The Clinch Goes On…

Dodgers 4 12 0

Diamondbacks 9 12 0

WP- McCarthy (5-9)

LP- Fife (4-4)

HR- Goldschmidt (34), Puig (17), Federowicz (4)

The Dodgers were once again Goldschmidted. Stephen Fife only made it through 2 1/3 innings in his start on Wednesday night at Chase Field. Fife made 69 pitches and allowed 4 runs, 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 hit batters, 2 wild pitches, and 3 walks. Belisario had a disastrous 5-run eighth inning, and the Dodger offense couldn’t catch up with the D-backs bats. There was a blown call in the sixth inning when Michael Young was called out at home. That not only cost a run, but it also cost the Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez for the rest of the game after he was ejected for arguing with the umpires about the play. That’s only Gonzo’s third ejection in his career.

Stephen Fife was not happy after being pulled from the game. Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

There were wild pitches, hit batters, runners left stranded, bunt failures, and all the usual pesky side effects of Dodger baseball. It was an ugly game, and it never quite turned around after the long two-run first inning by Stephen Fife. Fife, who has been out of sorts since the Dodgers made him pitch out of relief for awhile, was not sharp tonight. Yet the Dodger offense wasn’t sharp either. Hanley Ramirez didn’t start, and his bat is so integral to this team. Yasiel Puig had three hits on the night including a booming solo homerun in the fourth inning. Tim Federowicz also had a good game, and the backup catcher had a double and a solo homerun on the night.

The big guns for the D-backs were of course Goldschmidt who had two hits and drove in two. Adam Eaton had two hits and drove in three Arizona runs. Brandon McCarthy wasn’t overpowering, but his offense picked him up and he got his fifth win on the season. The D-backs just are tough for the Dodgers to beat. With a troubled start from Fife and muted offense, the Dodgers just couldn’t rise to the occasion tonight. There will be tomorrow, however.

Yasiel Puig leads off the top of the first by lining a ground-rule double right over the

Paul Goldschmidt hits yet another homerun against the Dodgers. Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

left field wall. With Carl Crawford in the batter’s box, Miguel Montero hangs Puig up to dry. Yasiel is caught taking an extra step off second. Just like that the lead-off double is erased. Crawford and Michael Young proceed to both ground out to end the inning.

The bottom of the first doesn’t start off so good for Stephen Fife. Adam Eaton leads off with a double to right field, and Puig airmails an offline throw which is of no use. A.J. Pollack flies out to Matt Kemp in center field. After a 10-pitch at-bat, Paul Goldschmidt homers to right center field, and just like that the Dodgers are behind 2-0. Aaron Hills follows with a solid single to left field. Fife walks Montero, and the D-backs have two on with one out thanks to a struggling Fife. Then Fife plunks Matt Davidson to load the bases. Fife, who hasn’t started in the Majors since August 4th, rears back to strike out Gerardo Parra for the second out. Chris Owings, a rookie shortstop, grounds into a force out. Fife pitches out of the jam, but Goldschmidt causes early damage. Fife made 33 pitches in the inning.

Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp both fly out in the second frame. Mark Ellis strikes out looking, and the Dodgers go down 1-2-3.

Fife starts off the home half of the second by striking out the opposing pitcher McCarthy. Eaton pops out. Pollock then lays down a bunt softly down the third base line and ends up with an infield single. That means you know who is up again. Fife finally does something right by walking Goldy. There’s nothing shameful about a Goldy walk. None at all. Hill grounds out to second to end the scoreless inning, but Fife has already made 52 pitches.

Yasiel Puig hits his 17th homerun. Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Punto and Tim Federowicz both fly out in the top of the third. Stephen Fife strikes out looking, and McCarthy sends the Dodgers down in order again.

In the bottom of the third, Fife hits another batter- this time Montero. Then he uncorks a wild pitch which allows Montero to advance to second with Davidson at bat. Davidson singles up the middle just past a diving Mark Ellis. The D-backs now have runners at the corners with nobody out. Parra hits into a force play, and while Gonzalez chooses to throw to second the third Arizona run comes in with Montero. Owings singles to left. That gets the Dodger bullpen up, and Rick Honeycutt goes out to the mound to allow Carlos Marmol to warm up. With McCarthy at bat, Fife hurls another wild pitch. The runners move to second and third. We think Mattingly is going to hook Fife, but he turns around after starting to the mound. Fife then walks McCarthy to load the bases, and Mattingly finally comes out to take Fife out. Marmol immediately walks Eaton which brings in the second run of the inning, and it’s 4-0 Snakes. Pollock flies out, and Goldschmidt strikes out. The D-backs leave three men, but two come in to score.

Yasiel Puig crushes a solo homerun to left center field to lead-off the fourth, and the Dodgers get on the board. Crawford reaches safely on a little single to third base. Michael Young hits a ball to deep short, and even though Owings stops the ball from going into left field, the Dodgers now have two on with nobody out. Gonzo hits a line drive which is deflected off Goldschmidt’s glove, and Crawford comes all the way around to score. 4-2 Dodgers. Matt Kemp strikes out swinging on a low ball. Mark Ellis hits into a force play as Davidson snares the grounder and erases Gonzalez at second. Davidson almost caught the ball at third for the double play. Nick Punto flies out in foul territory down the left field line. The Dodgers are able to cut the lead in half with two runs.

The third Snakes of the evening who is hit by a pitch is Aaron Hill in the bottom of the fourth. Marmol hits Hill, but Montero thankfully grounds into a double play. Marmol walks Davidson. Parra is called out on strikes, and Parra can’t believe it!

The Dodgers go very quickly in the fourth inning. FedEx, pinch-hitter Nick Buss, and

Gonzo mad. Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Puig are all retired in order.

Brandon League is in for the fifth inning. It looks like Mattingly has given up. League miraculously pitches a 1-2-3 inning, but it was only the D-backs bottom of the order spots and Eaton.

Michael Young singles to right field with one out in the top of the sixth. That’s Young’s second base hit on the night. Gonzo comes up and drills a double to the gap. Young tries to come all the way around and score, but Owings throws him out on the plate with a questionable tag by Montero. It looked like he had his hand on the plate before the throw in replay. Gonzalez is arguing with the umps after that play at the plate, and the umpires eject Gonzo. Uribe replaces Gonzo on the base path, and Matt Kemp singles to left field. Uribe moves to third. Mark Ellis flies out to center field, and the Dodgers aren’t able to cash in three hits in the inning, and they lose Gonzalez for the remainder of the game.

Pollock leads off the bottom of the sixth with a single, and Goldschmidt gets a hit when Uribe fails to get the force out at second. League is readying to allow more runs, and after Hill is retired on a fly out, Don will bring Paco Rodriguez in to face the lefty Montero. Arizona proceeds to pick Paco’s pockets by pulling off the double steal. Pollock advances to third and Goldy to second. Montero strikes out on a Paco breaking ball for the second out. They intentionally walk Davidson to pitch to Parra. Parra hits one to Uribe, and he just gets him out at first to end the threat and inning.

Nick Punto leads off the seventh with a single, and then FedEx comes up with a big RBI double. The ball rattles around left field, and Punto is able to easily come home. It’s now 4-3 D-backs, and that’s going to be all for McCartney as Kirk Gibson turns to his bullpen. Tony Sipp will be called upon to pitch to Skip Schumaker who is hitting in the nine spot. Mattingly asks Schumaker to bunt, and he does get the bunt down. The Dodgers now have the tying run 90 feet away. The D-backs will go to their pen again and bring in Chaz Roe to face Puig. Puig is awarded a base hit on a high chopper to short which is misplayed by Owings. Gibson will change pitchers yet again, and this time he brings in Joe Thatcher. Scott Van Slyke will pinch-hit for Crawford. Van Slyke grounds into a very disappointing double play to end the inning and strand more runners.

Brandon McCarthy pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 10 hits with 3 strikeouts and no walks on 76 pitches.

Brian Wilson will pitch the bottom of the seventh. Willie Bloomquist singles with one out, but Eaton grounds into a double play to end the inning.

David Hernandez will pitch the top of the eighth for the D-backs. The Dodgers go down in order. Matt Kemp loses a hit as Owings makes a backhanded catch on a line drive hit by the Bison.

Ronald Belisario will be the Dodgers sixth pitcher of the night in the bottom of the eighth. Beli starts off the inning by walking Pollock. Never a good start to a late inning in a one-run game. He manages to retire Goldschmidt who lines out to center. Then Aaron Hill doubles to left field. Van Slyke falls down on his rear end trying to field the ball, and Pollock is able to score as SVS is bumbling out there. 5-3 D-backs. They intentionally walk Montero. Martin Prado doubles to left center, and Hill brings in another Arizona run. They intentionally walk Martin Prado. That’s going to be all for Belisario who will end up allowing 5 big runs. Peter Moylan will come in to take over for Beli. He walks in another run as he gives up the fourth free pass of the inning to Owings. It’s now 7-3, and the Snakes have scored thrice in this inning. The carnage is not over just yet. Adam Eaton then singles to center, and two more runs score. 9-3. The final out finally comes after 11 men come to the plate. Pollock pops out, and the Dodgers walk back to the dugout with their heads hung low.

Brad Ziegler will pitch the top of the ninth to quickly put the Dodgers out of their misery. Dee Gordon grounds out. Punto flies out. Tim Federowicz then unloads a big solo homerun to right center field, but Schumaker makes the final out by grounding to first.

The Dodgers fall to 87-65, and they will have to wait until tomorrow to pop open any bubbly. There will be no celebration tonight.

Tomorrow the 12:40 p.m. afternoon series finale will feature Ricky Nolasco vs. Wade Miley. Ricky’s last start was a disaster, so let’s hope that he can bounce back.