LOS ANGELES _ The baseball splashed at the feet of San Francisco Giants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, and the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout erupted. They would not win this baseball game, a 4-0 defeat to the Giants, but at least they would not be embarrassed. A two-out single in the ninth inning by Corey Seager scotched a no-hit bit by San Francisco pitcher Matt Moore and allowed a moribund club a moment to rejoice.
Before Seager flicked a single into right, a prophecy appeared ready to fulfill itself. Unnerved by the pregame departure of catcher A.J. Ellis, overwhelmed by Moore, the team came close to replicating the woes of last August, when they were no-hit twice en route to a division title.
The Dodgers (71-56) avoided the ignominy of a hitless night, but did see their lead in the National League West fall back to two games. The outcome was not predetermined. It only felt that way, after the Dodgers spent the afternoon mourning the departure of one of their favorite teammates.
The Dodgers could not treat Thursday like a normal day. A few hours before the game, the team sent Ellis to Philadelphia for catcher Carlos Ruiz. The acquisition of Ruiz improves the team's offense, but the deal sideswiped Ellis.
"It was hard, really, really hard," he said before he left Dodger Stadium. "I'm almost out of tears now."
The Dodgers contacted Ellis in the early afternoon and asked him to come to the ballpark, he said. He bumped into manager Dave Roberts in the parking lot. Roberts indicated he did not know the reason for the meeting. Ellis learned about the transaction minutes later. He said he did not ask for an explanation.
After meeting with team officials, Ellis texted his wife, his agent and Clayton Kershaw, his closest friend on the team. He asked Kershaw to meet him in the dugout they once both called home. Kershaw was "shocked," Ellis said. The two men wept together.
"Baseball's funny," Ellis said. "Anything can happen in the future. But to know that in almost all likelihood, I'll never get to catch him again is without a doubt the most devastating thing I'm feeling right now."
Ellis offered his goodbyes to his teammates. Kenley Jansen nearly broke down when he spoke with his former catcher. J.P. Howell looked shaken and red-eyed as he talked to reporters. Kershaw left the ballpark shortly after he sat with Ellis.
As the team prepared for San Francisco, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman worked the room, trying to explain the team's rationale. He felt it was important to communicate with the group, even those who disagreed with the decision.
"You have to trust what the organization is doing," Jansen said. "But it's tough."
Added Justin Turner, "A little bit of shock set in for everyone."
The Dodgers view Ruiz as a significant upgrade over Ellis at the plate. Ruiz will start often against left-handed pitchers. But he could not make it to Los Angeles in time for Thursday's game, when Moore toyed with his hosts.
On July 27, while still a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, Moore stymied the Dodgers across 6 2/3 innings and held them to one run. San Francisco acquired Moore on Aug. 1, in part, because his left-handedness projected well against the Dodgers lineup. He gave no quarter on Thursday.
The Giants tagged Dodgers starter Ross Stripling for three runs in the fourth. After a leadoff single by shortstop Brandon Crawford, first baseman Brandon Belt drove him in from second with a single of his own. Next Stripling paid for a lifeless changeup to second baseman Joe Panik. The pitch floated around Panik's waist, and he responded with a two-run homer.
Roberts called upon rookie Grant Dayton for the sixth. He issued a two-out walk to Panik, but looked able to escape when Moore dribbled a groundball toward third base. Turner needed to use his bare hand to make a play. The baseball squirted through his hands.
The error proved costly. The next batter was outfielder Denard Span. He stroked a full-count fastball into right for an RBI single.
Moore kept churning through the Dodgers lineup. He showed signs of fatigue in the eighth. He issued a leadoff walk to Yasmani Grandal. Called in to pinch hit, Chase Utley saw 10 pitches before striking out on a changeup. Moore ended the inning at 119 pitches.
Inside his dugout, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy paced and grumbled. Moore had never thrown more than 120 pitches in a game. He had already undergone elbow reconstruction. But Bochy allowed him to bat for himself in the top of the ninth.
The first man up in the bottom of the inning was Enrique Hernandez. He scaled a line drive into center field. Sliding across the grass was Span, who nabbed the baseball and earned some applause from Moore.
With two outs, Corey Seager came to the plate. The crowd rose to its feet, chanting for Seager, cheering for Moore, indulging in the drama. Moore threw his 133rd pitch, a fastball on the hands. Seager muscled it into right field.
The ballpark roared with glee. Bochy removed Moore for reliever Santiago Casilla. The game would last only one more pitch _ Turner flied out immediately _ but for the Dodgers, it could have been worse.
