ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Mike Clevinger barely pitched into the second inning after missing the first round of the playoffs with an elbow injury, and manager Jayce Tingler wasn’t around to see the end of his first Division Series game.
It was a strange night for the San Diego Padres in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of their neutral-site NL Division Series in Texas on Tuesday.
The Padres tied an NLDS record for a nine-inning game by issuing 10 walks, and 10 LA runners reached base without a hit – including a hit batter and an error – before Mookie Betts sparked a four-run sixth with a double.
San Diego also set an NLDS record for a nine-inning game by using nine pitchers. This after the Padres won the deciding Game 3 of their wild-card series against St. Louis by becoming the first team to win a postseason game by shutout while using nine pitchers.
Clevinger, battling an elbow impingement, walked two in the first inning before leaving halfway through what became his third walk leading off the second. The Padres didn’t announce why the right-hander left the game.
Tingler was making his sixth pitching change in the sixth, immediately after Betts’ double, when he was tossed by home plate umpire Lance Barrett.
It wasn’t immediately clear why the first-year manager was tossed. Regardless, Tingler might have been glad he wasn’t around to see what happened next.
Matt Strahm gave up Corey Seager’s tiebreaking sacrifice fly before the next four batters reached against the lefty reliever. The record-tying 10th walk was an intentional pass to Will Smith, following by Cody Bellinger’s infield single with the bases loaded.
The eighth San Diego pitcher, Craig Stammen, threw a wild pitch to bring home Max Muncy, who had doubled, and finish off LA’s four-run inning.
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