Padres vs Dodgers Game Recap 4/5/12

For the first time in 2012, this game recap is covering a regular season game.  With the heart of San Diego (the military) in full force, a sold out crowd, and the hated Dodgers in town, the Padres opened the 2012 season against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Edinson Volquez looked dominant through three innings, but then it all went south in the fourth.  Clayton Kershaw battled the flu to make his scheduled start, but he was only able to go three innings.  While Kershaw couldn’t qualify for the win, his team won nonetheless 5-3.

On the heels of three errors and inexplicable walks, the Dodgers scored the first three runs of the game.  In the fourth inning, Volquez walked four Dodgers.  Two of those walks were issued with the bases loaded.  The third run of the game came on a dropped ball by Cameron Maybin and a bobbled grounder by Jason Bartlett.

The Padres got on the board with a walk and a steal by Will Venable followed by a double by Jesus Guzman.  Guzman finished the game 1 for 4, but that one double was further proof of the power and pure ability at the plate that Guzman possesses.  The Padres got another glimpse of some power later in the game from both the Dodgers and their own center fielder.

In the eight, as the Padres hoped to mount a rally, Matt Kemp hit a two-run home run that barely cleared the wall in right field.  The Dodgers went ahead 5-1, thus reducing the Padres odds of a come back.  However, Cameron Maybin quickly recovered those odds.  He hit an absolute blast in the bottom of the eighth.  His two-run shot was so far gone, Maybin had a chance to stand an watch it before circling the bases.  It was the seventh-longest home run in Petco Park history at 445 feet.

Brad Brach, who made the roster because of Tim Stauffer‘s injury, got shelled.  He gave up a double, a two-run homer to Matt Kemp, and another double.  Anthony Bass looked sharp as he proceeded Brach.  Bass went two innings, gave up no hits, no walks, and no runs.

Edinson Volquez’s struggles seemed to spring from nowhere.  In the first three innings, Volquez was nearly perfect.  He gave up one hit and struck out five through three innings.  He didn’t have a walk.  Then, in the fourth, Volquez walked Kemp, threw a wild pitch, walked Andre Ethier, gave up a single, walked James Loney to force in a run, and walked A.J. Ellis to force in another run.  Volquez finished the game with five innings pitched, three hits, four walks, three runs, and seven strikeouts.

The Padres will send Cory Luebke to the mound for the second game of the series tomorrow at 7:05 PT.  The Dodger have Chad Billingsley taking the hill.

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