• Dustin May may return quickly.
The Padres likely have not seen the last of Dustin May. The Dodgers just aren’t saying exactly when he’ll pitch next, although manager Dave Roberts has indicated May could be available as soon as Game 3 tonight at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The 23-year-old righthander followed a short start from Walker Buehler in Tuesday’s Game 1 with three strikeouts over two perfect innings, a relief appearance that was in effect a bullpen for the second-year starter.
May threw 27 pitches, 18 for strikes, in earning the victory. The plan all along was for May to take down innings behind Buehler, whose blister had limited him in recent starts.
Neither the Padres nor Dodgers announced their Game 3 starter before Wednesday’s game, but Roberts provided this insight after Tuesday’s game:
“To have Walker going, not knowing how long he was going to go and with Clayton (Kershaw on Wednesday), I think the idea was for Dustin to take on a run (Tuesday) to have him available for (Game 3). We’ll figure out to what capacity, if it’s a start or coming out of the pen.”
Added May on Wednesday afternoon: “I’m not exactly sure when I’m going to throw yet. They just said stay ready. I’ll be ready whenever my name’s called.”
May was listed as the probable starting pitcher against the Padres on Sept. 16 when Roberts opted to have right-hander Brusdar Graterol record the f irst four outs and left-hander Adam Kolarek finish the second inning.
May then entered in the third inning and allowed three runs — one earned — in 51⁄ innings in the Dod
3 gers’ 7-5 win.
He is 1-3 with a 2.97 ERA, 25 strikeouts and a 0.96 WHIP in 301⁄ career innings
3 against the Padres.
His next appearance in this series will be the fifth time this season the Padres will have a look at a repertoire that includes a sinker that ran up to 100 mph in Tuesday’s outing.
“I don’t really like to change,” May said. “I like to go out and establish early. That’s my go-to when I throw. I just go out there and pretty much like, just here it is. Hit it if you can.”
As for the Padres, they announced after the game that Adrian Morejon would start Game 3 with Chris Paddack going in Game 4, if there is one.
Paddack would be making his sixth career start against the Dodgers. He is 1-2 with a 6.94 ERA, 21 strikeouts and a 1.24 WHIP, which includes allowing nine runs in nine innings this year.
Paddack beat the Dodgers with six innings of three-run ball in early August only to have his season go off the rails two starts later with six runs allowed in three innings at Dodger Stadium.
The second-year starter allowed six runs in 21⁄ in
3 nings last week in his first postseason start against the light-hitting Cardinals.
Home on the road
The public address announcer at Globe Life Field has introduced the home team as “Your Los Angeles Dodgers” before the f irst two games of the series.
The national anthem was a recording of Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruehle. All the video elements before and during the games have been Dodgers-themed. Dodgers players had their walk-up songs played. The artificial crowd noise included “MVP” chants for Mookie Betts and occasional chants of “Let’s Go Dodgers.”
The script will f lip for Game 3 (and 4, if it is necessary), as the Padres will be the home team.
Both organizations also were able to sell some signage on the outfield wall to their local partners.
Couldn’t hear, still tossed
The artificial crowd noise kept Padres manager Jayce Tingler from realizing he had been ejected in the sixth inning Tuesday night.
Further, it was difficult to fathom he had been tossed, in that umpires generally give players and managers far more leeway to complain in the postseason.
But home plate umpire Lance Barrett thought he had given Tingler enough leeway in the sixth inning. As he walked from the dugout to replace Garrett Richards, Tingler gave Barrett his opinion of the strike zone. It wasn’t a short opinion, and Barrett tossed Tingler, who was unaware of his ejection until crew chief Bill Miller notified him while he was on the mound waiting for reliever Matt Strahm.
“I didn’t know I got tossed,” Tingler said. “When we went and talked, he said he warned me three times. I can’t hear. You can’t hear. I like Lance. Lance is good. We disagreed on the strike zone. Simple as that.”