Tommy Milone Completely in Control as A’s Take Series Win

Dodgers 1 3 0

Athletics 4 8 1

WP- Milone (7-5)

LP- Eovaldi (0-3)

HR- Moss (7)

I’m starting to think that Nathan Eovaldi will never win a game again. The Dodgers once again were totally shut down offensively by Athletic pitching. They have only mustered 1 run on 5 hits during 18 innings played in Oakland so far. Tonight, Tommy Milone at one point retired 14 Dodgers in a row. The Dodger offense is just comatose right now, and the defense is lackluster as well. The voluminous outfield in the Coliseum has been challenging to the Dodger outfielders-even Tony Gwynn Jr. Here’s how the quick loss played out:

Dee Gordon, Elian Herrera, and Andre Ethier all fly out as the Dodgers go down 1-2-3 in the first inning against Tommy Milone.

Nathan Eovaldi continues where Aaron Harang left off last night by walking the lead-off batter Coco Crisp. Jemile Weeks grounds into a force out. Josh Reddick‘s fly ball is the second out. Yoenis Cespedes hits a slicing line drive to center field, but luckily Tony Gwynn Jr. makes a nice catch to end the inning.

Juan Rivera singles to open the second inning for the Dodgers. Jerry Hairston Jr. flies out. Bobby Abreu hits a busted bat grounder to third, and Rivera takes second on the play. Juan Uribe doubles to right field, and Reddick can’t make the diving catch which allows Rivera to score. 1-0 Dodgers. Gwynn walks, but A.J. Ellis grounds into a force out to end the inning.

Eovaldi once again walks the lead-off batter in the bottom of the second inning as he gives a free pass to Seth Smith. Brandon Moss flies out. Cliff Pennington singles on a ground ball to Hairston. On Mark Ellis tribute night in Oakland, we sure are missing the sure-handed infielder. Kurt Suzuki lines out, Eric Sogurd flies out stranding Smith at third.

The Dodgers go down in order in the top of the third.

Nathan Eovaldi has a nice easy inning in the bottom of the third. Crisp and Weeks both ground out, and Reddick whiffs.

The Dodgers go down yet again in order in the top of the fourth.

The A’s get on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Cespedes and Smith hit back-to-back doubles, and Oakland ties the game up 1-1. Smith’s ball falls between Gwynn and Abreu as they cross each other yet neither outfielder is able to get to the ball. Andre Ethier, who is the DH tonight, most likely would have caught that ball. Moss strikes out for the first out of the inning. With Pennington at the plate, there’s the obligatory wild pitch which allows Smith to get to third. Pennington reaches on a Fielder’s Choice as Smith is tagged out by AJ at home. Suzuki flies out to wrap up the fourth.

Uribe and Gwynn both fly out in the fifth, and Ellis whiffs to end the inning quickly. Tommy Milone has now retired 10 Dodgers in a row.

Eric Sogurd singles to start off the bottom of the fifth for the A’s. Crisp walks for the second time of the night, and the A’s have two on with nobody out. Weeks bunts, and instead of listening to A.J. Eovaldi looks over at third. He takes too long to throw to first which allows Weeks to reach safely. The bases are now loaded with nobody out. Reddick hits into a double play, but Sogurd brings in the run. 2-1 A’s. Cespedes hits a little flare single to left field, and another run comes in. 3-1. Smith flies out to Gwynn, but not before the A’s pick up two runs and take the lead.

Dee Gordon bunt grounds out again in the top of the sixth. Herrera and Ethier grounds out. 13 Dodgers in a row have now been sent back to the dugout after making out.

Cliff Pennington singles with one out in the bottom of the sixth as Eovaldi’s pitch count begins to sneak up. Suzuki’s fly out is number two in the inning. Sogurd pops out to end the frame.

The outs keep comin’ as Rivera grounds out to third to begin the seventh inning. Finally there is a base hit, as Jerry Hairston hits one to deep into the hole of short. Uribe grounds out, and the Dodgers can’t muster any offense whatsoever.

Scott Elbert comes in to relieve Eovaldi in the bottom of the seventh. Elbert induces two pop outs and a ground out to send the A’s down in order quickly.

Nathan Eovaldi pitched 6 innings, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts on 100 pitches.

Dee Gordon reaches safely on a fielding error on Weeks with two outs in the eighth inning. That’s all, just one lowly base runner.

Elbert is still in for the bottom of the eighth. Cespedes hits a huge fly ball to left field which looks like it’s a certain homerun, but the cool night air and cavernous Coliseum outfield allow Abreu to catch the ball right up against the wall. But Brandon Moss does manage to hit one out of the park, and the A’s take a 4-1 lead.

We end up at the ninth, and Tommy Milone will try for the complete-game. Ethier flies out. Rivera grounds out. Hairston flies out, and that’s the 13th fly out in the game. The A’s take the series, and they will try for the sweep tomorrow.

Tommy Milone finishes the complete-game, and he only allows 1 run on 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts on 112 pitches.

The Giants are losing again to the Angels, so we may luck out and retain our 4 1/2 game lead in the standings. The Dodgers are now 42-27.

Tomorrow afternoon Clayton Kershaw will try to prevent the A’s from sweeping us. The 12:35 pm game will be televised on KCAL. Can we break out of this offensive funk?