SAN FRANCISCO _ In the dugout, a pained expression haunted the face of manager Dave Roberts. The moment did not defy belief, not if you've catalogued the ineptitude of this Los Angeles Dodgers team in this season's first month. But it came close: In the seventh inning of a 6-4 loss to San Francisco, Pedro Baez balked in a run by falling off the mound.
Seriously. This happened.
To Baez's credit, he did not crumple to the ground. But he did drive in the go-ahead run when his cleats tripped across the dirt in the center of AT&T Park's diamond. His gaffe created a fitting visual for the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers. In trying to recover from last November's agony, the Dodgers (11-13) have performed like a club uninterested in playing this October.
They fell on Friday for the third game in a row. They wasted a quality outing from Hyun-Jin Ryu, who struck out seven Giants in 5 2/3 innings and delivered a two-run double in the fourth inning. Roberts pulled Ryu after 89 pitches and watched his bullpen implode. Tony Cingrani and Baez combined to allow four runs to score in the seventh. The offense offered no response when facing the assorted gas cans in San Francisco's bullpen.
Baez played a role in a Dodgers loss for the second time this week. He failed to protect a deadlock in a game against the Miami Marlins, a team who assembled a roster for the express purpose of losing. Baez was pitching for inexplicable reasons in that game, as Roberts chose him over Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning. Roberts had fewer options on Friday, as Cingrani melted down to blow a two-run lead.
Cingrani looked uncomfortable and ineffective during his outing. He gave up a leadoff single, walked a batter, gave up an RBI single to outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and then ended his evening by allowing pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson to hit a game-tying double. Along the way, Cingrani's fastball velocity dropped and he received a visit from a trainer.
Into the fray stepped Baez. He was walking a tightrope. And he fell. Literally.
The defeat hurt in areas besides the standings. Matt Kemp exited the game after scoring a run in the fourth inning because of tightness in his left quadriceps. Kemp has been a crucial cog in the Dodgers offense, batting .308 with a .906 on-base plus slugging percentage. He dealt with nagging hamstring issues last season in Atlanta.
This trip will take the Dodgers to three cities and two countries. They will play four games against Arizona, the current leaders of the National League West. They will play three games against the Padres in Monterrey, Mexico. But first, they must play four games in fewer than 72 hours in the Bay Area, including a doubleheader on Saturday.
In his first four starts this season, Ryu permitted one home run. He surrendered two in Friday's second inning. San Francisco third baseman Evan Longoria powered a flat changeup over the center-field fence. Two batters later, shortstop Brandon Crawford crushed a hanging curveball for a second solo shot.
The Dodgers broke through against Giants starter Derek Holland in the fourth inning. It was their only flurry of the game. Kemp led off with a walk. Grandal smashed a double into the right-center gap. Kemp scored from first. After a walk by Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig tied the game on a double which could have given the Dodgers the lead, had a fan not interfered.
Puig slashed a changeup down the third-base line. The ball rattled along the wall, where a fellow in Giants gear reached over the fence and pocketed it. The umpires held up play as Bellinger rounded third. He was sent back to the bag. The Dodgers challenged the call, insisting Bellinger would have scored. A replay review upheld the initial call.
Ryu defused the controversy with his own bat. Holland fell behind with two quick balls. The count ran full as Ryu fouled off three different fastballs. Holland tried another in the ninth pitch of the at-bat. The double bounced past Longoria at third base, beyond the reach of any overeager spectators.
Ryu protected the lead into the sixth. With two outs, Giants catcher Buster Posey peppered him with a ball up the middle. The ball connected with Ryu's leg. A trainer visited the mound, but Ryu shook him off. He had less success with Roberts, who took the baseball from his starter and handed it to reliever Josh Fields. Disaster nearly followed.
Fields led with a first-pitch curveball that bisected the plate. Longoria unloaded on the pitch. His drive died on th
