Just as they were during the just-concluded three-game interleague series with the American League East-leading New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium this past weekend, the Dodgers bats remain Missing In Action, as the National League West leaders opened a four-game series with the NL West fourth-place San Diego Padres on Monday night at Petco Park.

But unlike the butt whopping that the Bronx Bombers put on their longtime former borough neighbors, the Dodgers actually beat themselves on Monday night in front of a Petco Park crowd of 26,172, of which roughly half were Dodger fans.

Although a regulation nine-inning game, the eventual 4-3 Dodgers loss (as opposed to a Padres win) boiled down to one play in the bottom half of the sixth inning. That half-frame began when soon-to-be (on September 6) 22-year-old Dodgers rookie right-hander Dustin May, who was absolutely superb until that point, gave up a leadoff double to Padres pinch-hitter Austin Allen, followed by back-to-back singles to second baseman Greg Garcia and right fielder Josh Naylor, which turned a 3-1 Dodgers lead into a 3-2 ballgame.

But on Naylor’s single to right-center field, Dodgers centerfielder A.J. Pollock halfheartedly threw the ball back into the infield over the head of Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, the cutoff man, that short-hopped Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner and went between his legs. Unfortunately, May, who should have been backing up Turner, was nowhere to be seen and the ball rolled into the Dodgers dugout which, according to the MLB rule book, allowed Garcia and Naylor two bases. In other words, Garcia was awarded home and Naylor third base.

Naylor would then score on a groundout by former Dodger and current Padres third baseman Manny Machado to Dodgers second baseman Max Muncy for what would prove to be the eventual game-winning (unearned) run.

“Proved to be the difference in the game,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game.

“There’s no excuse for what happened,” May said. “I should have been behind third to back the ball up. Can’t let it go into the dugout in that situation. A huge situation.”

“The throw came in and I was assuming Corey was going to cut it off, but it was over his head,” Turner said. “I tried to knock it down, and it just sneaked by me.”

Of course, the two unearned (winning) runs wouldn’t have mattered if the Dodgers showed even some slight offense on Monday night. Even though Turner went 3-for-4 on the night with a home run, double, and single, he and right fielder Kiké Hernandez (who hit a monster 424-foot solo home in the top of the sixth inning) accounted for the sum and total of the Dodgers offense. The National League’s best team finished the night with three runs on seven hits and four walks. However, they also had 13 strikeouts on the night which, quite frankly, is unacceptable for a team hoping to get to their third consecutive World Series.

“It’s baseball,” Turner said. “If you guys expect us to score 10, 12 runs every single night, you guys are out of your mind. We just gotta keep working, keep putting together ABs, and stuff like this happens during the course of a season to every single team, no matter how good or bad they are.”

Ironically (or perhaps even poetically) the game ended when Turner struck out looking on a pitch that he thought was low and away (it wasn’t). That being said, home plate umpire Rob Drake was absolutely awful all night long … but equally so for both teams.

“There was a lot of very questionable calls throughout the game,” Turner said. “He called strike three and I asked him, ‘Did you call that a strike?’ And he told me it was right down the middle, which was pretty upsetting.

“Then, he walks into me and told me not to bump him, which also upsets me,” Turner added. “Not trying to bump him or touch him in any way. But when you walk into me and cry foul like I hit you or something, it’s brutal.”

…but not as brutal as Pollock’s inexcusable throwing error.

Play Ball!

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