Los Angeles

Eric Lauer Just Misses a Complete Game Shutout as San Dieo Stymies Dodgers Offense

Austin Hedges and Wil Myers both homered, and the San Diego Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1, on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

What a difference a day makes. 

Austin Hedges and Wil Myers both homered, and the San Diego Padres defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1, on Tuesday night at Petco Park. 

Twenty-four little hours ago, the Dodgers brought the sun and the flowers, in a blowout victory backed by six shutout innings of Clayton Kershaw.

On Tuesday, came the rain; both literally and figuratively, as it sprinkled in San Diego throughout the day. As the water drops landed on fans late in the afternoon, it was the Padres who made it rain during the game at the plate.

Both teams took turns trading zeroes through the first four innings until San Diego broke the game open with a four-run fifth.

Austin Hedges hit a three-run homer off Rich Hill and Wil Myers followed with a solo shot, his sixth home run in his last four games.

"It was just two pitches that they hit out," said Hill. "Complete frustration on my part right now, and that's the way it is. The guy over there [Lauer] pitched really well. Tip your cap to him."

Earlier in the at-bat to Hedges, Hill thought he had struck out the Padres' catcher with an 0-2 curveball down in the zone. However, home plate umpire Vic Carapazza called it a ball and Hedges crushed a fastball into the upper-deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building on the very next pitch.

"It could have went either way," said Hill of the pitch. "I'll have to go back and look at it. At first glance it looked like a strike. I don't usually second guess the umpires, but that's one of those pitches you wish would have gone the other way."

Outside of that one inning, Hill (2-4) was solid, allowing four runs on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in a season-high seven innings of work.

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"I'm just tired of losing. I hate losing," said Hill. "When you have good stuff and unfortunately things just don't go our way, obviously that's the game, but it just sucks to lose."

Just one day after Kershaw threw six scoreless innings against San Diego, it was a different left-hander's turn in 23-year-old Padres' rookie Eric Lauer.

Lauer (5-5) was lights out against Los Angeles, scattering just four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight and 2/3 scoreless innings before surrendering a home run to Max Muncy on the final at-bat of the game. 

"Muncy put a good swing on one late, but we really didn't threaten all night," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts of Lauer.

Entering the game, Lauer had never pitched into the seventh inning on the season, but was one out away from his first career complete-game shutout before the Muncy homer. 

"He's got a f---ing weird heater," said Bellinger. "It's a slow delivery and then the ball just jumps and it's behind you. He was also hitting his spots too. Not a lot of balls were over the middle of the plate."

Despite the solo shot, Lauer has been dominant against the Dodgers in his two starts against them this season. The Ohio native has allowed just one run in 14 innings, recording just two walks and 13 strikeouts in two games this year. 

"Both nights he pitched well against us," said Roberts. "Certain guys were getting some good swings off of him, but obviously he's had our number."

The lone bright spot for the Boys in Blue came on defense as center fielder Cody Bellinger robbed Eric Hosmer of a home run in the fourth inning.

"I just looked for the fence and jumped," said Bellinger of the play. "I didn't even know it was a homer until Kiké told me it was. That's the first one I've ever robbed, so that was pretty cool."

Up Next:

New father, Kenta Maeda, takes the mound on Wednesday against LHP Joey Lucchesi for San Diego. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM PST. 

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