Quick turnaround saps Dodgers’ bats in 2-0 loss to Cubs

Reporting from CHICAGO â€”  On a sun-kissed, windswept afternoon at Wrigley Field, the brightest moment for the Dodgers occurred with two outs in the first inning of a 2-0 defeat, when a blooper off the bat of Justin Turner found a patch of outfield grass. From there, there was only darkness for the team, even in this pleasant environment.

The lineup would not record another hit all day. The final 25 Dodgers batters made outs. The team could not capitalize when Cubs starter Jason Hammel departed after two innings due to cramps.

“When you get into their ’pen early, we felt pretty good about it,� Manager Dave Roberts said, but he soon learned the optimism would not last. Unable to muster much offense, the Dodgers (27-25) face a more frightful prospect on Tuesday. They face Jake Arrieta, perhaps the only man capable of challenging Clayton Kershaw’s status as the game’s best pitcher.

The Dodgers received a credible effort in vain from their own starter, Alex Wood. Making his first start since he was scratched Friday due to triceps soreness, he gave up two runs in five stressful innings. He struck out seven. Both Chicago runs followed defensive miscues.

The schedule was unkind to the Dodgers. After capturing a series in New York on Sunday night, they did not arrive at their hotel in Chicago until after 3 a.m. CDT Monday. The players still appeared chipper less than 12 hours later at the park, despite the lack of sleep and miserly accommodations.

The visitors’ quarters here are the most cramped in baseball. The room looks more like a subway car than a major league clubhouse. The tight space leads to bodies jostling en route to different destinations and creates fodder for pranks.

An odd sight greeted reliever J.P. Howell as he entered the room with the majority of his teammates around 1:30 p.m. The plate above his locker featured two names, his own and Yasiel Puig’s.

“What’s the joke?� Howell said. “What’s the joke?�

Puig looked bemused. The duo hugged and prepared to share the space, until Howie Kendrick noticed a Make Baseball Fun Again hat stashed in the top of an unmarked locker. Puig smiled and headed to his chair.

The park creates a logistical challenge for teams on the road. As the players dressed for the day, Will Ireton, pitcher Kenta Maeda’s interpreter, asked reliever Louis Coleman where Maeda could find the weight room.

“Do I look like I lift weights?� cracked Coleman, who is almost as slender as Maeda. Reliever Joe Blanton gave directions to Maeda and Ireton: Go through the tunnel to the field, walk to the Cubs dugout and find the room on the other side. There is no gym for visitors.

The ballpark was packed, but unlike Citi Field in New York, the atmosphere did not seethe with venom. On the North Side, only the team is ferocious. The Cubs own baseball’s best record (35-14) and brightest future.

Chicago placed Wood under pressure early. He left the bases loaded in the second. He stranded two runners in the third. His own offense could not mount any similar charge.

Hammel cramped up while preparing for the third inning. The Cubs replaced him with reliever Travis Wood. He turned in four spotless innings and got the win while Alex Wood (no relation) took the loss.

“He was just pounding the zone on both sides of the plate,� Turner said. “He threw a lot of strikes.�

In the fifth, Alex Wood’s defenders let him down. The trouble started when Ben Zobrist ripped a line drive into right field. Respectful of Puig’s arm, Zobrist held at first base. But the ball rolled under Puig’s glove. Zobrist took two bases on the error. He scored on an infield single by outfielder Jason Heyward.

“Yasiel has done a great job defensively all year,� Roberts said. “For someone to even get to the ball as quickly as he did, he did a great job getting there, and closing on the baseball. He just misplayed it.�

Two batters later, first baseman Anthony Rizzo roped a double into right. Puig hit Adrian Gonzalez on the relay. His throw reached Yasmani Grandal as Heyward approached the plate. Grandal failed to catch the feed.

And that, in essence, was that. The Dodgers mounted a valiant comeback Friday in New York. The team scored nine runs a day later and snatched a stirring victory Sunday night. The same energy did not transfer to Chicago. The task does not become easier Tuesday.

“It’s just one of those games,� Roberts said. “We’ve got Arrieta tomorrow. We’ve got our hands full.�

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