SAN DIEGO -- Yasiel Puig homered early, and the Dodgers bullpen came through late to make a winner out of Zack Greinke in his 2014 debut, a 3-2 victory over the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.
Greinke allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in his five innings in his first start of the season, with five strikeouts. He threw 94 pitches.
The Dodgers jumped on Ian Kennedy early, with a Carl Crawford single to right field followed by Puig's home run off the Western Metal Supply Co. building for a two-run lead just two batters into the game. Puig's first home run of the season traveled an estimated 410 feet.
The Dodgers have scored first in all four games this season.
Juan Uribe helped tack on another run with a two-out double to center in the fourth inning and advanced to third thanks to this throw from second baseman Jedd Gyorko.
After a walk to A.J. Ellis, Dee Gordon drove home Uribe for a 3-0 lead.
Greinke retired the first 10 batters he faced in his first start of the year, but ran into the buzz saw that is Seth Smith with one out in the fourth. Smith homered to right field, his second in as many games, for the Padres' first run.
A walk, a single and a wild pitch gave the Padres a second run of the game in the fifth inning, Greinke's final frame.
The Padres put the tying run on base in both the sixth and eighth innings against southpaw relievers Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell, respectively, but both times saw their pseudo-rallies cut down by a Chase Headley ground ball double play.
The Padres loaded the bases against Kenley Jansen in the ninth, including having the tying run on third base with one out, but he escaped the jam for his second save of the season, striking out pinch-hitter Nick Hundley on four pitches to end it.
Notes
- Dodgers starting pitchers have a 1.14 ERA this season in 23⅔ innings, with Greinke having allowed two of the three runs.
- Ian Kennedy needed 103 pitches to get through his five innings, the third starting pitcher in four games against the Dodgers to not last past the fifth inning.
- Greinke in five starts against the Padres since joining the Dodgers has allowed six runs in 31 innings (a 1.74 ERA), with 27 strikeouts and seven walks. The Dodgers are 5-0 in those starts, with four one-run victories.
- Brian Wilson, who allowed three runs to take the loss on Sunday, did not pitch Tuesday night nor was he in the Dodgers bullpen during the game.
Tuesday particulars
Home runs: Yasiel Puig (1); Seth Smith (2)
WP - Zack Greinke (1-0): 5 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
LP - Ian Kennedy (0-1): 5 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Sv - Kenley Jansen (1): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts