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 When the right-handers were paired again Tuesday afternoon before
35,033 at Petco Park, cooler heads — and Greinke — prevailed as
the Dodgers held onto a 3-2 win to knot the best-of-three series at
a game apiece.
"It was just something that happened and it's over," Dodgers manager
Don Mattingly said after Greinke allowed two runs on two hits over
five innings to run his career record to 4-0 against the Padres.
"Nothing to me," said Greinke, who was spotted a 2-0 lead before he
took the mound.
The two runs came on a tape-measure blast by right fielder Yasiel
Puig, who was also at the center of the events last June when
Kennedy was pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The bad blood began when Kennedy hit Puig in the nose with a pitch.
Greinke then hit Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero. Kennedy
responded by hitting Greinke — triggering a bench-clearing brawl
that resulted in a 10-game suspension for Kennedy.
Puig wasted no time in drawing retribution from Kennedy Tuesday.
Left fielder Carl Crawford opened the Dodgers first with a single,
moving to second on a steal and reaching third on a throwing error
by Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal.
Puig immediately drove a 2-and-1 Kennedy fastball 410 feet onto the
second balcony of the Western Metal Supply building down the
left-field foul line.
"He's strong," Kennedy said of Puig.
The Dodgers upped their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth on a
two-out double by catcher A.J. Ellis and a line single to center by
second baseman Dee Gordon.
Greinke retired the first 10 Padres he faced before left fielder
Seth Smith hit his second homer in as many games over a span of
three at-bats. Smith's 374-foot drive into the right-field stands
raised his career average against Greinke to .400 (6-for-15) and cut
the Dodgers lead to 3-1.
"That wasn't surprising," said Greinke. "He usually takes good
swings off me."
The Padres pulled to within a run in the fifth when second baseman
Jedd Gyorko scored on a Greinke wild pitch after drawing an
inning-opening walk.
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But the Padres blew several opportunities to tie the game over the
last four innings.
Third baseman Chase Headley bounced into rally-killing double plays
in the sixth and the eighth. "That's baseball," said Headley. "But
if you go in there over the course of a long season, those are going
to go your way."
In the ninth, singles by first baseman Yonder Alonso and center
fielder Will Venable put Padres on first and third with one out. But
Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out right fielder Chris Denorfia
and pinch-hitter Nick Hundley around a bases-filling walk to Grandal
to end the game. "I never doubted myself," said Jansen.
Both Greinke and Kennedy retired after five innings. Greinke allowed
two runs on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Kennedy
allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
NOTES: The Dodgers received a double dose of bad pitching news
Tuesday. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will be on a
"submaximal throwing program" for at least two-to-three weeks before
his back strain will be re-evaluated. And reliever Brian Wilson is
going on the 15-day disabled list with a nerve impingement in the
right elbow that underwent Tommy John surgery last April. ...
Dodgers CF Matt Kemp could be activated from the disabled list by
this weekend. ... With two off days in the season's first five days,
the Padres will skip their fifth starter the first time through the
rotation and go with Opening Day starter Andrew Cashner Saturday
night in Miami. ... LHP Max Fried, the seventh overall pick in the
2012 draft, has remained at extended spring training in Arizona with
an elbow strain.
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