It is a play that the Dodgers make 99 times out of 100. It came on the third pitch of Saturday’s game between the Dodgers and their most-hated division-rivals, the San Francisco Giants, at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers did not make the play.

Instead, Giants rookie sensation Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, popped up the third pitch of the game off of Dodgers rookie right-hander Tony Gonsolin (which was actually a ball) into short right field. Dodgers rookie second baseman Gavin Lux backed out to field the ball while right fielder Joc Pederson ran in to field it. Both called for it but neither made the catch and just like that, on the very first play of the eventual three-hour and 21-minute contest, the game was essentially over.

“It was just a miscommunication,” Lux told reporters after the game. “I was in a shift. It happens, it’s baseball. Joc called it, I called it at the same time. It happens.”

But no one expected what happened next.

After the Lux / Pederson gaff (which was ruled a base hit), Giants first baseman Brandon Belt popped out to Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, Giants third baseman Evan Longoria walked on seven pitches, catcher Stephen Vogt singled to right, and center fielder Kevin Pillar grounded out to Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, allowing Yastrzemski to score easily from third. It would take Gonsolin 39 pitches to finally retire the side – all because of a miscommunication pop-up single that should have been caught.

“I grinded through the first inning,” Gonsolin said after the painful 1-0 shutout loss, the Dodgers first since May 18. “I think it’s another example of lack of executing and I made the adjustment after that. My command just wasn’t great.”

What also wasn’t great was the Dodgers offense. Giants right-hander Tyler Beede, who entered the game with a 3-9 record and less-than-stellar 5.61 ERA, was… well… stellar. In his 5.0 innings of work, Beede allowed no runs and only four hits (none for extra bases), while walking three and striking out five. In fact, the Dodgers would not get an extra-base hit all night.

“We lose a game, but to see what Tony did after that first super stressful inning – where he was a hitter away from being removed – to not concede and reset and throw three scoreless innings, that showed a lot of maturity,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I still think there were some good things to take away.”

Obviously, the lack of Dodgers offense was not one of them.

With the loss, the Dodgers second in a row, their Magic Number to clinch their seventh consecutive National League West division title remains at four. Should their lack of offense – and dropped pop-ups that should be made continue to drop, it might be a while before that Magic Number also drops; especially with the red hot Arizona Diamondbacks having won 11 of their last 12 games.

Play Ball!

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