Editorials

Game 2 Recap: Grandal and Rollins Errors Offset Gonzalez’s Big Night

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

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Gonzalez drove Puig in with his RBI double that tied the game, then scored on Kendrick’s RBI single and the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead. Kendrick took second on a hit-and-run with Grandal at the plate that coincided with the catcher grounding out.



Kendrick was thrown out attempting to steal third base and Uribe flied out to end the inning after Crawford drew a walk. Pedro Baez took over the Dodgers in the seventh and opened the inning with a strikeout.

Yonder Alonso dumped a flare single into left field and Baez caught Jedd Gyorko looking for the second out before turning the ball over to Paco Rodriguez. Rather than letting Rodriguez face the left-handed batting Amarista, Padres manager Bud Black countered with Clint Barmes as a pinch-hitter.

Barmes singled to right and Yangervis Solarte pinch-hit for Ross. Rodriguez’s night was brief as he was lifted in favor of a double switch that brought Yimi Garcia and Justin Turner into the game. Garcia induced a pop up to shallow center field but Rollins committed his second error of the night, which allowed a run to score, tying the game and the inning was extended.

Garcia then got Myers to foul out, but damage had been done. Dale Thayer took over for the Padres in bottom of the eighth and had a quick inning as he retired the side in order. Norris led of the eighth with a single and he was advanced to second on Kemp’s slow tapper back to the mound.

After Garcia intentionally walked Upton, Middlebrooks flied out to Puig and Norris tagged to take third. J.P. Howell replaced Garcia with Alonso due up, and the lefty-on-lefty matchup went in the Padres’ favor as Alonso hit a go-ahead RBI single that gave his team a 3-2 lead.

Howell’s night got worse before it got better as his wild pitch allowed both runners to move into scoring position. However, he got out of trouble by inducing a pop out to Kendrick. Transitioning from closer to setup man with Craig Kimbrel now on the roster, Joaquin Benoit was on the mound in the bottom of the eighth.

Further proving Kemp isn’t the only player capable of hurting his former team in the series, Gonzalez hit his second home run is as many days, with Tuesday’s tying the game at 3-3. Chris Hatcer was on the mound in the ninth for a second consecutive game and he was greeted by a Barmes leadoff single.

Pinch-hitter Cory Spangenberg laid down a sac-bunt attempt that was fielded by Grandal, who committed a throwing error and it left runners on the corners with no outs. Myers’ RBI single broke the 3-3 tie and still had the Padres threatening with runners on first and third.

Myers stole second base and Norris cleared the bases with a two-RBI double that gave the Padres a 6-3 lead and knocked Hatcher out of the game. Juan Nicasio struck out Kemp and got help from Puig, who made a running catch while crashing into the wall in foul territory for the second out and nearly threw out Norris on his tag attempt.

Kendrick made a sliding stop on a Middlebrooks grounder, but was unable to complete the play and the Padres tacked on another run. Nicasio was the victim of another infield single before he managed to put an end to the Padres’ four-run inning.

Kimbrel made his Padres debut and struck out the side in to complete the Padres’ 7-3 win over the Dodgers and set the stage for the rubber match on Wednesday.

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Paco Rodriguez Worked On Mechanics


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