The Dodgers (78-63) lost the series opener to the Orioles (65-76) in walk-off fashion 2-1 Friday night at Camden Yards. It was not only a painful game because it was their fourth straight loss. The Dodgers have also lost both their catchers to injury on this road trip. Dalton Rushing suffered a leg contusion, and had to be removed from the game in the series opener against the O’s.
The Dodgers offense went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight men on base. The offensive incompetence
has been just as painful as the mounting injuries.
Shohei Ohtani stepped up and started on short notice after Tyler Glasnow was scratched from his start prior to first pitch due to back tightness. Ohtani returned to the mound after his start was pushed back due to illness, and he pushed through despite not feeling 100%.
Ohtani’s emotions were on display. He only made it through 3 2/3 innings, but Ohtani emptied his tank in the bottom of the fourth to preserve the scoreless tie.
The first base runner for either team didn’t come until Emmanuel Rivera’s two out single up the middle in the bottom of the second inning. Rivera moved into scoring position on wild pitch Dalton Rushing should have been able to smother.
The Dodgers put on back-to-back two-out base runners in the top of the third. Miguel Rojas reached on a fielding error by second baseman Jackson Holliday, and Kremer walked Ohtani. Mookie Betts grounded out to third, and the Dodgers stranded the two runners.
After three no-hit innings, Kremer had to be replaced on the mound due to right forearm discomfort. Left-hander Dietrich Enns took over on the mound.
Freddie Freeman notched the first base hit of the game for the Dodgers in the fourth. It went down as a single in the books, but the little nubber didn’t leave the infield. The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs after walks to Michael Conforto and Enrique Hernández. The Dodgers once again come up empty with the bases loaded after Dalton Rushing struck out looking against Enns.
The Orioles cashed in all the walks and wild pitches the Dodgers were dishing out in the bottom of the fifth. Anthony Banda walked Jackson Holliday, and Ben Casparius came in and walked Gunnar Henderson. Holliday stole third base, and a wild pitch unleashed by Casparius wasn’t handled by Dalton again. Holliday came home and scored, sliding under the tag. That was the fifth wild pitch with Dalton Rushing behind the plate the last two games.
Freeman immediately tied it up 1-1 with a leadoff solo home run off Kade Strowd in the top of the sixth. It was the first time the Dodgers scored in 23 innings.
If things couldn’t get anymore dire for the Dodgers in the catching department after Smith’s injury, they also lost Rushing to a lower left leg contusion. Rushing collapsed at the plate and had to come out of the game, clearly in pain, after after fouling the ball off his right leg (right below the knee). He had to be helped off the field. Ben Rortvedt took over behind the plate.
The Dodgers stranded Betts at third in the seventh, their eighth man left on base.
Blake Treinen came in and shut down the Birds in the bottom half of the seventh. Treinen made a huge play when he picked off Jorge Mateo between first and second base.
Tanner Scott couldn’t get the job done in the bottom of the ninth, and a two-out Samuel Basallo walk-off home run sunk the Dodgers once again.
Friday particulars
Home runs: Freddie Freeman (19); Samuel Basallo (2)
WP — Yennier Cano (3-6): 1 IP, no hits, no runs, no walks, 1 strikeout (14 pitches)
LP — Tanner Scott (1-3): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, no walks, 2 strikeouts (17 pitches)
Up next
The Dodgers will need to regroup for the second game of the series in Baltimore on Saturday with first pitch at (4:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.82 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) makes his 27th start of the season for the Dodgers. Left-hander Trevor Rogers (8-2, 1.39 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) starts for the Orioles.
