Up(ton) Pops the Devil: Padres Snap Dodgers Winning Streak

The Dodgers wasted another phenomenal start by Zack Greinke on Saturday night at Petco Park. Greinke made just two mistakes on the night including a rare throwing error and an eighth inning homerun to Justin Upton. The Dodgers once again could not give Greinke much run support, and other than a Yasmani Grandal solo homerun, they only mustered four other hits against Ian Kennedy, Brandon Maurer and Craig Kimbrel.

Adrian Gonzalez went 0-for-4 on the night and left 4 men on base after grounding into two costly double plays. Yasiel Puig had two of the Dodgers’ four hits on the night, but the Dodgers never actually got a man to second base in the game. There was also the Justin Turner TOOTBLAN in the second inning as well which didn’t help matters.

The tone was set after old foe Ian Kennedy plunked Joc Pederson with a pitch to start the game in the top of the first. Adrian Gonzalez tapped into a double play, and the Dodgers were unable to cash in the hit batter.

The Padres attacked Zack in the second with a Will Venable double and a little RBI dribbler by Matt Kemp. Kemp’s grounder flustered Zack Greinke who threw the ball away while Venable scored. That’s a very rare Greinke error.

Dodgers 1 5 1

Padres 2 8 0

WP-  Maurer (4-0)

LP- Greinke (5-2)

S- Kimbrel (16)

HR- Grandal (7), J. Upton (13)

The Dodgers tied up the game on one Yasmani Grandal swing in the bottom of the third. The solo shot to right field against Kennedy was Grandal’s seventh homerun of the season.

Greinke and Kennedy had their horns locked through four innings. Each pitcher had allowed just one run on three hits.

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Enter the danger zone. The seventh inning.

Zack Greinke, who pitched very efficiently, escaped a San Diego threat in the bottom of the seventh. The Friars had runners at the corners with two outs, but Greinke was able to induce a fly out from pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte to stop San Diego in their path.

Ian Kennedy pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk on 96 pitches.

Brandon Maurer took over for Kennedy in the eighth inning, and he retired the Dodgers in order to preserve the tie.

Greinke was throwing so nice and easy all night until Justin Upton got the better of him in the bottom of the eighth. He took his chance with Upton instead of putting him on first base and pitching to Matt Kemp. Upton homered to center field with two outs, and the Padres took a 2-1 lead. There was a brief review of the homerun, but it was clearly out.

Zack Greinke pitched 8 innings and allowed 2 runs on 8 hits with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk on an even 100 pitches.

In came Craig Kimbrel to shut the door on the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth. Yasiel Puig battled the dominant closer, and he came up with a leadoff single up the middle. Adrian Gonzalez, who has quietly been in a slump of late, hit into the dreaded double play. That was the second double play Gonzo grounded into in the game. Kimbrel blew away Howie Kendrick to secure the win for the Padres.

The Dodgers drop to 36-26 on the season, and they are 11-16 on the road. They are now 2 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco.

The rubber game in San Diego on Sunday will feature Mike Bolsinger vs. James Shields.