It was a very tough Sunday afternoon for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning to take the lead in their game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. However, that lead would not last for very long. This is because Dodger closer Kenley Jansen would give up a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to Hunter Renfroe and the Padres had themselves an 8-5 win. It was the toughest loss of the year so far for the Dodgers. They are still 22-14 even with the loss. However, this one is going to sting for a very long time.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not put too much importance on the loss. He said that games like this happen over the course of 162 games. He also said that all closers blow games and Jansen is human. However, Jansen was shaky many times last year. He is no longer the very reliable guy at the back end of the bullpen that the Dodgers counted on for so long. He has given up many home runs since the start of the 2018 season. This is something that cannot keep happening if he is going to keep his job. Rumors are already starting to swirl that the Dodgers are looking to upgrade the closer position.
The Padres have been a surprise to everyone this year. They are currently 19-16. Most people believed that they would have a bad season because they simply do not have a lot of talent. They did make a splash by giving Manny Machado a $300 million contract. However, it was thought that even he would not be able to lift the Padres out of their losing ways. Machado has not hit well during the first month of the season and the Padres are still winning. This is a very encouraging sign. They should play even better once he starts hitting like he usually does.
The Dodgers will need to quickly put this loss behind them and focus on their next game. They have a series with the Atlanta Braves that starts Monday night. This is a good thing because that bitter loss to the Padres will not have time to linger. That is one of the good things about playing so many games during a baseball season. Bad losses can be quickly swept away.
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