Written by Andy McCullough at LA Times.com
The baseball splashed at the feet of San Francisco Giants outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, and Dodger Stadium erupted. The Dodgers would not win this baseball game, a 4-0 defeat to the Giants, but at least they would not occupy a place in history. A two-out single in the ninth inning by Corey Seager scotched a no-hit bid by Matt Moore and allowed a moribund club a moment to rejoice.
Before Seager flicked a single into right, a prophecy appeared ready to fulfill itself. Deflated by the pregame departure of catcher A.J. Ellis, overwhelmed by Moore, the Dodgers came close to replicating the woes of last August, when they were no-hit twice en route to a division title.
“For Corey to spoil that no-hitter was good for us,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “For us to win that series, it was something for us to build on.”
The outcome was not predetermined. It only felt that way, after the Dodgers spent the afternoon mourning the departure of one of their favorite teammates.
The Dodgers could not treat Thursday like a normal day. A few hours before the game, the team sent Ellis to Philadelphia for catcher Carlos Ruiz. The move sideswiped Ellis, a member of the Dodgers organization since 2003.
“It was hard, really, really hard,” he said before he left Dodger Stadium. “I’m almost out of tears now.”
Earlier in the day, Ellis received a text asking him to come to the ballpark, he said. He bumped into Roberts in the parking lot. Roberts indicated he did not know the reason for the meeting. Ellis learned about the transaction minutes later. He said he did not ask for an explanation.
After speaking with team officials, Ellis texted his wife, his agent and Clayton Kershaw, his closest friend on the team. He asked Kershaw to meet him in the dugout they once both called home. Kershaw was “shocked,” Ellis said. The two men wept together.
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