Vicente Padilla gives Dodgers another strong start, but this time it's not enough as Mets win, 6-1

This time, strong starting pitching wasn’t enough for the Dodgers.

Vicente Padilla (pictured at right) gave them a third consecutive outstanding start, but was outpitched by the Mets’ Johan Santana. All that before the Dodgers bullpen imploded.

So the Dodgers' mini-winning streak was snapped at two, the Mets rolling on to a 6-1 victory Friday that returned the Dodgers to six games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

There was little more that Padilla could have done. Save for one pitch to Ike Davis, he was just as masterful as starters Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda had been before him.

Padilla went seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. Fifty-five of his 77 pitchers were strikes. During one stretch, he retired 17 consecutive Mets.

Padilla (4-3) was simply continuing his recent string of strong outings. In his last six starts, he has a 1.30 earned-run average.

The Mets, however, got to him for an unearned run in the first.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a double. Luis Castillo was able to beat out a bunt for a single to put runners on the corners.

Padilla struck out Angel Pagan and David Wright, but on the latter Castillo took off for second. When catcher Russell Martin fired to second, Reyes broke for home.

Martin’s throw was on line and Pagan would have been out for an inning-ending double play … except Dodgers second baseman Blake DeWitt dropped the ball for an error.

There was nothing unearned about the Mets’ second run. Padilla tried to throw one of those slow, looping curveballs past Davis and the first baseman waited patiently and rocketed it into the left-field pavilion for his 14th home run.

With Mets outfielders making a series of outstanding catches, Santana had the game in control for New York.

Like Padilla, Santana (8-5) wasn’t messing around, consistently throwing strikes. He gave up one run on five hits in his seven innings. Of his 98 pitches, 74 were strikes.

The only run the Dodgers scratched together off Santana came in the fifth when Martin led off with a double, advanced to second on a DeWitt groundout and scored on Jamey Carroll’s flyout to shallow right.

After the starters called it a night with the Mets clinging to a 2-1 lead, New York broke the game open against the Dodgers' bullpen.

Manager Joe Torre utilized four different relievers, all of whom struggled. Jeff Weaver walked two and James McDonald allowed a sacrifice fly and an intentional walk.

New left-handed specialist Jack Taschner then looked a lot like the old left-handed specialist (George Sherrill), walking the left-handed Davis.

Travis Schlichting’s first pitch was then lined by Jason Bay for a bases-clearing double.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[saintnick]

No complete games before Wednesday night (120 pitches...wink, Torre absent)
Cory Wade, Scott Proctor, Ramon Tronosco, and many other pitcher's arms were ruined by misguided overuse (this isn't Rivera Land). "Overprotective" of his pitchers?...what a disingenuous statement!
Padilla threw a total of 77 pitches...Torre takes him out for a pinch-hitter (Belliard) batting .214! (especially with 2 outs already in the inning and what's available in our current bullpen, ouch!)
ALL season long (and throughout his Dodger tenure) , Joe Torre has illuminated his 'fatal flaw' as a manager: He has absolutely NO clue how to handle his pitching staff. This is with worth a MINIMUM of 7-8 losses per season that are directly tied to his pitching decisions! Ask a Yankee fan and they will certainly reply that he has always been consistent in this way. But, there is only one Mario Rivera in MLB to bail him out.
Joe's a really nice guy,....but I, for one, think it's time to step aside.

[Mike]

saintnick- Agree 100%. Torre is a terrible manager and needs to go. The Dodgers need a new coaching staff, so that means that no to Mattingly.

[Hollywood Dodger Mark]

Saintnick is ABSOLUTELY right. Padilla removed after 80 pitches against Cards. Joe is a meddler. He is also an addictive gambler who can't tolerate being "bored." He makes moves for no reason. Last night, when at the game, I told everyone that the misuse of Kuo to close game would bite us in arse the next night against the LEFT HAND HEAVY METS. Five lefty batters came to the plate for the mets in the eighth - and guess what - NO KUO. Joe is senile. When asked why he moved Eithier to the two hole before the game he said he didn't know and if he did he would be asked why he didn't do it earlier. Kuroda could have finished game or at least started the 9th, gotten standing O and left it to one of five arms to "close". Tonite he pulls Padilla again - this guy is gonna snap - and the game unwinds. Mattingly seems like a steadying hand. Joe should go back to his race horses, betting parlors and OTB. Look it up.

[Stan]

Starter, long reliever, setup man and then closer. Cookie cutter managing today. If I was a slug starting pitcher, I would request that I be put in the bullpen so that I could get some innings in and then I would be home free for at least the next ten years as there are 32 teams that are looking to fill out their bullpen. Even though I am lousy, I would stick with it because I would never make, at worst, the minimum of $425K a year outside baseball.

[alanw19]

Saintnick and Mike, hard to argue your points. They're on target.

I want to believe in Torre, and am led to this. He's a good manager if he has the tools to operate with, and he's not going to have a Rivera. But in the No. 2 market of MLB, we should have better options than McCourt/Colletti are giving. When Torre had shut-down relievers from 6th inning on, we're like any other champs of recent years. We can win the division and playoff serieses. Our closer, however, can't close Philly. His best years were his last year as a set-up, 8th-inning man and his first year closing. He's on the downward spiral now. I'd love to see a stat on how many 1-2-3 innings he's had vs. how many appearances - then and now. Its an adventure every night.

Padilla 77 pitches vs. Belly Boy's .214 to pinch-hit is a stinker of a move, too. Good call on that. Makes no sense. The bullpen showing last night was as simple as firecracker, gas, matches - BOOM! I mean the final fatal blow was a one-pitch BOOM.

Torre has to make wiser decisions with what he has, but also, they've got to get him some tools.

Upton for Manny sounds intriguing for both Tampa and Dodgers. If Houston wants MLB player plus prospects for Oswalt, maybe a 3-team deal that nets another outfielder, sends lackadaisical Kemp to Astros is the answer. Its obvious Paul will play LF next year, Ethier in RF and Manny will be in the AL. There won't be a taker for DeWitt, Blake's age keeps him with us and I want us to keep Blake anyway, we shouldn't depart with Furcal or Loney. Martin would be the only other MLB player to send Astros. I fear they'd consider sending Loney, but I think that would be a grave mistake.

[Victor Jara]

Guys, I agree with you 100%. I was at yesterday's game and it was frustrating to see Torre's horrible pitching decisions. He doesn't know how to manage in the NL. Padilla was pitching a great game. Had it not been for the mets outfielders making great plays, the dodgers would have most likely won the game last night. But, as a die hard dodger fan, I am tired of torre's terrible managing decisions. Before the july 31st deadline, the dodgers need a manager and some great pitching.