SAN DIEGO _ The majority of the fans at Petco Park on Saturday night, the portion sporting Los Angeles Dodgers blue who infiltrated enemy territory and drowned out the hosts, rose to its feet with the score tied in the ninth inning. The Dodgers had Kirby Yates, the San Diego Padres' accomplished closer, on the ropes for the second time in 24 hours. Alex Verdugo, the Dodgers' undaunted rookie, stood at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
The decibel level spiked when Verdugo, savvy beyond his years, worked a 2-and-0 count. It crescendoed three pitches later, after Verdugo watched a pitch sail up and away for a walk that pushed home the go-ahead run in the Dodgers' 7-6 win.
It was the second time Yates entered with the score tied in the ninth inning and left with the Dodgers leading in as many nights. Yates has given up three runs this season. All three have been in nonsave situations. Two weeks after the Dodgers (22-13) toppled Josh Hader, widely regarded as baseball's best reliever, twice in a series, they've done the same to one of his top-flight peers.
Late-inning exploits would not have been deemed necessary a few innings earlier, when the Dodgers erased an early lead for the second straight night. Sensing Joey Lucchesi was running on empty, manager Andy Green emerged from the Padres dugout to pull him in the sixth inning. Down two runs, the Dodgers were threatening to mount another comeback. Two runners were on base with no outs and Max Muncy, a left-handed hitter, was up next. So Green summoned another left-hander, Matt Wieck, to attempt to clean up the mess for the Padres (18-16).
The left-hander did not affect Muncy. He coolly took the first three pitches to run the count up to 3 and 0. He then let a fastball zip by him over the heart of the plate for a strike. The next pitch was a slider, floating down the middle like it was spinning some cement. Muncy pounced on it as if he knew it was coming and uncorked a ferocious hack. He dropped his bat the instant lumber met ball and unhurriedly stepped out of the batter's box as he watched it land a few rows deep over the right-field wall.
The three-run blast gave the Dodgers their first lead. It was Muncy's second go-ahead hit in as many nights. On Friday, the slugger's ninth-inning single against Yates gave the Dodgers the win. But the Dodgers' lead didn't hold Saturday despite them tacking on two more runs for a five-run sixth.
The margin evaporated in the bottom of the frame because Joe Kelly floundered against the impotent bottom half of the Padres lineup. The right-hander began his outing by surrendering a leadoff single to Eric Hosmer. Ty France then lined a run-scoring double into the left-field corner. Kelly faced three more batters. Two reached base. He recorded one out with 27 pitches.
He exited with the bases loaded, leaving Yimi Garcia to escape the jam. He has appeared in 13 games this season. He's recorded clean outings only twice, and one ended after one batter because he took a comebacker off the wrist. He has a 10.13 earned-run average.
Garcia slipped in his tightrope attempt, hitting Ian Kinsler with a pitch and walking Manny Machado to allow two runners to score. The bleeding, and a long sixth inning, stopped there, but the score was tied. It could've been worse for the Dodgers _ Kinsler had a line drive land foul by inches down the left-field line.
For the second game in a row, the game's scoring began with Machado greeting a former teammate with a home run in the first inning. On Friday, it was a two-run shot against Clayton Kershaw. On Saturday, it was solo blast against Rich Hill. He savored both with extended admiration and a slow trot.
Unlike Friday, the Dodgers responded rapidly to Machado's damage, tying the score in the second inning with a quick two-out rally. Verdugo extended the inning with a single to center field before advancing to second base on a wild pitch. He scored when Chris Taylor lashed a single just beyond second baseman Kinsler's reach
Hill retired the side in order in the second inning but blundered in the third. He issued a leadoff walk to Lucchesi. Kinsler followed with a groundball to third base that the Dodgers couldn't turn into a double play. Moments later, Hill's pickoff attempt at first base sailed past David Freese, far enough for Kinsler to scamper to third base. The error meant Franmil Reyes' flyout drove in the Padres' second run.
That brought up Machado with two outs and the bases empty again. And again Machado launched a home run, pouncing on a first-pitch fastball for his eighth homer this season and first multi-home-run game since hitting two with the Dodgers against the Padres in September.
