Mattingly defends Puig after baserunning confusion

LOS ANGELES -- Manager Don Mattingly said Yasiel Puig wasn't at fault when he was caught in a rundown during a second-inning scoring play of Wednesday night's 7-4 Dodgers win over the Padres.

After the Dodgers had taken a 3-2 lead on a successful challenge to an umpire's call, Puig came up with one out and the bases loaded and bounced a grounder to third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who stepped on third base for the second out and threw wild to the plate trying to get a double play on Joc Pederson.

On the play, Jimmy Rollins advanced from first to second base and stopped, not realizing that Middlebrooks had erased baserunner Brandon McCarthy at third.

"That wasn't Yasiel," said manager Don Mattingly. "Jimmy didn't think Middlebrooks touched the bag and Jimmy was yelling at Yasiel to get back. That wasn't Yasiel."

As pitcher Andrew Cashner chased down the errant throw behind the plate, Puig rounded first and headed to second until being redirected by Rollins, and eventually was thrown out by Cashner trying to return to first base.