The Dodgers have identified the enemy, and it's name is left-handed pitching.
Tampa Bay southpaw Matt Moore allowed no earned runs and Evan Longoria hit a two-run home run as the Rays recorded their first victory at Dodger Stadium 3-1, over the Los Angeles Dodgers in a matinee performance on Wednesday.
LA is the basement dweller of the big leagues when it comes to hitting against left-handed pitching. The Dodgers are batting an MLB-worst .218 against left-handed pitching with a paltry 22 home runs and 76 RBI against southpaws this season.
Moore (7-7) was probably fully aware of LA's Achilles heel and he used their weakness as his strength on Wednesday.
The left-hander allowed one run (not earned) on four scattered hits with five strikeouts in 6 and 2/3 innings in what may have been an audition for team's looking to lock up Moore at the trade deadline.
"I'm here (with the Rays), and it doesn't feel like I'm going anywhere," Moore said of the trade rumors that surround him. "This season hasn't quite gone the way that a lot of us in the clubhouse expected it to go, but we're still here."
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard first in the second inning when they recorded an unearned run in the most unlikely of ways.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
After a two-out walk to Joc Pederson, A.J. Ellis singled to right-field, advancing Pederson to third. Minutes later, Ellis uncharacteristically broke for second, attempting to steal the first base in his nine-year career.
Tampa Bay catcher Luke Maile tried to throw out his counterpart, but the ball got away, bouncing into centerfield, allowing Pederson to score from third and give the Dodgers an early lead.
Maile made good on his mistake in the fourth inning when the Rays broke through off LA starter Brandon McCarthy.
Longoria blasted a two-run home run off the right-hander and Maile knocked in a run with an RBI double four batters later as the Rays scored three runs in the inning, all the runs Moore would need on the day.
McCarthy (2-1) recorded his first loss in a Dodger uniform in two seasons as the California native saw his undefeated streak snapped at nine games.
"It was actually kind of a body letdown," McCarthy said of the disastrous fourth inning. "You can fool yourself for a while. 'I can keep going, I can keep going.' But eventually, the heat sucks it out of you."
Temperatures reached triple digits on the field as the humidity reached record-highs on the field.
McCarthy's fatal mistake came on a curveball, the third such pitch of his fourth-inning encounter with Longoria.
"I don't want to say I was sitting on it…" Longoria said of the curveball he homered off of. "But, I'm sure he didn't want to that with it."
LA's three-game winning streak was snapped, but Howie Kendrick—who saw his 16-game hitting streak also snapped a night prior—hopes to start a new streak as he finished 2-for-3 with a walk on Wednesday.
The victory was Tampa Bay's first at Dodger Stadium in franchise history as the American League East team was swept back in 2013 in their only other appearance at Dodger Stadium.
Overall, the Rays and Dodgers split a four-game series that saw each team host two games at their own ballpark this season.
LA wasted another opportunity to move up in the standings as their rivals, the San Francisco Giants, lost 2-1 at home to the Reds earlier in the day. The Dodgers remain 2.5 games behind SF for first place in the National League West.
Players of the Game:
Evan Longoria: Go ahead two-run home run.
Matt Moore: No earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in 6.2 IP.
Howie Kendrick: 2-for-3 with a walk.
Three Takeaways:
1. Grand Theft: Dodgers' catcher A.J. Ellis stole the first base of his career (537th game) on Wednesday allowing the Dodgers to score the first run of the game. The steal was important not just for inaugural nature, but because Ellis had a bet with manager Dave Roberts in the preseason, promising an expensive dinner to the veteran catcher if he was able to swipe a bag. "I think he was pretty pleased," Roberts said after the game. "Big steak dinner." Teammate Clayton Kershaw made sure the team saved the second base bag as a souvenir for Ellis.
The first stolen base of @AJEllis17's @mlb career. He's played in 537 career games. pic.twitter.com/iE007Uep06 — Alanna Rizzo (@alannarizzo) July 27, 2016
2. Head Over Heels: Rays' first baseman Logan Morrison made the play of the game when he fell head over heels into the stands to make a spectacular catch in the seventh inning.
Spectacular catch by #Rays Logan Morrison pic.twitter.com/5DQ5Fk4qoV — Dr Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) July 27, 2016
3. Long Ball for Longoria: Evan Longoria hit his 23rd home run of the season, and more importantly, the first ever home run in Tampa Bay Rays history at Dodger Stadium.
There is nothing more exciting than playing in the ballparks you grew up watching as a kid! #ChavezRavine pic.twitter.com/6OxtsxzgkI — Evan Longoria (@Evan3Longoria) July 26, 2016
Up Next:
Rays (39-61): Tampa Bay has a travel day on Thursday as they return to Florida where they will host the Yankees on Friday.
Dodgers (57-45): Los Angeles also has an off day before Kenta Maeda takes the mound on Friday as the Dodgers host the D-Backs for three.
