big league debut. He has at least one hit in all seven starts in San Diego, and a double in five of those games.</p>
<h4>Pitching matchup</h4>
<p>After a short spot start by <span>Mike Bolsinger</span> on Wednesday, a brief and ineffective start by <span>Ross Stripling</span> on Thursday, and an "embarrassing" and "unacceptable" start from <span>Scott Kazmir</span> on Friday — <a href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/la-sp-dodgers-padres-20160521-story.html" target="_blank"><i>Kazmir's words</i></a> — the Dodgers need <span>Alex Wood</span> to turn things around on Saturday after nothing but bad road starts this season, to help fight off the growing specter of mediocrity that surrounds this team.</p>
<p>Wood has an 8.05 ERA in four road starts this season, and a 5.04 FIP. But the real killer is that all four starts have been short, placing even more of a burden on an uninspiring Dodgers bullpen.</p>
<p>Three times Wood has pitched into the sixth inning this season on the road, and he has yet to record an out. Opposing batters are 5-for-6 with a home run, a walk, and one reached on error.</p>
<p>Overall in three starts in May — one on the road, two at home — Wood has a 3.21 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just three walks. He has the same number of strikeouts facing 68 batters in May than he did facing 126 batters in April.</p>
<p>Wood also has a four-game hitting streak, the <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/E7wUu">longest streak by a Dodgers pitcher since Zack Greinke from July 3-20, 2013</a>. The last Dodgers pitcher with a five-game hitting streak was Darren Dreifort from May 22 to June 19, 1999.</p>
<p>Wood is 4-for-7 (.571) with a walk during the streak.</p>
<p><span>Cesar Vargas</span> starts for the Padres, making his sixth major league start. Wood, nearly a year older than Vargas, is making his 76th big league start.</p>
<p>Vargas has a 3.55 ERA so far, including 5⅓ scoreless innings against the Dodgers on April 29 at Dodger Stadium. At home this season, Vargas has an ordinary six walks and six strikeouts in his 11 innings, though opposing batters are hitting just .237/.343/.342 in those two games.</p>
<h4>Game info</h4>
<p>Time: 7:10 p.m. PT</p>
<p>TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/21/11729446/alex-wood-mediocrity-dodgers-padres-previewEric Stephen2016-05-20T10:38:16-07:002016-05-20T10:38:16-07:00Dodgers-Padres series snapshot
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">Padres</a> for the third time this season, and the second time in San Diego. The club swept the Padres in the first series of the season and outscored them 25-0 in San Diego, then the Friars returned the favor by winning two of three in Los Angeles at the end of April. Here is a quick overview of the two teams heading into their weekend series at Petco Park.</p>
<p>Teams: Dodgers (21-21) vs. Padres (17-25)</p>
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<tr>
<th colspan="4">Dodgers vs. Padres 2016 </th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left"><u><b>Day</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Date</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Location</b></u></td>
<td align="left"><u><b>Time (PT)</b></u></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Mon</td>
<td align="left">Apr 4</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/4/4/11365838/clayton-kershaw-run-support-opening-day-dodgers-padres" target="_blank">15-0, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Tue</td>
<td align="left">Apr 5</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/4/5/11375766/scott-kazmir-dodgers-padres-recap" target="_blank">3-0, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Wed</td>
<td align="left">Apr 6</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/4/6/11382716/kenta-maeda-scoreless-mlb-debut-home-run-dodgers-padres-recap" target="_blank">7-0, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Fri</td>
<td align="left">Apr 29</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/4/29/11543170/matt-kemp-home-run-dodgers-recap-alex-wood-wasted-padres-recap" target="_blank">5-1, SD</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sat</td>
<td align="left">Apr 30</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/4/30/11548218/dodgers-cant-get-off-the-mat-lose-sixth-straight" target="_blank">5-2, SD</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sun</td>
<td align="left">May 1</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left"><a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/1/11551530/clayton-kershaw-shutout-dodgers-strikeouts-recap" target="_blank">1-0, LA</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Fri</td>
<td align="left">May 20</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">7:40 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sat</td>
<td align="left">May 21</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sun</td>
<td align="left">May 22</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">1:40 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Thu</td>
<td align="left">Jul 7</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Fri</td>
<td align="left">Jul 8</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sat</td>
<td align="left">Jul 9</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">4:15 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sun</td>
<td align="left">Jul 10</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">1:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Fri</td>
<td align="left">Sep 2</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sat</td>
<td align="left">Sep 3</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">6:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Sun</td>
<td align="left">Sep 4</td>
<td align="left">Los Angeles</td>
<td align="left">1:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Tue</td>
<td align="left">Sep 27</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Wed</td>
<td align="left">Sep 28</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">7:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left">Thu</td>
<td align="left">Sep 29</td>
<td align="left">San Diego</td>
<td align="left">6:10 p.m.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p>Split records: Dodgers on road (11-9), Padres at home (8-14)</p>
<p>Run differential: Dodgers (+13, fifth in NL), Padres (-29, 13th in NL)</p>
<p>Runs scored: Dodgers 4.21 per game (ninth), Padres 3.50 (13th)</p>
<p>OPS+: Dodgers 91 (11th), Padres (13th)</p>
<p>wRC+: Dodgers 90 (11th), Padres 73 (14th)</p>
<p>Runs allowed: Dodgers 3.90 (fourth), Padres 4.19 (seventh)</p>
<p>ERA+: Dodgers 104 (sixth), Padres 100 (ninth)</p>
<p>Last 10 games: Dodgers 5-5, Padres 4-6</p>
<p>2016 head-to-head record: 4-2 Dodgers (3-0 Dodgers in SD)</p>
<p>2015 head-to-head: 14-5 Dodgers (7-3 Dodgers in SD)</p>
<p>Padres SB Nation site: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gaslampball.com/">Gaslamp Ball</a></p>
<h4>Series Schedule</h4>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/20/11719206/dodgers-padres-schedule-starting-pitchers">Probable pitchers</a></p>
<p>Friday, 7:40 p.m. PT: <span>Scott Kazmir</span> vs. LHP <span>Christian Friedrich</span> (SportsNet LA)<br>Saturday, 7:10 p.m.: <span>Alex Wood</span> vs. <span>Cesar Vargas</span> (SportsNet LA, MLB Network)<br>Sunday, 1:40 p.m.: <span>Kenta Maeda</span> vs. <span>Colin Rea</span> (SportsNet LA)</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/20/11721392/dodgers-padres-statistics-schedule-petco-parkEric Stephen