Defense stings Dodgers in pitchers' duel

MIAMI -- Mookie Betts was able to erase three errors from the Dodgers’ defense with his bat in the series opener against the Marlins.

On Saturday, Betts hit his 30th homer of the season and Dustin May delivered a quality start, but the Dodgers weren’t so lucky to overcome mistakes this time, as two misplays in the sixth inning from May and Chris Taylor -- and a dominant performance by NL Cy Young Award frontrunner Sandy Alcantara, were ultimately too much to overcome in a 2-1 loss against the Marlins at loanDepot Park.

“Obviously, you hope to come out on top,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But to see what Sandy was doing and to see what Dustin was doing tonight, it was fun to watch. Dustin had the opportunity to face one of the game’s best, so it was fun.”

May wasn’t as sharp on Saturday as he was in his season debut, but the right-hander showed more glimpses of the pitcher the Dodgers enjoyed last season and the one they’ll need in order to make a deep run in October.

Despite not necessarily having his best stuff, May allowed just two runs on five hits over six innings of work. The Dodgers were hoping to get six innings out of him as they continue to build and manage his pitch count. May gave them just that, getting him pretty close to full strength for the stretch run.

“I feel like there’s a lot of steps forward I can take,” May said. “Execution could definitely be a lot better, being able to not yank stuff first, just mad spinning breaking balls. So just being able to put guys away.”

While May was frustrated with his outing, the play he’ll be thinking about all night had nothing to do with his performance on the mound -- but rather, a play that involved him playing defense. With two outs in the sixth, May charged in on a Joey Wendle swinging bunt. May said he believed he could catch it in the air, but once he didn’t get there, the ball bounced underneath his glove, extending the inning.

“I wish I could take the ground ball error back on my end,” May said. “But I can't do that, so I’m just gonna look forward.”

Following the play, which was ruled a hit and not an error, Taylor also failed to handle a grounder at second base, allowing Jon Berti to reach safely. Initially, it looked like a difficult play for Taylor, but after the game Roberts said it’s a play Taylor usually makes.

Those mistakes proved to be the difference during the pitchers' duel, as Jerar Encarnacion took advantage by delivering a go-ahead RBI single off May. That’s all Alcantara needed.

The Dodgers got to Alcantara for a season-high six runs last Sunday, but runs were tough to come by on Saturday. Alcantara got stronger as the night went on, retiring 15 of the 16 hitters he faced from the fourth inning to the eighth inning.

“I think we could have probably done some things better here or there,” said Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner. “But he’s really good for a reason. He’s electric. He was sitting 99 [mph] for basically the whole game. He’s got good stuff -- three pitches, four pitches with two fastballs. You’ve got to tip your cap.”

In the ninth, the Dodgers’ offense had another chance to bail out their defense as they nearly got to Alcantara, loading the bases with two outs. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Joey Gallo grounded out to first baseman Lewin Díaz to end the game.

“Tonight, we ran into a buzzsaw in Alcantara,” Roberts said. “And we still were one hit away from winning the game. Again, we played a good baseball game, we got beat, and that’s going to happen.”