Horrendous Bumpen Ruins Not one but Two Comebacks on a Magical Day

The day started out so wonderful and ended in such a frustrating manner. The Dodgers had a press conference at Dodger Stadium to announce the new ownership. The Presser was hosted by Vin Sully and attended by the entire O’Malley family, who were introduced by Vin Scully twice. Many Former Players were there as well. The mayor of LA spoke before the ownership was introduced. It got a bit emotional as Magic began to tear up talking about how excted he is to be taking over, and that he would be at the ball park every day. Magic announced he would be immediately lowering parking costs to 10 bucks, and there would be a new fan suggestion email box called fanbox@ladodgers.com where all questions from fans will be answered. After answering some truly redundant questions from some of the media, Magic assured everyone that all revenue will go to the team, and not McCourt. Vin Scully said that this would be the last ownership change he would be attending, warning everyone that he doesn’t want to go through this again. Amen Vin! We love you.

The Dodgers fought long and hard to end the day with a win for their new owners, but the bumpen blew the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Kershaw allowed five runs, and three home runs, (two to Cargo), for the first time ever. The Dodgers fell behind and rallied to tie the game not once,but twice. The rallies were capped by a two-run double from Jerry Hairston, and a two-run double from Gordon. It was all for not though, as Jamey Wright was allowed to pitch in the ninth, walked the first two batters, and Scott Failbert allowed a walk-off three run shot to Jason Giambi.

Gwynn leads off by whiffing on a high fastball from Pomeranz. Ellis who has great plate discipline takes a called full count strike three that looked borderline high. Donnie shouted from the dugout that the pitch was too high, but his protests were ignored by the home pate umpire. Matt Kemp walks on four straight pitches. Pomeranz wanted nothing to do with Matt Kemp. Rivera  softly grounds to end the frame.

Herrera leads off the bottom of the first, and lines out to Hairston who was playing up at third. Fowler grounds out to Sellers. Kershaw whiffs Cargo to end the inning, and makes only nine pitches.

Top of the second. Ethier whiffs, for the third whiff of the day for Pomeranz. Hairston pops up. Sellers hits one towards center field, but Mullet Man makes a nice whirling throw to first to retire Sellblock. Nothing doing again this inning.

Bottom of the second. Kershaw whiffs Mullet.  Helton whiffs for number three for Kersh. Michael Cuddyer singles to left, for the first hit of the game. Wilin Rosario grounds into a force out, erasing Cuddyer at second base, and ending the inning.

Top of the third. The amazingly patient  A.J. Ellis walks. He is seventh in the NL in walks with 16. Kershaw lays down a perfect sacrifice, advancing Ellis to second. Gywnn lines out to Helton. With two outs, Mark Ellis, lines a single to left that scores the other Ellis boy. A.J. slides in safe just under the high tag,  from Rosario. 1-0 Dodgers! Bison is intentionally walked. Rivera pops out which ends the frame. The Dodgers lead 1-0 going to the bottom of the third, thanks to the distinguished company of Ellis and Ellis.

Kershaw starts this inning by walking Chris Nelson on four pitches. Pomeranz sacrifices Nelson to second. Herrera hits another smoking line drive that Hairston snares from his knees. Wow! Great play by Hairston. Fowler ends the inning with a broken bat soft liner to second.

Top of the fourth. Ethier grounds out. Hairston rolls out. Seller drives one into the gap in center, but Fowler makes a nice running grab. Bottom of the fourth. Stupid Cargo leads off with a home run to center. That’s his second home run of the series, and in as many days. Mullet grounds out to short. Helton grounds out to second. Cuddyer flies out to Bison. The game is tied though, 1-1.

Top of the fifth. AJ flies to left. Kershaw pops out. Gwynn singles up the middle. Of course Mark Ellis whiffs on a called strike three like a statue. Bottom of the fifth. Coors Field continues to be a house of horror, for the Dodgers as they blow the tie, when Wilin Rosario takes Kerhsaw deep for a solo shot, to put Colorado up 2-1. Herrera flies out. Pomeranz reaches on a bloop sinlge over the glove of Mark Ellis. Kershaw is able to whiff Fowler to get out of the inning.

Bottom of the fifth. Bison whiffs. Donnie starts to shout again from the Dodger Dugout at the home plate umpire, and he tells Donnie to stop yelling at him. Rivera reaches on a single just past the outstretched glove of Mullet. Ethier gets his bat sawed in half, as he hits into a force out. Rivera is out at second. Hairston hits a sharp grounder to third that Nelson makes a nice diving stop, to recover and make a wide throw to first, that pulled Helton off the bag, but the first base ump Tim Welke calls him out. You have to be kidding me. The throw was so wide, that Helton was about five feet off the bag.  I am not joking. Donnie runs out to argue the call, but the umps aren’t having any of it. It was ridiculous. The worst call I have seen in a long time, and it screws us out of a scoring rally.

Bottom of the sixth. with the Dodgers running out of time. Kershaw gets Cargo and Mullet to both ground out, with Kershaw making a nice play on the grounder hit by Mullet. Helton strokes a fly ball that sends Gwynn into that left field corner to make to make the catch. Still 2-1 Colorado after six.

Top of the seventh. With one out, AJ singles. Kershaw stays in and sacrifices AJ to second. A wild pitch sends AJ to third. Gwynn walks on four consecutive pitches. Tracy hooks Pomeranz after he makes 113 pitches. A very good outing for the young pitcher. He goes 6.2 innings, allowing one run four hits, four walks, and five whiffs. Matt Belisle enters the game in relief. Of course he gets Ellis to fly out to right. The Dodgers leave the tying run stranded at third. Frustrating.

Kershaw has a nice easy 123 inning, retiring the side in order. Kershaw has six whiffs now. Top of the eighth. Bison leads off with an opposite field single. Rivera weakly grounds out. Another Colorado pitching change sees lefty Rex Brothers called in. Andre Ethier slaps a base hit into left field, as Kemp motors into third. Colorado catcher Rosario has a meeting on the mound. Brothers is left in to face Hairston. He throws a pitch to the backstop, but it hits the brick wall behind home plate and bounces back to Rosario, and Kemp stays at third. Ethier advances to second. There is another mound meeting as Colorado is flustered.  Hairston hits a line drive that goes just passed the diving Nelson down the left field line bouncing off the left field field level wall. Kemp and Ethier both score, on the two run double from Jerry, and the Dodgers have come from behind to take the lead 3-2. Clutch! Mattingly orders Loney to bat for Sellers, against a new Colorado pitcher, Esmil Rogers. Loney is called out on a called check swing third strike. Colorado decides to pitch to A.J. Ellis with Kershaw’s spot on deck, even though there was a base open. AJ pops out to end the frame, but the Dodgers have rallied back to take the lead!

Bottom of the eighth. Kershaw has only made 81 pitches, so he stays in. Scutaro leads off with a single to left. Herrera sacrifices Scutaro to second. The Rockies would come back to tie the game, when Fowler singles up the middle to score Scutaro, to tie it at three.  There is the obligatory wild pitch that sends Fowler to second. Because of course there always is one of those. Then with a base open, I don’t understand why they would pitch to Cargo. It makes no sense, even with Kershaw on the mound. Then, yeah you guessed it, Cargo hits another one out, his second of the game, third in the series. I am sick of him. That makes it a 5-3 game, and means it is pretty much over. Very disappointing after such a great eighth inning. Clearly Kershaw just didn’t have it today, and is finally lifted. This is the first time Kershaw has allowed three home runs in a game ever. My new friend Jamey Wright is called into the game in his normal mop up type role. Mullet singles. Helton walks. Cuddyer is called out on strikes. Rosario finally whiffs to end this nightmare inning.

So it is the top of the ninth now, and Colorado brings on their closer Rafael Betancourt who has a 0.90 ERA. Kennedy singles to lead off the inning, after being double switched into the game. He now has three hits on the season. Mark Ellis pathetically whiffs, and that brings up the NL player of the month, Matt Kemp. Colorado decides to take the bat right out of his hands, and intentionally walk him. I don’t blame them. Wise move. On deck is Dee Gordon, who was put in the game at shortstop . People will Say that Tracy shouldn’t have put the tying run on base, but with the way Kemp has been hitting, I can’t really blame him. Gordon who was down to his last strike, brings the Dodgers back from the brink, with clutch double into the gap, Kennedy and Bison score, and we have a brand new ball game! Ethier is walked intentionally, and Hairston whiffs to end the inning.

So of course you figure that after all that, two amazing comebacks, it will just end with Jamey Wright, or someone else from the bullpen bowing it in the bottom of the ninth. Yup. Jamey Wright in walks Young and Scutaro. Herera sacrifices he runners to second and third. Kennedy had a chance to get the lead runner at third, and bumbles the ball and barley gets the out at first. Donnie hooks Wright and brings in Elbert, and he throws a huge meatball to Jason Giambi, who lives on the Colorado bench. Meatball Home run. Oh wow another blown save by the bullpen what a shock.

I am so frustrated with this horrendous Bullpen. Magic and Kasten have a lot of work to do rebuilding that terrible bullpen. Of course Mattingy’s horrific bullpen management makes it worse. I mean come on, how much longer are they going to stand around while the bullpen blows games every week? What a terrible way to end such a great day. The plane ride to Chicago won’t be fun Thanks alot Dodger Bumpen for nothing you bums.