Dodgers Lose to San Diego 6-5, but Night Turns MAGICAL

I have been rooting for Magic Johnson’s group and hoping Frank McCourt would leave on a positive note by handing off the team to someone who has the best interest of the team at heart. We learned tonight that the new owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers will be one headed by Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten! Like a lot of Dodger fans, I am thrilled. Ecstatic. Oh there was a game today?

Dodgers 5 15 0

Padres    6 8 1

WP- Thatcher (1-0)

LP- Felix (0-1)

HR- Juan Rivera (4)

The auction played out New York, but there is still Spring baseball being played in Arizona. The Dodgers dropped this afternoon’s game to San Diego although they did have 15 hits. Ted Lilly was still sidelined due to his rusty neck, so the bullpen took over today including some minor leaguers and hence the loss. The Padres took their turn in winning in walk-off fashion as Brad Davis hit a ninth inning double at the Peoria Sports Complex giving the Friars the victory.

Juan Rivera and Matt Kemp both had two RBI each. Rivera hit his fourth homerun of Spring Training in the top of the fourth inning.

Casey Kelley, a Padres pitching prospect, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs, 9 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts.

The Dodgers used nine relief pitchers in the game: Jamey Wright, Scott Elbert, Javy Guerra, Scott Rice, Josh Lindblom, Ronald Belisario, Angel Sanchez, Logan Bawcom, and Francisco Felix. Felix, the right-handed pitcher, was the one who gave up the winning run in the ninth.

Jamey Wright allowed a run in the first inning off a two-out walk to Chase Headley and a double to Yonder Alonso.

Rivera’s homerun in the fourth put the Dodgers on the board with a run, and in the fifth Kemp doubles home Mark Ellis who reached on a walk to give the Dodgers a second run and the momentary lead.

Belisario comes in to pitch the sixth, and he proceeds to allow two runs to San Diego. Chase Headley singles, and then Belisario walks both Alonso and Hundley to load the bases. After a Rick Honeycutt visit to the mound, a sac fly by Mark Kotsay scores Headley. Then a wild pitch by Belisario allows Alonso to score, and the Padres retake the lead, 3-2.

The Dodgers hang three in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead back again. FedEx singles, Gordon singles, and Mark Ellis’ sac bunt advances the runners to second and third. Matt Kemp’s sac fly allows FedEx to score. Andre Tripler er I mean Ethier triples in Gordon. Rivera then doubles in Dre making it 5-3 Dodgers.

Angel Sanchez pitched the seventh inning and allows a double to Micah Owings and a single to Cameron Maybin allowing the pinch runner to score.

Both teams swap scoreless eighth innings. Francisco Felix comes in to pitch the ninth for the Dodgers, and allows a single to Beamer Weems (is that a real name?), who reaches second on a Cabrera grounder. Daniel Robertson is hit by a pitch. Then Brad Davis doubles in both runner to give the Padres the walk-off win.

The Dodgers are now 12-9-4 this Spring. Like the ownership situation, Spring training is coming to a close. We are just days away from having the McCourt era come to an end and the beginning of the MAGICAL 2012 season to begin. When one door closes, another one opens. Right, Dodger fans?

Tomorrow Nathan Eovaldi will start against the Giants at 1:05 pm. He will be taking Lilly’s place in the rotation if Lilly is unable to start the season healthy. By the continued talk of it, it looks like Lilly most likely will miss his first regular start of the 2012 season. Kenley Jansen, Dougie, and Todd Coffey are scheduled in relief.

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