Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen makes a wrong turn in 7-6 loss to Padres

Blown saves are often spectacular, but rarely as spectacular as Kenley Jansen’s meltdown Saturday night in a 7-6 defeat to the San Diego Padres.

Jansen was on the verge of pitching his way out of trouble when he committed the most egregious of sins.

He let his mind drift.

With two outs in the ninth inning, men on second and third base and the Dodgers clinging to a one-run lead, Jansen looked down and started kicking dirt on the mound, apparently collecting his thoughts before throwing a 2-2 pitch to Alexi Amarista.

Then, when Jansen momentarily turned his back to the plate, Everth Cabrera bolted for home. By the time Jansen realized what was happening, it was too late.

Jansen’s throw home was not only late, it was high, sailing over catcher A.J. Ellis’ head and to the backstop. So after Cabrera scored, Will Venable did, too.

“I wanted to try something different,” said Cabrera, who entered the game as a pinch-runner.

Cabrera was credited with stealing home. Jansen was charged with an error for the throw that allowed Venable to score. And the Dodgers’ one-run lead was suddenly a one-run deficit.

“I’d rather have it happen now than in September or October. It’s all a learning experience for me,” Jansen said. “Dirt got stuck in my shoe and I can’t pitch like that. I didn’t think to call a timeout.”

Said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly: “It’s one of those plays that happens so fast, you don’t even think about the second guy.”

The shocking sequence of events capped a rare collapse for the Dodgers bullpen, which blew a two-run lead over the final two innings. Setup man Ronald Belisario was charged with a run in the eighth.

Until then, the game was turning into a celebration, as Andre Ethier hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 stalemate.

The home run capped a three-hit night for Ethier, who drove in four runs.

Ethier’s last homer was on June 10. That was also the last time he drove in multiple runs.

Even before he landed on the disabled list with a strained rib-cage muscle two weeks ago, Ethier had trouble producing without Matt Kemp hitting in front of him.

With Kemp sidelined by a strained left hamstring, Ethier batted .218 with one home run and 11 runs batted in in the 25 games he played last month. His batting average dropped from .324 to .291 in that span.

The runs Ethier drove in Saturday were his first RBIs since June 13.

Like Kemp, Ethier also was recently activated, as was second baseman Mark Ellis. Right fielder Ethier returned to the lineup with Kemp on Friday. Ellis came back July 4.

The three players combined for eight of the Dodgers’ 11 hits Saturday. Kemp and Ethier both went three for five with a run. Ellis was two for four with two runs and a walk.

They got to work immediately. Ellis singled in the bottom of the first inning, moved to third on an opposite-field single by Kemp and scored on a pop fly to shallow left field that was lost by Carlos Quentin. Ethier was credited with a hit and an RBI. The score was tied, 1-1.

The same players were part of the Dodgers’ next offensive surge.

Bobby Abreu drew a leadoff walk in the third inning that was followed by consecutive hits from Ellis, Kemp and Ethier. Abreu scored on Ethier’s single. Juan Rivera drew a bases-loaded walk from Padres starter Edinson Volquez to push in Ellis and increase the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.

The Padres moved to within 3-2 in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Quentin.

The visitors handed the run right back, as catcher Yasmani Grandal threw the ball into center field while attempting to prevent Rivera from stealing second base in the fifth inning. Rivera scored on a double by Adam Kennedy and the Dodgers’ lead was back to two at 4-2.

But the score was tied, 4-4, in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Chase Headley.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com