Dodger Offense Vanishes in Fourth Loss in a Row

It’s very hard to write this recap when I am so frustrated. The Dodgers lost again to the Brewers, by a score of 6-2, losing for the fourth game in a row. The Dodgers were swept by the Brewers for the first time ever. Things are beginning to unravel quickly. The team just looked flat and listless, as the offense has completely vanished.

Last night Matt Kemp strained his hamstring again while running the bases on an Ethier double. Kemp was placed on the 15-day DL once again, and outfield/second base prospect Alex Castellanos was called up to replace him on the roster. The Dodgers are hoping their last bullet they have, in Castellanos can provide some kind of offensive spark, as it is impossible for the Dodgers to replace the lost offense of Matt Kemp. The MRI told us nothing we didn’t already know. Kemp has a strained hamstring again, and is going to be out for a month. The Dodgers are going to have to survive without him. If their is any consolation, Juan Rivera is due to rejoin the team in Denver tomorrow, and useless rookie Scott Van Slyke is expected to be optioned to Albuquerque.

The Dodgers only scored one run despite getting 12 hits tonight. The difference is they are not getting the clutch hits anymore. What was a strength is now what is killing the team. The Dodgers left 11 men on base today, and was 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position. It seemed every time they had a rally going someone would hit into a double play. The Dodgers hit into four double plays tonight and only scored eight runs during the four game series.

After we couldn’t even win with Kershaw on the mound yesterday, it seemed hopeless tonight with the inconsistent and infuriating Chad Billingsley. After all was said and done, Bills gave a similar performance he has been giving since April. Bills goes six innings, allows four runs on six hits, walks two and whiffs eight. He made 116 pitches. Mediocrity, I dub thee Chad Billingsley.

The Brewers scored two runs in the second inning, two runs in the third inning, and two more runs in the ninth inning off of Todd Coffey. After Bills had a 123 first inning, the Brewers plated two. Aramis Ramirez walks. Brewers rookie Taylor Green doubles to right, and Rickie Week’s bloop single to right scores Ramirez. The second run scored on a Martin Maldonado force out, as the Dodgers were unable to get a double play.

The Brewers get two more in the third. Nyjer Morgan singles. After Corey Hart whiffs, and Morgan steals second, Aramis Ramirez slams a Bills cutter meatball into the left field pavilion for a 4-1 Milwaukee lead at the time. Bills does recover to whiff Green and weeks to end the frame.

I know Zack Greinke is a cy young winner but we should have been able to do more. The Dodgers left runners stranded in every inning. Greinke who is 14-0 at home, was only 7-8 on the road.

The Dodgers did get one run off the bat of Bills oddly enough. Jerry Hairston singles. Scott Van Slyke follows a Kennedy force out with a single to left. After Dee Gordon whiffs. (what else is new?). Bills helps his own cause with a ground ball single up the middle into center field. Kennedy scores and at the time it was 2-1 Brewers. The bases were loaded after Elian Herrera walked, but of course A.J. Ellis whiffed.

The Dodgers wasted a Hairston double in the third, a Billingsley single in the fourth, and Bobby Abreu’s double play erased an A.J. Ellis single in the bottom of the fifth. The Dodgers failed to score anybody again in the bottom of the sixth, when Kennedy and Gordon single. Pinch-hitter Ivan DeJesus Jr. of course whiffs to ruin the rally.

Greinke goes six innings. He allows one run on nine hits, one walk and seven whiffs. The Bird Man made 118 pitches.

More frustration in the bottom of the seventh off of reliever Jose Veras, Herrera walks. A.J. singles. Again Abreu grounds into a double play to halt any chances of scoring. Of course there was another terrible umpire call that destroyed a potential rally in the bottom of the eighth. Alex Castellanos made his major league debut and in his first at-bat was plunked in the arm by a pitch. While he is stealing second base, useless rookie Scott Van Slyke swings and misses, and makes contact with the catcher on his back swing, while standing at the plate looking bewildered. You know it’s the Jerry Sands look. The umps rule catcher’s interference and call out Van Slyke. They force Castellanos back to first base. Mattingly comes out to argue, but what’s the point?

Tim Dillard pitches the ninth for the Brewers. The Dodgers scored a meaningless run in the ninth. IDJ and Herrera both single. Then what do you think happens next? Oh yeah you guessed it! A.J. Ellis grounds into a double play. James Loney pinch-hitting because he is becoming unplayable, singles in a meaningless run, to make it a 6-2 game. Loney always gets hits when we are down by several runs and it doesn’t mean anything. Ethier’s ground out ends the game and the misery of this series.

The Brewers added more salt to our wounds with a two run home run by Carlos Gomez off of Todd Coffey in the top of the ninth, but it didn’t matter. This game was over from the beginning.

Things look bleak right now. The Dodgers must begin a ten game three city road-trip without Matt Kemp. Ethier and A.J. are the only one’s hitting right now. The offense has totally stalled out it seems. Tomorrow the Dodgers will give the ball to Chris Capuano, who has been excellent this season, in the first game of a three game set in Denver. Colorado will counter with rookie Josh Outman.

I don’t even want to write anymore right now I am so frustrated. This series has been a nightmare. The team just isn’t hitting right now, and we face a long and brutal road trip ahead. Despite all of this, It’s not time to panic yet. We have reached the first slump of the season, and I am praying Cappy can snap us out of this funk tomorrow. Despite this awful series, the Dodgers still have the best record in Baseball at 32-19, and are 5 games up on the Giants who did not play tonight. I’ll have more to say tomorrow when I’m not as frustrated. Game time is at 6:40. Stay Calm Dodger fans. Go Blue.