Game Recap: Joc Walks It Off, Kershaw and Puig Return on Jackie Robinson Day
The Dodgers opened up a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds on a day jam-packed with drama, celebration, and returns.
The club sent the returning Clayton Kershaw to the mound against budding ace Luis Castillo.
Kersh is back, tell a friend. pic.twitter.com/fDKSVhyrdN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 15, 2019
Old Friends
Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, and Kyle Farmer also made their returns to Dodger Stadium for the first time since being shipped to Cincinnati.
Kemp, Wood, and Farmer were presented with their National League Championship rings by some members of the Dodgers front office. Puig was fashionably late to the stadium and missed the meeting. And start of his own press conference.
Puig had a wild ride of a day.
Reunited. pic.twitter.com/nCgb1Yt0bN
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2019
We All Wear 42
It was also a big day around the game of baseball with today being Jackie Robinson Day and everyone donning the beloved 42.
Today, we all wear 42. #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/B01xv5vCLf
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2019
Vin Scully and Rachel Robinson
Vin Scully even made an appearance and was greeted by the lovely Rachel Robinson.
Vin and Mrs. Robinson. #Jackie42 pic.twitter.com/QswmskJ5DQ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2019
Joc Pederson Clutches Up
The game got off to a banging start with Yasiel Puig tagging Clayton Kershaw for a two-run bomb in the first inning.
The Dodgers came up with a run of their own in the bottom half of the first inning off a Cody Bellinger ground-rule double.
Nothing really got going until the bottom of the fifth inning, where AJ Pollock walked with the bases loaded to tie the game.
The ninth inning represented a stunner, with another former Dodger punishing his former team. Matt Kemp delivered a single off Kenley Jansen to put the Reds up in the ninth.
In the bottom half of the ninth inning, fireworks flew. Raisel Iglesias walked David Freese to bring the winning run to the plate in the form of Joc Pederson, who crushed a two-run walk-off bomb!
Big things poppin’. pic.twitter.com/fYeTp4gcFk
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 16, 2019
Return of the Ace
Outside of the scoring, Clayton Kershaw looked great. He tossed seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs off the Puig homer. He struck out six. Good start to the season for the ace lefty. The velocity was down a little bit from last year which is concerning, but it is just one start. His usage patterns also changed in the game, using his fastball 8.7% less, slider 4% more, and curveball 5% more than last season’s average. His fastball velocity sat at 90.0 mph for the night, compared to 90.9 mph in 2018 and 92.7 mph in 2017. We are looking at a new Kersh.
Cody Bellinger Update
A scary moment also occurred in the third inning where Cody Bellinger was plunked on the kneecap with a 95 mph Luis Castillo fastball. He stayed in the game but was replaced the following inning by Alex Verdugo. The good news is, the x-rays on his knee were negative and he is supposedly just day-to-day. Great news.
Bellinger x-rays on his knee are negative. Hit him flush on his knee but it’s not broken. Roberts said this was best case scenario.
— AlaNNa Rizzo (@alannarizzo) April 16, 2019
Results
W: Kenley Jansen (1-0)
L: Raisel Iglesias (0-3)
Next Up
The Dodgers face the Reds again with Kenta Maeda (2-1, 4.76 ERA) taking the hill against Tyler Mahle (0-0, 0.82 ERA) at 7:10 PT!
Lost in the box score………a starter actually pitched SEVEN innings in one game!
Let me just say this bluz1st, if I were the manager I would see to it that one of our pitchers returns that ‘favor’ of plucking one of the Red’s hitters back. This has been talked about with Dodger pitching not backing up and protecting their teammates I just wonder how Alston or Lasorda would have responded to this. .
Last night the Dodgers actually played their own minor league, yea they were wearing red, but those were AAA Dodgers. As I said earlier, thank you Joc! After another weak performance by Kenley Jansen, I had all but chalked this one up as a loss.
Hey bluz1st, thankfully the Dodgers will face another RHP because if not guess where Joc would be at the start of tonight’s game….sitting on the bench!
Now that was a game. Kershaw showed up for seven innings. I think most of us, including Kershaw, intuitively knew what to expect when Puig stepped up in the 1st. After Puig tipped his red cap and effortlessly hit that 2-run home run, Kershaw was on. I trusted that the Dodgers were not going to let this game get away, especially after Bellinger was hit. (It is a relief to hear that Cody is okay.) At the top of the 9th, (classy) Kemp, virtually going unnoticed, quietly hit the single that put the Reds ahead and set the stage for a poetic justice “come back.” Peterson’s masterful walk off was a piece of work and could not have been scripted better for Jackie Robinson Day. Go Dodgers!
So glad douche puig lost, I was ok with Kemp even though I was pissed but I’d rather it be him than Puig. That walk off was awesome
When I saw/heard when Bellinger was hit on the knee/leg, I thought he will need surgery and therefore done for the year. I was amazed he was able to at least get to first, but you could he was limping. “Get him out of the game.”
1. Bellinger was hit on purpose by that (expletive deleted) pitcher, who threw right at his knee.
2. The Man – Clayton K – a real starter – is back – none too soon.
Dodgers are spineless and or always oblivious to these things. That was clearly on purpose as well as that Seager HBP in STL.
If Dodgers hitters are being hit on purpose, reminds me of Hanley Ramirez being hit in the ribs against STL, which basically derailed their World Series chances, in the playoffs a few years ago, ironically by Joe Kelly.
I concur. The pitch that hit Bellinger looked purposeful. I thought that Bellinger was seriously injured and would be out for awhile like Turner last year. I am glad that he left the game after a valiant effort to “walk it off” and relieved nothing was broken.
Lost in the win was the bullpen failing again.
To be honest, Kemp hit a pitch way outside the zone. The bullpen sucks this year but sometimes it’s not the pitcher’s fault.
And BTW, the Dodgers have now hit a HR in 30 straight home games, just 2 shy of the Rockies’ record of 32 set back in 1999.