In 1962 the Dodgers set a record for the longest scoreless innings streak at 35 which eventually cost the (then) four-year-old Los Angeles franchise the National League pennant. The scoreless innings streak (and related losing streak) allowed the hated San Francisco Giants to catch the Dodgers in the standings, thus forcing a three-game playoff which the Giants won three games to two. Had the Dodgers won even one game during that scoreless innings streak, they would have finished ahead of the Giants in the standings and would have advanced to the 1962 World Series against the New York Yankees.

On Friday night, the Dodgers narrowly missed breaking that dubious 53-year-old scoreless innings mark when, in the bottom of the fifth inning, they finally scored after Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner hit a leadoff single, took second base on an error by San Diego Padres center fielder Will Venable and then scored on a double to right by Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier to end the near week-long scoring drought.

“Dre’s hit was huge. It broke the ice for us,” said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly after the game.

Ethier’s double in the bottom of the fifth inning drove home Justin Turner from second base to prevent the Dodgers from setting a new and dubious record of 36 scoreless innings. However, they did tie the record at 35. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Justin Turner steps hard on home plate to bring to an end the painful scoreless-innings drought that began last Sunday. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Padres tied the game 1-1 in top of the seventh inning on back-to-back doubles by Padres catcher Derek Norris and Venable forcing Mattingly to take Zack Greinke out of the game one inning later with the score still tied. After striking out Padres pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte and first baseman Yangervis Solarte, Greinke gave up a base hit to Padres second baseman Cory Spangenberg prompting a visit to the mound by Mattingly. But Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis (who had entered the game in the fifth inning when starting catcher Yasmani Grandal was struck in the head on a back swing by Solarte to end the third inning) convinced Mattingly to leave Greinke in to face former Dodger Matt Kemp, who was 0 for 3 on the night against the Dodger right-hander. Unfortunately, Greinke walked Kemp forcing Mattingly to bring in right-hander Chris Hatcher to face Justin Upton – the Padres best hitter.

“Don asked me ‘Do you feel lousy?’ and I told him ‘I didn’t feel lousy,’ but he took me out anyway,” said Greinke after the game. “I pitched good to Kemp all night but made bad pitches to Matt and walked him and [Mattingly] took me out.”

Hatcher got Upton to fly out to right to end the inning and the threat – on one pitch.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Dodgers rookie center field Joc Pederson absolutely crushed a Joaquin Benoit 95-MPH fastball on an 0-2 count that landed halfway up the Right Field Pavilion in right-center field to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

Joc Pederson’s game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning traveled an estimated 430 feet. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and retired the Padres in order on only 12 pitches (nine strikes) to collect his second save in three appearance since returning from the disabled list exactly one week ago.

Even though Greinke was absolutely brilliant in his 8.2 innings of work making a total of 105 pitches (69 strikes), Hatcher picked up the win – his first of the season – on one pitch.

Sometimes baseball just isn’t fair.