Trea Turner’s costly error in Dodgers’ loss dims his bright start to postseason
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It was a routine ground ball, just a few steps to Trea Turner’s right. He had time to scurry over in front of the baseball and field it between his legs. It’s a play the Dodgers shortstop usually makes. This time, in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, he didn’t.
The ball bounced in and out of Turner’s glove as he rushed to turn an inning-ending double play, allowing Wil Myers to reach base. Turner stared at the dirt in front of him. The San Diego Padres had runners on first and second base because of his mistake, threatening to take the lead in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
Two pitches later, Jurickson Profar capitalized on the error with a run-scoring single to give the Padres a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning. The Padres added a run in the eighth to win 5-3 and even the series at one game apiece.
Turner was a star over the first 14 innings of this NLDS. He smashed a home run in his first at-bat in Game 1 on Tuesday, a blast off Mike Clevinger in the first inning to open the scoring. He later added a double in the Dodgers’ 5-3 win.
On Wednesday, he belted the first pitch he saw from Yu Darvish — a hanging slider — for a towering solo home run in the first inning. Turner had entered the postseason with one home run in 39 career playoff starts. He tripled the total in five plate appearances.
Turner then hit the ball hard in his next two at-bats — a 100-mph lineout and a 103-mph one-hopper to third base — with nothing to show for it.
It was a loud turnaround from his relative offensive struggles in September. In 25 games between Sept. 7 and Oct. 4, the All-Star batted .248 with a .668 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 109 plate appearances. He hit just one home run.
Then, in the regular season finale, Turner compiled two hits, including his fourth home run in two months. He said he believes that game marked a turning point.
“I think a lot of it was timing,” Turner said after Game 1. “I thought I was on time, and I wasn’t, and then when I’m late, I try to make up for it. A lot of bad habits. Just being earlier and on time cleans up a lot of things.”
Searching for his second hit Wednesday, Turner was given an opportunity to rectify his costly fielding blunder in the seventh inning. The rally began with Cody Bellinger lining a one-out single. Mookie Betts followed with a double. Turner stepped into the batter’s box with runners on second and third to face Robert Suárez.
This time, he hit his weakest ball of the night, an easy ground ball to the sure-handed Manny Machado at third base. Machado looked back at Bellinger at third base to make sure he wouldn’t dash for home before sailing a high throw to Myers at first base. Myers caught it with a leap to ensure the inning’s second out.
The Padres then intentionally walked Freddie Freeman to load the bases for Will Smith. The catcher lined out to center field. The Dodgers ultimately left nine runners on base.
Turner’s defense did in the Dodgers again in the eighth. The Padres had runners on first and second base with two outs when Austin Nola hit a ground ball to Turner. He fielded it cleanly, but chose to flip the ball to second base instead of throwing it to first for the easy out. Trent Grisham never slowed down and beat the flip with time to spare, loading the bases.
This time, Blake Treinen, who surrendered a home run earlier in the inning, bailed Turner out by getting Ha-Seong Kim to pop out. But the damage was done. The first mistake was enough.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.