Dodgers lose 3-2 in 11th after Tsao issues walk-off walk
SAN DIEGO (AP) It was tough enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers to watch Melvin Upton Jr.'s two-run, walk-off home run Friday night.
Then came Yangervis Solarte's walk-off walk with two outs in the 11th inning Saturday night, which gave the San Diego Padres a 3-2 victory.
''We've finding different ways to lose games,'' manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers dropped their fourth straight and sixth in seven. ''I haven't seen this one. It's a tough one. To try to defend it or find an answer, I'm having a hard time.''
Solarte drew four straight balls from Chin-Hui Tsao (0-1) to bring in Wil Myers for the winning run.
Solarte was activated earlier Saturday after being out since April 10 with a hamstring injury.
Myers was aboard on his third single of the night and Derek Norris and Brett Wallace walked ahead of Solarte.
Upton Jr. came close to hitting a winning, two-run homer for the second night in a row in the 11th, but Trayce Thompson made a catch at the wall for the second out. Upton's homer Friday night gave the Padres a 7-6 win.
''To have two outs and the wheels came off a little bit with Tsao ... he just couldn't find the strike zone,'' Roberts said.
''He was trying to find the strike zone,'' said catcher A.J. Ellis, who entered in the 10th after Yasmani Grandal took a ball off the inside of one of his ankles. ''I think he was attacking early and then he was around the zone, but just couldn't get too many balls in the strike zone toward the end. I think they recognized it and got extremely patient and forced him to throw a strike.''
After the final out, Ellis lingered near the plate, speaking with umpire Chris Guccione.
''In that situation, the balls were clearly outside,'' Ellis said. ''I was kind of asking him just to stand up for my team. In my heart I knew the answer already.''
Brad Hand (1-0) pitched the 10th and 11th innings for the victory, allowing just a walk.
Thompson hit a two-run home run for the Dodgers and Alex Wood set a career-high with 13 strikeouts.
Thompson's shot to right-center in the seventh inning was his seventh overall and sixth in 16 games. Adrian Gonzalez was aboard on a leadoff single.
San Diego tied it in the bottom of the inning. Norris doubled into the left field corner and Wallace singled to left to chase Wood and put runners on the corners with no outs. Louis Coleman came on and retired pinch-hitter Solarte before making way for Adam Liberatore, who allowed pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista's sac fly to left.
Wood had allowed only one hit and struck out 11 through five innings before the Padres finally broke through. After starter Cesar Vargas became Wood's 12th strikeout victim leading off the sixth, Jon Jay walked and advanced to third on Myers' single to center. Matt Kemp then lofted a sacrifice fly to left.
Wood allowed two runs and four hits in six-plus innings, with one walk.
Vargas allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: Gonzalez (back) returned to the starting lineup after missing four starts. ... Roberts said OF Andre Either (broken right leg) has yet to start baseball activities.
Padres: Solarte (hamstring) was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Manager Andy Green said he'd be available to pinch hit Saturday night and Sunday. He's expected to see time at both second and third base. ... RHP Andrew Cashner (hamstring) will come off the DL on Tuesday and start that night at San Francisco. That will push RHP James Shields back a day.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (3-3, 2.87) has lost three straight decisions, a skid he'll try to end Sunday. He made his big league debut at Petco Park on April 6, getting his first win and homering for his first hit.
Padres: RHP Colin Rea (3-2, 4.37) has earned the win in three of his last four decisions, over six starts.