It took exactly two pitches into Friday night’s game between the Dodgers and Washington Nationals for Dodger fans – and the entire world – to figure out what the Nationals’ game plan was going to be against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw – look first-pitch fastball and then crush it.

And they did exactly that.

In fact, by the time the 30-year-old Dallas, Texas native and future Hall of Famer made his eighth pitch of the night, the score was already 2-0 and the writing was clearly on the wall as to how this one was going to end. And even though the Dodgers managed to put two runs on the board in the eventual 5-2 loss to the Nationals and to the (current) best pitcher in the game in Max Scherzer, it was the bottom of that very first frame that all but sealed the deal to give the now 1-3 Kershaw his third loss in five starts and give the now 4-1 Scherzer his fourth win in five starts.

In what was billed as the marquee match-up of the season thus far, Nationals right-hander clearly came out on top over Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw. Scherzer allowed only one run on four hits with three walks and nine strikeouts in his six innings of work to improve his record to 4-1 and drop his ERA to a minuscule 1.36 on the young season. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of that first frame, an already stunned (eventual) Dodger Stadium crowd of 50,211 immediately felt a sigh of relief when Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor, also known as a first-pitch swinger, did exactly that and laced Scherzer’s 93.9 MPH first-pitch fastball into the left-center field gap for a triple.

There weren’t many, but one of the highlights from Friday night’s game was Chris Taylor’s first-inning / first-pitch triple off of future Hall of Fame right-hander Max Scherzer. The Dodgers center fielder would also double off the the Nats ace in the bottom of the fifth inning. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

This was followed by Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager being hit by a pitch to put runners at first and third with nobody out; about as ideal of a situation as there can be against any team and especially against a three-time Cy Young award winner. I mean, even a double play in this situation would result in a run, right?

Wrong.

Over the course of the next five minutes, catcher Yasmani Grandal – the Dodgers’ hottest hitter – popped out to Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, and Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger struck out swinging, bringing Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson and his .156 batting average (5-for-32), four strikeouts and six walks to the plate. In the kindest of terms, Pederson is pretty much good for a walk or a strikeout. In fact, by all appearances, the 26-year-old (today) Palo Alto, California native and Dodgers 11th-round draft pick in 2010, steps into the batter’s box looking to walk, as opposed to… say… hitting his way aboard, especially with two outs and a runner on third.

The expression on the face of the guy behind Joc Pederson’s left arm pretty much sums of what every Dodger fan felt when Pederson took a called strike three, thus stranding runners at the corners in Friday night’s eventual 5-2 loss to the Washington National. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

This, of course, brings up the burning question as to why – regardless of who’s on the mound – Dodgers manager Dave Roberts continues to run Joc out there when he had (in this case) a .340-hitting Matt Kemp or even a .235-hitting Kiké Hernandez sitting on the bench, either of whom would have clearly been a better option to start the game in left field.

Then again, Grandal and Bellinger were also unable to score Taylor from third base with less than two outs either, but there is zero argument that both of these guys need to be in the Dodgers line up every day.

Obviously it isn’t fair to lay Friday night’s disappointing loss entirely on Pederson. In fact, the aforementioned Grandal and Bellinger both stranded four runners on base on the night. Add to that the fact that, as a team, the Dodgers stranded a total of nine runners on base and were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Simply put, this isn’t going to get it done against a team that has made it to the postseason in four of the last six years … or any team, for that matter.

“You look at the last four games, I thought we’d been pretty good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game. “Scherzer’s kind of a hard guy to gauge off of. We understand this is April, but the intensity already in the clubhouse with Clayton pitching, and we know who we’re playing, it’s that kind of playoff mindset. It’s an important baseball game.

“When you play a team that’s as talented as they are, and you face one of the game’s best pitchers, there is a little bit more at stake I think; your pride, individually competing against Scherzer, your pride as a ball club,” Roberts added.

And then there’s Pedro Baez.

Just when it appeared as though the beleaguered and oft-criticized Dodgers reliever was finally… finally back to the dominant Pedro Baez of old, he yet again doesn’t miss an opportunity to step on his … foot.

Thus far through the 2018 campaign and including Friday night’s game, Dodgers pitchers have given up six bases loaded walks. Of those six, Baez has issued three of them. And while there is no disputing that when he is on, he is really on, the 30-year-old Bani, Dominican Republic native doesn’t seem to remain on very long.

Yet another Pedro Baez fail.
(Photo credit – John McCoy)

But here again, even with Baez’s eighth-inning, bases loaded, two-out walk to Nats third baseman Wilmer Difo to force in right fielder Bryce Harper for Washington’s fifth and final run of the night, it was the complete meltdown by the Dodgers offense – even with runners on first and third with nobody out – that slew the beast on this night.

But hey, “it’s still early,” right?

(Shakes head).