Los Angeles Dodger relievers allowed four runs over the final three innings, including solo home runs in the seventh and eighth, in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in their home opener at a sold-out Dodger Stadium Tuesday.
Dodger rookie starting pitcher Kenta Maeda pitched six scoreless innings for the second consecutive game, but was replaced by Pedro Baez at the start of the seventh.
Baez allowed a two-out homer on a 1-2 pitch to Nick Ahmed, tying the score, 1-1.
Reliever Chris Hatcher began the eighth on the mound for the Dodgers and allowed a one-out home run on a 3-0 pitch to Paul Goldschmidt.
The Diamondbacks combined a hit batter, Socrates Brito’s triple and Goldschmidt’s ground out for two runs in the ninth off Louis Coleman.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second. Howie Kendrick, reinstated to the 25-player roster from the 15-day disabled list before the game, led off with a single, moved to second on Trayce Thompson’s single and to third on Corey Seager’s fly out. Kendrick scored on A.J. Ellis’ squeeze bunt.
The Dodgers scored their other run in the ninth. Seager led off with a double, moved to third on pinch-hitter Joc Pederson’s ground out and scored on pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal’s ground out. Grandal was also reinstated from the 15-day disabled list today.
Tyler Clippard (2-0), the second of four Arizona pitchers, pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the victory. Brad Ziegler pitched the ninth, recording his first save of the season.
Hatcher (1-1) was charged with the loss before a crowd announced at 53,279 as the Dodgers lost for the second time in their last nine home openers.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he’s seeing “certain pitches that aren’t being executed” by his relievers.
“Over time, if that continues, then you have to have a change, but right now, we’re way too early for that,” Roberts said.
Maeda joined Kazuhisa Ishii (2002) and Karl Spooner (1954) as the only Dodgers to begin their careers with two scoreless starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Maeda also pitched six shutout innings in his major league debut Wednesday against San Diego.
“Kenta was great,” said Roberts, who was managing in his first home opener. “He just can do a lot of different things, has a lot of weapons.”
In his final inning, Maeda allowed a two-out single to Wellington Castillo. Jake Lamb followed with a double, but Castillo was thrown at the plate on a relay from Yasiel Puig to Justin Turner to Ellis, ending the inning and keeping the Diamondbacks scoreless.
“He was stressing a little bit earlier and in the last inning there was a little stress and I thought that was a good time to get him out,” Roberts said.
The ceremonial first pitch honored Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully in connection with his 67th and final home opener.
Don Newcombe, the opening day starting pitcher for the Dodgers in Scully’s first year as a team broadcaster, 1950, was the first in a group handing a baseball to one another.
Maury Wills was the second, followed by Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, Al Downing, Rick Monday, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Bill Russell, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, who handed the ball to Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who gave the ball to current pitching star Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw handed it to former owner Peter O’Malley, who handed it to Magic Johnson, the Basketball Hall of Fame member who is part of the team’s ownership group, who gave it to Scully.
The pregame ceremonies also included representatives of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force presenting the colors and unfurling a giant flag in center field, a display in the shape of the United States, a formation flight by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division, and Sam Harris, lead singer of the alternative rock band X Ambassadors, performing the national anthem.
–City News Service