Aaron Harang Rattled in Seven Run Loss to Arizona

Dodgers 2 8 0

Diamondbacks 7 11 1

WP- Cahill (9-9)

LP- Harang (7-6)

HR- Goldschmidt (14), Johnson (9)

*Trade news* The Dodgers have acquired RHP Brandon League from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor leaguers OF Leon Landry and RHP Logan Bawcom.

This game was pretty much over as soon as Aaron Harang took the mound tonight. The Big Show was a flop tonight. He served up a first inning three-run homerun to Paul Goldschmidt then a grand slam to Chris Johnson in the fifth. To be honest, I was more interested in the trade deadline wire than this loss. After an utterly enjoyable weekend filled with a sweep of our arch rivals, the Dodgers let the D-backs push them around back at home.

Gerardo Parra leads off the game by hitting a ball right through Aaron Harang’s legs and into center field for a single. Aaron Hills follows with a single. Jason Kubel makes the first out with a fly ball. Paul Goldschmidt proceeds to hit a three-run homerun to center field. The D-backs take an early 3-0 lead just like that. Justin Upton flies out to center. Miguel Montero draws a two-out walk. Chris Johnson finally flies out to end the inning.

Trevor Cahill goes to work against the Dodgers in the home half of the first. Mark Ellis draws a lead-off walk. Juan Rivera, who is batting second tonight, singles to left. Matt Kemp strikes out swinging. Andre Ethier grounds into an inning ending double play.

Parra doubles, but that is all the snakes can do against Harang in the second inning.

Hanley Ramirez makes his Dodger Stadium debut, but he disappointingly strikes while losing his bat. The Dodgers go down in order in the inning.

In the third, Kubel and Goldschmidt hit back-to-back singles. Montero gets another single with one out, but somehow Harang wiggles out of the jam by inducing Johnson into a double play.

A.J. Ellis opens the bottom of the third with a single. Harang executes a successful bunt which moves Ellis over to second. Mark Ellis draws a walk. Juan Rivera then grounds into…yes you guess it…an inning ending double play.

Aaron Harang pitches a nice 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth.

Matt Kemp singles to lead-off the home half of the fourth. Dre and Hanley both hit into consecutive force out. With Jerry Hairston Jr. at the plate, Ramirez steals second. Montero’s throw sails into center field allowing him to reach third base on the error. JHair walks. Luis Cruz flies out, and both runners are stranded.

Harang walks Aaron Hill to begin the fifth inning. Kubel doubles off the center field wall, and the D-backs are in business with runners at second and third and nobody out. Goldschmidt grounds out on a ball deflected off of Harang. They almost double up Kubel at second. Upton chases ball four, and he goes down on strikes. They walk Montero intentionally to load the bases up for Chris Johnson. Bad idea. Johnson crushes a grand slam homerun, and the D-backs take a commanding 7-0 lead.

Bobby Abreu comes off the bench and hits a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth. MEllis strikes out. Abreu steals second with Rivera in the box. Rivera strikes out to end the inning.

Aaron Harang pitched 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 7 runs, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout on 88 pitches.

Josh Lindblom is in for the sixth inning. He whiffs Cahill. Parra comes up with this third hit of the night with a single. Parra steals second with Hill at the plate. Really, Kirk Gibson, in a 7-0 game? That’s okay, because Parra is nailed at the plate when he tries to go home on a Kubel groundball single to third. That was a great play by Rivera to throw him out.

Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ramirez hits a little dribbler comebacker which allows the runners to advance to second and third as Cahill bumbles the ball a bit. Kemp scores on a JHair grounder, 7-1.

Shawn Tolleson is into pitch the seventh inning for the Dodgers. Shawn whiffs both Goldschmidt and Upton. Montero grounds out, and Tolleson has a very nice 1-2-3 inning.

Brad Ziegler will come into relieve Trevor Cahill for the bottom of the seventh inning. The Dodgers go down quickly in order.

Trevor Cahill pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 107 pitches.

Javy Guerra is in for the eighth. Of course when the game isn’t on the line, Javy pitches a perfect inning.

Old friend Takashi Saito will pitch the bottom of the eighth for the D-backs. I didn’t even know he was still pitching. Juan Rivera leads off with a double to the gap. Matt Kemp follows with another double off the 42-year old Saito, and the Dodgers cash in their second run of the game. Ramirez and Loney both ground out to squelch the rally.

Randy Choate comes out of the bullpen for the ninth inning. He gets Parra to ground out but walks Hill. Kubel strikes out. Jamey Wright comes into get the final out of the inning for some reason. He whiffs Goldschmidt as we head into the bottom of the ninth inning.

Craig Breslow, lefty, is into shut the door on the Dodgers. Luis Cruz grounds out as he goes hitless for the night, and his 12-game hitting streak is officially over. A.J. Ellis whiffs. Tony Gwynn Jr. strikes, and that’s that.

The Dodgers fall to 56-48, ane if the  Giants win tonight versus the Mets, the Dodgers will fall back to second place and one game back. If the Giants lose the Dodgers and Giants will remain tied for first place, but the D-backs will slither up to 3 1/2 games back.

Tomorrow evening we will wrap up the month of July with a Chris Capuano vs. Wade Miley matchup in game two. Keep it here for all trade deadline news as we reach the 1 pm deadline tomorrow.