April 7th, 2015 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka When your team is down by a run in the bottom of the eighth inning and you’re down in the count 0-2, what do you do?
If you’re Jimmy Rollins, you slow everything down
“I was looking for a pitch in one spot and I didn’t get it and I was down 0 and 2,” Rollins said after the Dodgers exciting 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Opening Day in front of the home crowd. “Then I just slowed everything down and eventually [San Diego Padres right-hander Shawn Kelley] put one in the spot and I got it.”
What Rollins didn’t say was that he worked that 0-2 count into a 3-2 count and then fouled off two consecutive sliders. Kelley then tried to sneak a 92-MPH fastball past the 36-year-old / 15-year MLB veteran on the inside corner of the plate – which just so happens to be “that one spot.” Rollins promptly deposited that pitch about 10 rows deep into the right field seats for the Opening Day game-winning three-run home run for the Dodgers.
Rollins worked an 0-2 count into an eight-pitch full count before hitting his game-winning home run. It was as professional of an at-bat as you will ever see. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
But the home run wasn’t Rollins’s only hit in his Dodgers debut on a picture-perfect Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, he also had a leadoff single in his first at bat as a Dodger in the bottom of the first innings and drew a walk in the bottom of the third inning. In other words, Rollins put on a clinic for wannabe future baseball players – especially as a leadoff hitter.
Rollins wasn’t the first Dodger to go yard in 2015. Reigning MLB RBI champ Adrian Gonzalez took Padres newly acquired ace James Shields deep to right to leadoff the bottom of the fourth inning to briefly tie the game at 1-1. AGon’s homer was followed by a Howie Kendrick triple, which was followed by a Carl Crawford double to give Dodgers ace and defending 2014 NL MVP and Cy Young award-winner Clayton Kershaw a 2-1 lead. But just when it appeared that the Dodgers might put up a reverse cycle in the inning, Juan Uribe grounded out, Joc Pederson popped out, A.J. Ellis was intentionally walked and Kershaw struck out to end the inning and the cycle threat.
Adrian Gonzalez collected the first Dodgers home run of the new season with his leadoff blast in the fourth inning. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)
The Padres regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Uribe failed to make what should have been an inning-ending routine 5-3 ground out off the bat of Padres catcher Derek Norris, but instead, Uribe took his time on the play which allowed Norris to reach first base safely to extend the inning. The play was ruled an infield single but there wasn’t a sole among the sellout crowd of 53,518 who didn’t recognize Uribe’s blunder. Former Dodger Matt Kemp then doubled in Norris and Clint Barmes, who had led off the inning with a double himself followed by back-to-back strikeouts of Shields and Wil Myers by Kershaw. Uribe’s blown play cost Kershaw the eventual win and led to the three-time Cy Young award winner giving up three earned runs instead of only one.
As for Matt Kemp, he only had all three of the Padres RBIs while going 2 for 4 on the day with a double and a single. The beloved former Dodger received a warm welcome from fans during the pre-game introductions and as he stepped to the plate for the first time not wearing a Dodger uniform. After that, however, Kemp was no longer a beloved former Dodger and received the same welcome as any other non-Dodger player.
Rookie right-hander Yimi Garcia relieved Kershaw in the seventh inning striking out two in a 1-2-3 inning. Garcia was followed by veteran right-hander Joel Peralta who allowed one hit in his one scoreless inning of work. Peralta benefited from the Rollins home run to earn the win. Hard-throwing right-hander Chris Hatcher pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first major league save. And although Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has repeatedly declined to name a closer pro tem until regular closer Kenley Jansen returns to action, many feel that Hatcher will get the majority of save opportunities until then.
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Great at bat! Great game! Great day! Go @Dodgers
Vin mentioned Rollins’ batting average was about the same with one strike, two strikes or no strikes. It was a great AB – hopefully a trend setter for the team.
The news of Hanley’s big day and the fact that Kemp had knocked in all the Padres’ runs gave me a solemn feeling and certainly didn’t make Friedman and Zaidi look too good. Then came the unexpected surprising 3 run blast by Rollins. All’s well that ends well.
OBF – I don’t think we can judge on the basis of one game. However – Rollins, Kendrick, Pederson, Peralta, Hatcher all had good days and contributed to the win.So did Yimi Garcia. The Dodgers had several very good defensive plays I expect they might not have made last year.
Matt’s team lost, Dee’s team lost, the Dodgers won. Hanley simply had to go, in my opinion, no matter who the Dodgers GM would have been, with Corey Seager knocking on the door. We’ll see if he can hold up through a whole season without going on the DL.
I agree Ron. Hanley wouldn’t have battled through that kind of at bat the way Rollins did, and lead his team to the win. I feel like Rollins and Kendrick are already showing more character and leadership than Hanley and Kemp did last year. And I will be shocked if Hanley is not on the DL by the All-Star Break. I’m actually thinking it will happen by the end of May.