The Dodger Offense Gets a “F” as A’s Walk Away With Win

Dodgers- 0 2 2

Athletics- 3 5 1

WP- McCarthy (6-3)

LP- Harang (5-4)

S- Cook (4)

This game was over after the first inning. Aaron Harang saw 22 batters, and he walked 8 of them. The Dodgers walked 10 A’s in the game, and they made 2 errors. They actually had equal number of hits to errors tonight. Brandon McCarthy shut them down methodically, and the Dodgers couldn’t muster anything off the right-hander. The Dodgers seem to have trouble adjusting to these unfamiliar American League ballparks and pitchers. Much like game one at Safeco Field where they were no-hit, the Dodgers were shut out tonight at the Oakland Coliseum as their Interleague Play schedule grinds on.

The first inning begins with a typical Dee Gordon bunt single attempt failure. Elian Herrera hits a little comeback nubber  to Brandon McCarthy for the second out. Andre Ethier flies out to shallow left field as the Dodgers go down 1-2-3.

The bottom of the first inning gets ugly for Aaron Harang and the Dodger defense. Coco Crisp proceeds to lead off with a double to shallow right field as the sun gets in the way of the Dodgers on the play. Jemile Weeks, the brother of Rickie, draws a walk. Aaron Harang finally gets the first out by whiffing Josh Reddick. Seth Smith singles to center field. The ball gets by Tony Gwynn Jr., and the error allows two runs to score. The normally weak-hitting A’s are all of a sudden up my two. Brandon Inge strikes out. Brandon Moss walks. Jonny Gomes continues the inning with a single, and the A’s score yet another first inning run off Harang, 3-0. Rick Honeycutt makes an embarrassing first inning visit to the mound. The inning finally ends on a Kurt Suzuki strikeout. Harang ends up making 40 pitches and allows three runs while striking out three.

In the top of the second the Dodgers go down quickly in order. Bobby Abreu and James Loney both ground out, and A.J. Ellis strikes out.

Coco Crisp draws a one-out walk in the bottom of the second. Harang strikes Weeks out. Aaron walks another batter as he puts Reddick on. Harang has now walked four in 1 2/3 innings. Smith flies out to center, and the A’s strand two base runners.

Adam Kennedy swings on the first pitch in the third inning and promptly flies out. Juan Uribe strikes out. Tony Gwynn singles for the first Dodger hit of the night. Gordon flies out.

The bottom of the third starts off innocent enough for Aaron Harang. He induces groundball outs to Inge and Moss. Then more walks. Gomes and Suzuki both get free passes consecutively. Harang has now walked 6 batters. This spurs yet another coaching visit to the mound. Finally, Cliff Pennington strikes out, and Harang manages to wiggle out of the jam and walk fest. Harang has already made 85 pitches in three innings.

Andre Ethier singles up the middle with one out in the fourth frame. Abreu grounds out, and Dre takes second on the play. James Loney’s signature groundball is the third out.

Coco Crisp walks to lead off the bottom of the fourth for the Athletics as Harang continues to struggle with his control. Reddick strikes out. With Smith at the plate, Crisp steals second. He is 11-11 on the season in stolen base attempts. Smith is Harang’s eighth walk of the game. Don Mattingly finally has seen enough, and comes in to hook Harang. Jamey Wright comes in to take over. After all, it’s still only a three-run game. Coco Crisp steals third with Inge at bat. Mattingly tries to appeal the play, but to no avail. Wright gets the last out as Inge grounds one to third, and the A’s fail to cash in Crisp.

Aaron Harang pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 8, and striking out 6 on 105 pitches.

McCarthy begins the fifth inning by whiffing Ellis for the second time of the evening. Kennedy draws the first walk allowed by McCarthy. Uribe grounds into what looks like a routine double play, but Weeks’ throw pulls Moss off the bag. It doesn’t really matter though, because Gwynn flies out to end the inning.

Jamey Wright pitches a nice 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth.

Gordon strikes out to begin the sixth, and Herrera’s slap bunt attempt is a no-go as well. Ethier grounds out, and the Dodgers have yet to score.

Coco Crisp singles with one-out in the bottom of the sixth, and he goes 2-2 with two hits and two walks. He also proceeds to steal his third base of the night. Weeks walks (Oakland’s ninth walk on the night), and they now have two on and one out. That will be that for Jamey Wright, and Scott Elbert comes in and strikes out Reddick for out number two. Smith grounds out to Loney who makes a nice sliding stop to end the inning.

Abreu starts off the seventh with a strikeout. Loney and Ellis both fly out as the Dodgers go down in order again.

Todd Coffey is the fourth Dodger pitcher of the night, and he will come in for the bottom of the seventh. Inge strikes out. Brandon Moss singles to right. Gomes grounds into a force out, and Suzuki’s slow roller ends the inning as we go to the eighth.

Grant Balfour takes over for Brandon McCarthy. Adam Kennedy leads off with a walk. Uribe strikes out swinging on a slider down. Gwynn grounds into a force, and Dee Gordon flies out as the Dodger offense continues to be nonexistent.

Brandon McCarthy pitched 7 innings, allowing no runs on just 2 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts on 81 pitches.

Shawn Tolleson is handed the ball for the bottom of the eighth. James Loney draws a rare error as the ball hit by Pennington bounces off his knee. Coco Crisp is retired for the first time of the night as he flies out to left. Tolleson makes a nice pickoff move to get Pennington for the second out. Weeks walks (the Dodger pitching has allowed 10 walks). Reddick strikes out for the fourth time.

Ryan Cook will try to shut the Dodgers down in the ninth. Herrera strikes out. Ethier reaches safely on an error by Crisp in center field. Abreu walks, and all of a sudden the Dodgers have two on with one out. Loney of course grounds into a game-ending double play, and the A’s win.

The Dodgers are now 42-26. Luckily the Angels are currently beating the Giants, so we’ll retain our 4 1/2 game in the standings.

Tomorrow Nathan Eovaldi will go for his elusive first win again as the Dodgers and A’s clash in game two. Tommy Milone will pitch for Oakland, and first pitch will be at 7:05 pm.