LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Hatcher was supposed to have the day off after pitching the previous night. Instead, he found himself not only on the mound but at the plate with the bases loaded in the 14th inning and the score tied.
Hatcher (5-4) couldn’t deliver offensively, grounding out to end the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in a game that featured a stadium-record 36 strikeouts.
“The guy (Zach Britton) threw all fastballs,” a glum Hatcher said.
The Dodgers tried unsuccessfully to rally yet again after Jonathan Schoop doubled in the go-ahead runs with two outs in the top of the 14th.
Schoop drove in Manny Machado and Chris Davis, who had consecutive singles, when center fielder Trayce Thompson tried to make a backhanded diving catch and the ball rolled well out of his reach.
“We left 16 guys on base,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who got ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the final inning. “Today was one of those days.”
Mychal Givens (6-1) got the win. Britton got his 25th save in as many chances.
Mark Trumbo hit two leadoff home runs, giving him a major league-leading 26 for the Orioles, who took two out of three to win the interleague series.
The Dodgers had the potential tying runs on in the bottom of the 14th. With one out, Adrian Gonzalez doubled and Thompson walked. Howie Kendrick grounded into a fielder’s choice and Thompson was out at second. Yasmani Grandal was intentionally walked to load the bases before Hatcher grounded out to the pitcher to end the nearly 5½-hour game.
“I really wanted to stay away from him,” Roberts said of Hatcher. “When you get to the 14th, it’s all hands on deck.”
Chase Utley had a career-high six hits for the Dodgers, who struck out 18 times. Thompson fanned four times as did newly minted rookie All-Star Corey Seager, whose double in the seventh extended his hitting streak to 19 games, longest in the National League this season.
Utley became the first Dodger with that many hits since Shawn Green in 2002.
The combined strikeouts bettered the old mark of 32 set by the Braves and Dodgers on Aug. 3, 1996.
The Dodgers ran out of position players in the 13th, sending pitcher Scott Kazmir to bat for reliever Louis Coleman and he grounded out.
The Dodgers tagged out the potential winning run at the plate in the 13th. Adam Jones singled to right and pinch-hitter Joey Rickard, who singled, took off for home but was out at the plate on Utley’s relay from Yasiel Puig.
The Orioles missed a scoring chance with two runners on in the 12th. With one out, Machado walked and Davis grounded out to third. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was playing on the right side of the infield and with no one covering third on the defensive shift, Machado advanced two bases. After an intentional walk to Trumbo, Schoop grounded out to shortstop.
The Dodgers missed a slew of opportunities. They failed to cash in with the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings, and Gonzalez grounded into an inning-ending double play in the 11th.
Gonzalez singled in the tying and go-ahead runs in the fifth, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.
Trumbo’s first homer came on an 0-2 pitch from starter Bud Norris in the fourth, putting the Orioles back in front 3-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: OF Andre Ethier, who broke his foot in spring training, is aiming to return in early August. Roberts says he’s doing light jogging and the next step will be taking live batting practice. Ethier will do a 10-day minor league rehab stint. … LHP Brett Anderson, on the DL with a bulging disk in his back, could be back by mid-August. He threw off a mound for the first time Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: After a day off Thursday, the O’s open a three-game series at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Baltimore has yet to name a starter for Friday.
Dodgers: RHP Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his season debut and his first start since the 2014 playoffs. He had left shoulder surgery in May 2015 after going 14-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 2014.
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