Summer Solstice Win for the Dodgers Ties Series in San Diego

After a walk-off loss to the Padres on Friday night, the Dodgers looked to redeem themselves and tie up the series in Game 2 on Saturday. Josh Beckett gave it his all, and the comeback kid pitched 7 shutout innings while striking out 8 Padres batters in another excellent start. Beckett’s ERA is at 2.28, and he surely deserves an All-Star nod consideration for his gutsy and inspiring season. Tyson Ross pitched well, but the Dodgers came up with a couple of key hits to knock in three runs against him.

The Dodgers scored two runs in the third thanks to a RBI single by Dee Gordon and a sac fly by Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers notched another run in the fifth on a Hanley RBI single, and their final run came in the eighth on a clutch hit by Adrian Gonzalez.

Of course the night wouldn’t be complete without a bullpen blown game scare. Paul Maholm and Brandon League allowed the Padres to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the eighth when San Diego scored their only two runs of the game. A Cameron Maybin triple to lead-off the frame followed with RBI singles from Medica and Rivera off League. Kenley Jansen tried to forget Friday night’s blown save, and he was able to retire the side in the bottom of the ninth for his 21st save of the season.

Dodgers 4 8 0

Padres 2 8 1

WP- Beckett (5-4)

LP- Ross (6-7)

S- Jansen (21)

Here’s how the Dodgers win unfolded…

Tyson Ross strikes out Dee Gordon to begin the top of the first at Petco Park. Hanley Ramirez is jammed but hits it down the first base line for a double which extends his hitting streak to eight games. Ross goes the full 3-2 to Yasiel Puig, but he grounds out to Alexei Amarista at third for the second out. Adrian Gonzalez hits a one-hopper to short to end the inning, and Hanley is stranded.

In the home half of the first, Josh Beckett walks Everth Cabrera with one out to bring up the Dodger killer Seth Smith. While Smith is batting, Drew Butera mows down Cabrera trying to steal second. Hanley made a great tag. Becket then strikes out Smith on a diet of nothing but curves! Great inning for Beckett and the Dodgers.

In the second, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier both ground out to Amarista at third. Justin Turner flies out to center, and Ross sends the Dodgers

Jun 21, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Josh Beckett (61) pitches during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

down in order.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, rookie Jake Goebbert singles in front of Ethier in center field. Amarista grounds out to Hanley at short who makes a nice stop to prevent a double from going through.

Drew Butera bloops a single to center to lead-off the third inning. Josh Beckett gets the job done, and he successfully sacrifices Butera over to second. Gordon than comes up with a clutch base hit past a diving Cabrera, and Butera scores the first run of the game as the Dodgers take a 1-0 lead. You can hear the Dodger fans in the crowd. Gordon then flusters the Padres once again when he goes for a steal of second, and he takes third on a throwing error by Rivera after the ball skips into center field. Hanley’s fly ball is a bit shallow in center, but Gordon beats out the throw at home from Will Venable! Dodgers take a 2-0 lead.

Beckett strikes out the side in the bottom of the third! Jace Peterson, Tyson Ross, and Will Venable all go down on strikes!

The Dodgers go down in order in the fourth. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier both strike out versus Ross.

Cabrera leads off the bottom of the fourth with a single to center for the second hit of the night for the Padres.

“It’s a different kettle of fish tonight.” -Vin Scully

Beckett induces a groundout from Smith, and Tommy Medica and Rene Rivera both fly out to left.

In the fifth, Justin Turner leads-off with a single to right. With Butera at the plate, Ross whirls out a wild pitch, and Turner advances to second. Butera ends up flying out to center. Beckett fails to get the bunt down, and he strikes out bunting. Dee Gordon works out a two-out walk. Hanley comes up clutch with his second hit of the night, a RBI single to left. Turner scores, and the Dodgers add to their lead, 3-0. Puig grounds into a force out to end the inning.

Beckett pitches another scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth.

The Dodgers fail to score in the sixth after Matt Kemp singles and is thrown out at second trying to steal. Gonzo had previously grounded out, and he has quietly gone 0-for-3 on the night. Ethier line out to end the frame.

Other than a reasonable walk to Seth Smith, Beckett pitches another nice inning in the bottom of the sixth.

Jun 21, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon (9) slides past San Diego Padres catcher Rene Rivera (44) to score in the third inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers go down in order in the top of the seventh, although Drew Butera hit one deep left field which was caught by the rook Goebbert.

Beckett strikes out Rivera and Goebbert for the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Amarista singles with two outs. Jace Peterson strikes out for the second time of the night, and Beckett ends up striking out the side!

Alex Torres, a lefty, will come in for the top of the eighth for the Friars in relief of Tyson Ross. Dee Gordon draws a lead-off walk. Hanley Ramirez takes a really long time at the plate, but he ends up striking out. He slowly makes his way back to the dugout with a puzzled look on his face. Puig draws a walk, and now there’s two speedsters on the bases for the Dodgers. Gonzo is up, can he finally come up with a clutch hit or does his struggles continue? Gonzo slaps a single to center, and Dee comes home with another run! Matt Kemp strikes out, and that’s his second whiff of the night and fifth whiff of the series. Dre grounds out to end the inning, but the Dodgers tack on another run and lead 4-0.

Tyson Ross pitched 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts on 96 pitches.

Josh Beckett pitched 7 innings and allowed no runs on 4 hits with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts on 102 pitches.

Paul Maholm is in for the bottom of the eighth in relief of Beckett. Miguel Rojas will come in to play shortstop and replaces Hanley. Maholm immediately allows a triple to Cameron Maybin who hits one to right field where Puig lets the ball squirt far away allowing Maybin to fly to third. Pinch-hitter Chris Denorfia lines out to Rojas who makes a nice snag. Maholm strikes out Cabrera for the second out. Can he get out of this and preserve the shutout? Maholm then walks Seth Smith, but perhaps that was a smart decision. Don Mattingly will take out Maholm and bring in Brandon League to face Tommy Medica with two outs and runners at the corners. Of course League serves up a single to Medica, and Maybin brings in a run for the Padres, 4-1. Rivera also proceeds to hit a RBI single as Smith scores, and it’s 4-2. Goebbert ends the inning by grounding into a force out, and Rojas makes a nice play and relay to Dee.

Tim Stauffer, the veteran, will pitch the top of the ninth for San Diego. Turner leads off with a single, and that’s his second hit of the night which raises his batting average to .299. Drew Butera strikes out swinging. Rojas strikes out as well. Gordon flies out to left.

Kenley Jansen will get the chance to redeem himself in the bottom of the ninth. Mattingly doesn’t hesitate to bring him right back out there after he surrendered 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning last night as the Padres walked off with the win. Amarista grounds out to second for the first out. Pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal singles to second even though Gordon made a great attempt to stop the ball. Here comes Carlos Quentin, representing the tying run. Quentin flies out to right field. Denorfia strikes out to end the game, and the Dodgers win!

The Dodgers improve to 41-35 on the season, but they fail to gain any ground on the Giants who beat the D-backs on Saturday night. The Dodgers remain 4 games back of San Francisco. The series finale on Sunday in San Diego will feature Hyun-jin Ryu versus Eric Stults.