It will be tough to keep up this pace all season. Two-for-two in series wins, and the home opener still to come. Not bad for a team missing its ace, one of its best relievers and its All-Star center fielder.

I really like this trend of our first two hitters scoring in the first inning, like we did in Tuesday’s 3-2 win in San Diego, and then again in last night’s rubber game victory, 5-1, over the Padres. I think we should keep that up.

We’re starting to hit, our healthy pitching staff is doing fine — Dan Haren is a nice addition — and Matt Kemp is coming back for tomorrow’s afternoon opener at the Ravine. Can’t freaking wait! I’m going to be there early and eager for my first live game of 2014. And, yes, I will be keeping score. God, I love baseball!

Two-run homer is the best revenge. Yasiel Puig goes deep against beanballer Ian Kennedy in the first inning.

That’s right, I bit them to the quick watching that nerve-wracking ninth inning. But the Dodgers held on to beat San Diego and my friend, Ian Kennedy, 3-2. (I still count him as a friend, even though he likes to bean my boys in blue.)

I thought we might sail through after that two-run homer by Yasiel Puig in his first at bat. And Zack Greinke looked so good at the beginning. It got tense in the middle, but we held on through threat after threat.

Then came the eighth and ninth, and, Geez Louise, I’m still shaking a little from all the adrenalin. First, hoping for — and getting — a double play to end the eighth, and then watching the mess Kenley Jansen made, and then got out of, in the ninth. Holy moly! If every game is like this one, I will be nailless and perhaps hairless by the end of this season.

One take-away: I love Juan Uribe more and more each day. He’s a hitting machine and a double-play factory.

Dodgers relief pitcher Brian Wilson watches a 1-0 lead soar away.

The Dodgers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the 8th inning of a 3-1 loss to the San Diego Padres last night.

After a masterful 7 innings by Hyun-Jin Ryu, reliever Brian Wilson, the Beard from the Bay, blew just about everything he touched, giving up a pinch-hit homer to new Padre Seth Smith and then booting and bobbling a couple of bunts for two more runs. It was painful to watch.

It wasn’t all Wilson’s fault, though. The defense was just plain shoddy in that inning.

Of course, if your team can hit, they can afford a little shoddiness from time to time, but the Dodgers couldn’t really hit in this game either. The heart of the batting order went 0-15. Ain’t gonna win many games like that.

Shake it off, boys. You’re better than that. Enjoy your Monday in beautiful San Diego, and then get them good tomorrow. Go Dodgers!