San Diego Padres comeback to defeat the Dodgers 3-1 on Opening Night

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego, CA- The San Diego Padres cameback to defeat their rival the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Opening Night.

Andrews Cashner was dominant tonight and started the game off strong, striking out Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig to begin the game.

Cashner would keep the game scoreless until the fifth when after a single by AJ Ellis, a walk to Dee Gordon, and a sacrifice bunt by Rue. Crawford would drive in the game’s first run on an RBI single to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

Nick Vincent would replace Cashner and get the first two outs of the seventh after walking AJ Ellis to begin the inning. The hard throwing reliever Alex Torres in his Padres debut would strikeout Carl Crawford to end the inning.

Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu shutdown the Padres offense all night, retiring at one point 17 straight batters with 7 Strikeouts and despite that the Padres had their chances to score in this game, but were unable to in the first as the Padres had the bases-loaded and one out in the 1st before Yonder Alonso grounded into a double play to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eight the Padres wouldn’t waste that opportunity again, as in the eight after the Dodgers surprisingly pulled Hyun-Jin Ryu after only 88 pitches. Former Giants closer Brian Wilson came in to pitch the eighth and pinch-hitter Seth Smith in his Padres debut welcomed him with a towering solo-HomeRun to Right-field to tie the game at 1-1.

For Smith it was his seventh pinch-hit home run of his career and first since 2007. For the Padres it was their first pinch-hit opening day HomeRun since
Rickey Henderson hit one in 1997 and the first opening day home run hit by a Padre since Cameron Maybin in 2011.

The Padres would follow Smith’s home run with a walk to Yasmani Grandal and a bunt single by Everth Cabrera. Then with Chris Denorfia batting Grandal with no one paying attention to him would steal third and Cabrera would follow with a steal of second. Denorfia would drive them both in with a line drive single up the middle off Wislon to give the Padres the lead 3-1.

Huston Street would close out the game with a one-two-three ninth to for his first save of the season, as the Padres defeat the Dodgers 3-1 on Opening Night.

Cashner despite the no-decision was dominant in his season debut allowing only one run on four hits, two walks and five strikeouts in six innings of work.