Little League Dodgers Drop Sixth In A Row

The nightmare continued for the Dodgers on Tuesday night, as they lost their sixth consecutive game, and their 14th of their last 16th game against Arizona. The game featured a battle of winless starters. Brandon McCarthy the starter for Arizona, who has gotten off to a bad start, but never walks anyone. He countered Josh Beckett for the Dodgers who was 0-4 on the season and has yet to even sniff a win.

Of course the team can’t go a day without putting someone on the disabled list. The next victim was Jerry Hairston with his sore groin. The Dodgers called up Elian Herrera to replace him on the roster.

Beckett wasn’t terrible and actually gave us a quality start, but it’s not like he was very good either. Dodger pitching allowed Arizona lead-off batters to reach base in eight of the nine frames. Beckett was able to go a full six frames, allowing three runs on nine hits. But he gave up those runs early, as the Dodger pitching staff keeps allowing runs early in the game.

photo from- https://twitter.com/StephenO_47

Eventually with the game tied at 3-3, it was Paul Goldschmidt’s two-run shot off Brandon League in the top of the ninth that won the game for the Snakes. The Dodgers just can’t beat any teams from their own division. The boys in Blue are 5-15 against the NL West. Not only has Arizona owned them, but Goldschmidt keeps on terrorizing the Dodgers.

The Snakes started the scoring right away in the first frame. Gerardo Parra’s lead-off double is cashed in by the snakes on a Goldschmidt grounder. The Dodger’s tried to battle back by tying the game in the bottom of the first on a Matt Kemp double, and an Andre Ethier RBi single.

Beckett’s rare quality start wasn’t enough for the Dodgers to win-Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kubel’s RBI single in the top of the second gave the snakes the lead back 2-1. Again the Dodgers would respond with one run of their own. This time it was on a solo home run by Nick Punto, his first of the year and as a Dodger.

After the Snakes would retake the lead on a RBI single from Eric Chavez in the top of the fifth, Punto would again come to the rescue for the Dodgers with an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2. The Dodgers had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth with teh score tied at 3-3, but Don Mattingly refused to pinch-hit for the awful Ramon Hernandez, who has one hit as a Dodger. Hernandez predictably made out, and the rally was ruined

Speaking of predictable, Mattingly brought in the horrendous Brandon League to preserve the tie in the top of the ninth. League predictably allowed a walk to Parra, and then served up a home run to Goldschmidt which ended up being the game decider. Gregorius had three hits for the Dbacks, and Kemp (2 for 4), and Punto (two hits, HR) both had two hits for the Dodgers.

Of course Josh Beckett immediately gives up a run in the first inning. The Dodgers allow first inning runs at an alarming rate. Gerardo Parra with a lead-off double. Didi Gregorius’s sacrifice moves Parra to third. Paul Goldschmidt’s grounder to Schumaker scores Parra and gives the Snakes a 1-0 lead.

The Dodgers battle back and tie it up in the bottom half of the first frame, on three consecutive hits from Kemp, Gonzo, and Ethier.

Brandon McCarthy takes the mound for the Dbacks in the bottom of the first. After he gets Carl Crawford on a grounder, and Dee Gordon on a strikeout, Matt Kemp singles to left. Adrian Gonzalez follows with a line single to left as well, but Kemp can only advance to second. Andre Ethier’s single up the middle scores Kemp and ties the game at 1-1.

Eric Chavez hits the second consecutive lead-off double for the Dbacks in the top of the second. Cody Ross’s grounder moves Chavez to third. Beckett serves up an RBI single to Jason Kubel, which puts the snakes back on top 2-1. Beckett walks Cliff Pennington, and follows by retiring McCarthy on a fly out. Parra whiffs to end the inning.

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy (32) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers come back again to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second. Nick Punto hits a solo home run over the low wall in the right field corner. That’s Punto’s 16 career home run! Punto Power ties the game at 2-2.

Beckett gives up another lead-off base hit in the top of the third. Gregorius’s single is the third straight lead-off runner the Snakes have gotten aboard against Beckett. But Beckett finally gets out of the frame without allowing scorage. Goldschmidt whiffs, Montero flies out, and Chavez grounds out. After McCarthy sets the Dodgers won in order in the bottom of the third, the Snakes threaten again in the top of the fourth, but the Dodgers are able to keep them at bay.

Cody Ross singles to lead-off the inning, becoming the fourth straight lead-off man to reach base for Arizona. Kubel flies out. Pennington singles Ross to Second. McCarthy sacrifices the runners over to second and third. Parra grounds out to Gonzo as he feeds Beckett covering the bag on a play that was way too close for comfort.

Hernandez, Schumaker and Punto all ground out in the Dodger bottom of the fourth, and we go to the fifth still tied at 2-2. In the top of the fifth, Beckett allows the lead-off man to reach yet again. Gregorius with another single, followed by a walk to Goldschmidt. Beckett whiffs Montero, but Chavez’s bloop RBI single over the head of Gordon, scores Gregorius, and gives the Snakes the lead back by a score of 3-2.

Punto Power!

Beckett’s single in the bottom of the fifth, is erased on Crawford’s double play. Gordon of course singles immediately afterwards. Kemp’s soft liner is snared by Pennington to end the fifth.

Beckett finally retires a lead-off guy in the top of the sixth, and tosses a scoreless frame, which turns out to be his last. Beckett goes six frames, allowing three runs on nine hits, two walks, and whiffed five. Beckett exits the game losing 3-2, so he can’t win. Beckett remains winless for 2013.

Somehow J.P. Howell holds the Dbacks at bay in the top of the seventh. He does allow the sixth Arizona lead-off hitter to reach base on the night as Gregorius collects his third hit of the night. It mattered not, because Howell was able to get Goldschmidt to hit into a double play. Montero flied out.

The Dodgers battle back and tie it up again in the bottom of the seventh. Once again, Nick Punto was the hero. Schumaker walks, and scores on a Punto double into the gap. The crowd begins to chant Pun-To! Justin Sellers is the designated bunter even though SECOND BASE IS ALREADY IN SCORING POSITION! Sigh, I don’t know why I even try anymore. Anyways, Sellers does get the bunt down and advances Punto to third, but now the Dodgers only have two chances to score him. And of course they do not. Arizona makes a pitching change and removes McCarthy, and brings in Tony Sipp. He gets Crawford to pop out, and Gordon to fly out. The Dodgers don’t score.

Kenley Jansen comes in to pitch the top of the eighth, and does what every Dodger pitcher has done tonight. Letting the lead-off man get on base. Soooo Chavez walks and steals second. Jansen has to work hard, but whiffs Ross and Kubel. With two outs, Mattingly orders the intentional walk of Martin Prado, and that forces Arizona to go to their bench. Up comes Eric Hinske to pinch-hit for Sipp. Jansen gets him to ground into a force out, and the game remains tied.

David Hernandez enters the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Dbacks. Kemp begins the frame with a double down the third base line. Gonzalez pops out for the first out. Arizona then intentionally walks Ethier to get to Ramon Hernandez. The veteran pops out and the runners can’t advance. That leaves the rally up to Skip Schumaker. He fails as usual, as his little flare blooper ends the rally.

Goldschmidt keeps on making the Dodgers life miserable-Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Our so called “closer” is called in to keep the game tied in the top of the ninth. Arizona has their eighth lead-off man reach base on the night when League walks Parra. Gregorius whiffs for the first out. Then with a base open the Dodgers decide to pitch to Goldschmidt for some reason. Even though the guy is hitting like .800 against the Dodgers. Now right before League came in I tweeted this out….

Right on Cue, Goldschmidt hammers a League meatball into the right field pavilion for a two-run shot. Which would end up being the game winner.

Move to the bottom of the ninth, with the Dodgers trailing 5-3. J.J;. Putz starts the frame, and walks Punto, but has to come out because of some kind of hand injury. Heath Bell comes in and retires Uribe on a fly out. Crawford grounds out, and Gordon whiffs to end the game. The Dodgers fall flat once again.

I think we can all agree at this point, that the Dodgers will continue to lose and sink in the standings unless they start to make some major changes. The incompetent management would be a good place to start making those changes. Tomorrow the Dodgers continue their quest to hold the worst record in all of Baseball. The Dodgers fall to 13-19 and now have sole possession of last place. Believe me guys they have earned every bit of the cellar they now occupy.

Join us tomorrow night for more depressing Dodger Baseball. Clayton Kershaw will try to do all he can to snap the Dodgers out of what seems to be an endless slump. The snakes will counter with Wade Miley.