SAN DIEGO – Dodgers déjà vu?
For the second straight game, the Los Angeles Dodgers shutout the San Diego Padres, with their starting pitchers throwing one-hit wonders.
Scott Kazmir (1-0) defied the critics in his Dodgers debut, throwing six innings of shutout ball allowing just one-hit with no walks and five strikeouts.
"I just wanted to get out there and have a good start to the season, and get some outs early and just get in the dugout as quick as possible," Kazmir told the media after the game. "I've got defense behind me that gives me a great deal of confidence to make pitches even behind in the count. Overall it was a good day."
Kazmir becomes the second straight Texas-native with a last name that starts with a "K" to throw a one-hit shutout over San Diego. 24 hours earlier, it was teammate, Clayton Kershaw, who one-hit the Padres on Opening Day, making San Diego the only team in the Major Leagues that has not scored a run this season.
"I don't think this is the way anyone draws it up," Padres manager Andy Green told the media. "This isn't even what we're looking to do. Every single guy wants to break the seal for us and get us going and it just hasn't happened for us yet."
The paltry Padres have just six hits on the season, compared to the Dodgers who have 23. Dodgers rookie shortstop, Corey Seager, has four hits already on the season.
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The No. 1 prospect in baseball had three hits on Tuesday night, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored. Yasiel Puig did most of the damage for the Dodgers as he tripled for the second straight game in the fourth inning.
In fact, all the Dodgers' runs came in the fourth when the team finally broke the game open off Padres starter James Shields (0-1). Seager led the inning off with a single, and two batters later, Adrian Gonzalez, continued to do damage to his former team with a double off the centerfield wall. Puig followed with a two-run triple, and Carl Crawford drove the Cuban home on the next pitch.
Shields allowed three runs on six hits, with one walk and six strikeouts in six innings.
The Los Angeles pitching staff has been perfect to start the season as seven different pitchers now post an ERA of 0.00. Kazmir, Pedro Baez, Chris Hatcher and Kenley Jansen combined to allow just two total hits, and retired 26 of the final 27 batters in the game.
Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Players of the Game:
Scott Kazmir: 0 runs on one hit, with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings.
Corey Seager: 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Yasiel Puig: 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs.
Kenley Jansen: Two strikeouts in his first save of the season.
Three Takeaways:
1. Kazmir Silences Critics: A few weeks ago Kazmir had baseball critics mystified as he struggled in spring training. Things got so bad at one point, that the Dodgers sent Kazmir down to start a "B Team" game to get his groove back. Kazmir rebounded with great effort in his final tuneup before the regular season, and dominated the Padres on Tuesday allowing no runs on one-hit in six innings.
Kazmir pulls the wool over the Padres' eyes; Dodgers win pic.twitter.com/KiHvadG3YL — TheConman (@akaTheConman) April 6, 2016
2. Welcome to the NL, Kid: Did you know that Scott Kazmir made not only his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night, but his NL debut as well? Surprisingly, the 13-year veteran has pitched for six different teams in his career, but only now has one been in the National League. The three-time All-Star clearly didn't mind the change in league as he silenced San Diego.
Kazmir loving the NL though someone should tell him not every NL team trots out 9 pitchers #Padres — Colin Wynner (@ColinWynners) April 6, 2016
3. The Wild Horse Runs Wild: For the second straight game, Yasiel Puig, hit a triple. On Opening Day, it was the icing on the cake. On Tuesday, it was the knockout blow. Many questioned which Yasiel Puig would show up for 2016. Would it be the overweight injury prone Puig from 2015? Or the Yasiel Puig from 2013 that hit the Major Leagues like a bat out of hell. Thus far – with a two-game sample size – Puig has been a force to be reckoned with at the plate.
It's early, but Puig looks great. Patient, tough at-bats. His return to form would be huge for Dodgers, obviously. — Molly Knight (@molly_knight) April 6, 2016
Up Next:
Dodgers: Kenta Maeda takes the mound on Wednesday in his Major League debut as Los Angeles looks to sweep the three-game Opening Series. Clearly, Maeda will have big shoes to fill after Kershaw and Kazmir threw one-hit shutouts.
Padres: Andrew Cashner will take the ball looking to get the Padres their first win – and first runs – of the 2016 season.
