Dodger Offense Steals Show In Sweep Of Snakes

Dodgers  8 7 1

Dbacks    6 13 1

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It’s always good to score eight runs on a day the pitching staff has an off-day, and allows six runs on 13 hits. Well the Dodger pitching staff had some issues with the Snake’s hitters during their 8-6 win Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. But when your offense scores eight runs on three home runs and four extra-base hits then you’ll probably pull out a win.

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That’s what the Dodgers did on Sunday. The Dodgers were able to complete a three game sweep with their 8-6 victory over the Snakes. The Dodgers had to play Ethier in left field as Carl Crawford once again is out with rustiness. Apparently he has a tight back, (again!) but is expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday night in San Francisco. I swear that guy is the rustiest player I have ever seen.

People acted like it was so strange seeing Ethier in left, although he hasn’t played there in a while, he can play all three outfield positions with relative ease. Although he has played in left field very sparingly over the last few years.

The Dbacks marched out a similar lineup with Tuffy Gosewisch replacing Miguel Montero, and Eric Chavez playing instead of Martin Prado.

The Dbacks are really bad guys. I mean they stink. The Dodgers are now 5-0 against them this season, and they’ve never really put up much of a fight. They’ve looked like zombies all season. They’ve showed little glimmers of resistance, but otherwise were utterly dominated by the Dodgers this weekend. There is nothing more joyous than watching the Dodgers beating up on the Snakes, which they did again today.

Dodger Starter Dan Haren was wobbly, but good enough to pick up the win. Haren had to leave in the sixth, after throwing 5.2 allowing three earned runs on nine hits. Haren walked one, and whiffed nine batters despite getting off to a shaky start in the first couple of innings. He had a ton of three-ball counts, which is rare for him, and made 32 pitches in the first inning.

But Trevor Cahill was much worse. Cahill melted down, walking five, and giving up six earned runs in four frames. Somehow Cahill still whiffed eight Dodgers, and 16 Dodgers whiffed on the day.

Arizona scored three runs in the third when Parra doubled, and Hill tripled him home. Then there was a scoring ground ball from Goldschmidt, and Eric Chavez hit a home run, which made the score 5-3 Dodgers.

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The Dodgers had jumped all over Cahill by scoring once in the second, and four runs in the third. Matt Kemp slugged a solo home run in the top of the second, and the Dodgers ran wild on Cahill the entire game. Dee Gordon stole four bases in the game, and was just one shy of tying the all time Dodger record for steals, which is five previously set by Davey Lopes. Gordon had walked in the third frame, and then stole second and third before Puig walked and stole second himself. Hanley singled home a run, and then the real offensive start of the series for the Dodgers, Adrian Gonzalez blasted his third home run of the series, a three-run shot that put the Dodgers up 5-0 at the time.

The Dodgers scored two unanswered runs in the fifth, when Hanley walked, was doubled to third by Gonzo, and then both runners scored on a ground ball, and an error. The Dodgers got one more run in the seventh on Juan Uribe’s line drive home run.

The Snakes attempted a comeback in the seventh when they scored three more runs to close the gap to 8-6. But it was too little too late. The snakes almost scored in the sixth, but the Dodgers got out of it wh Haren whiffed pinch-hitter Martin Prado and Paco picked off Owings off first base. In the seventh, the snakes got a single from Parra, a single from Goldschmidt and then Mark Trumbo slugged a three-run home run off of Jamey Wright which cut the lead to two.

But that was it. The Snakes left a runner at second in the eighth when Chris Perez whiffed Hill, and hot Goldschmidt to ground out. Then Kenley finished them off with a nice clean ninth inning. Jansen looked like his old self by whiffing Trumbo and Pollack to end the game.

Gonzo was 7 for 13 in the series with three home runs, with ten runs batted in. Amazing. Gordon stole four bases, scored a run and walked twice. He keeps proving me wrong, and I am glad he is. The Dodgers scored 22 runs in the series. Arizona was 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position today and left nine men on base.

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Arizona’s pitching staff is so bad that they are going to move Josh Collmenter from the bullpen to the starting rotation and move Delgado to the bullpen. The Snakes are now 4-10 on the season and in last place in the NL West. Isn’t it enjoyable watching the Snakes suffer?

Here’s how this one played out…..

The Dodgers waste no time in getting started in the top of the first. Dee Gordon draws a walk, and steals second base as Cahill whiffs Yasiel Puig swinging. Then Cahill whiffs Hanley Ramirez on a called strike three. Adrian Gonzalez flies out to left and the Dodgers leave Gordon at second.

Gerardo Parra starts the bottom of the first by singling up the middle, and then steals second base without a throw. I guess he picked Haren’s pocket. Aaron Hill’s grounder to third can’t advance the runner. Paul Goldschmidt is snake bitten again as Haren gets him on a slicing fly to right, as Yasiel Puig has to come all the way over to make the play. Parra holds at second. Then Haren falls behind another Snake, Eric Chavez, and walks him. Finally Haren was able to whiff Mark Trumbo looking, but he made 32 pitches in the frame.

Boom goes the dynamite for the Dodgers in the top of the second. Matt Kemp blasts a mammoth home run down the left field line. That gives the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. That’s the third home run of the season for Bison. Andre Ethier grounds out for the first out. Uribe whiffs, and then Cahill whiffs Federowicz to give him four whiffs thus far. However the Dodgers still have the lead.

The Dbacks left another runner at second in the bottom of the second. He whiffs A.J. Pollack, but Chris Owings singles up the middle. Backup catcher Tuffy Gosewisch’s grounder moves Owings to second, and Cahill’s grounder is the third out.

The always annoying Parra robs poor Haren of a base hit. Haren had singled into right, but was too slow, and Parra was able to throw him out at first base. That’s a 9-3 putout, if you’re scoring at home. Then Gordon walks. Then after some cat and mouse with Cahill, Gordon steals second, and then he immediately steals third as well. He is now eight for nine in steals this year. Puig walks to put runners at first and third, and how big is that put out on Haren’s single now?

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Then Puig steals second! He’s in safely as the throw is high. That’s three stolen bases in the frame for the Dodgers, and they are running wild on Arizona! Hanley then smacks a high chopper behind the mound, that takes a Blue hop as Cahill had to back up several feet to make a play, but he is too late to get Hanley. Gordon easily scores, as Hanley is safe by a step. Dodgers lead 2-0! Then Gonzo immediately crushes a three-run home run down the right field line. That’s Gonzalez’s third home run of the series, and fifth of the year. Dodgers now lead 5-0!

Then Kemp walks, Ethier singles up the middle, and the Dbacks are forced to get their bullpen up. Cahill gets out of the inning finally by whiffing uribe on a check-swing, and then whiffing Fedex as well. Cahill made 43 pitches in the inning.

The Snakes actually fight back in the bottom of the third, as Haren was unable to retire anyone. A five-run lead is blown in mere minutes. Parra doubles, and then Hill triples over Kemp’s head to score Parra. Goldschmidt’s ground out to Hanley scores Hill, and then Eric Chavez homers to bring the score to 5-3 Dodgers.

Cahill all of a sudden starts pitching well, and figures something out. He retires the Dodgers in order in the top of the fourth, with whiffs on Haren, and Puig. Haren himself barely makes it out of the bottom of the fourth. He gives up a single to Owings, but gets Gosewhisch to ground into a 1-4-3 double play. Cahill smokes a double into no-man’s land, but Haren is able to whiff Parra to get out of the inning without scorage.

Wonder what they’re talking about?-Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

But the Dodgers don’t stop the offensive attack. In the top of the fifth, Hanley walks, and Gonzo slices a double down the line, sending Hanley to third. Kirk Gibson as enough, and comes out to lift Cahill. Right hander Randall Delgado is called in, and whiffs Kemp. Ethier’s one-hop shot to first is snared by Goldschmidt who tags the bag, but Hanley scores to put the Dodgers up 6-3. Uribe steals a play from Hanley’s book of infield choppers and hits one of his own towards first that Goldschmidt misplays for an error. Gonzo scores on the play and the Dodgers take a 7-3 lead.

Gordon had a great game, stealing four bases-Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Haren appears ok in the bottom of the fifth. He retired Hill and Goldschmidt on grounders, although Hill’s was sharply hit right at Gordon. Then Parra doubles, and here we go. But Haren is barely able to get out of the inning, as the ice-cold Trumbo is robbed of extra bases on a long drive to left. Kemp comes racing into left center to make a great running catch as he nearly runs right into Ethier. Is that the end of Haren’s day?

Gordon steals his fourth base of the game in the top of the sixth. With one out, he singled, and then while Delgado was distracted pawing the mound, he sneaked into second base without a throw. Puig whiffs, but Hanley walks. In comes lefty Joe Thatcher to face Gonzo, and he gets him to chase a breaking ball low and away.

Haren tries to make it through the bottom of the sixth, but can’t make it. Pollack doubles to lead-off the frame, and Owings reaches when Hanley muffs a grounder. With first and second and none out, Gosewisch flies out to left, and the runners cannot advance. Haren then gets pinch-hitter Martin Prado to whiff on a called third strike. With two outs, Mattingly removes Haren and brings in Paco, who immediately picks off Owings to get the Dodgers out of the inning. Great play!

Right hander will Harris retires Kemp and Ethier in the top of the seventh, but Uribe’s line drive home run over the right field fence puts the Dodgers up 8-3.

So after being left at the plate in the sixth, Parra leads-off against Paco in the seventh and singles up the middle. Paco is removed and in comes Jamey Wright from the Dodger bullpen. Wright gets Hill to foul out to Gonzo for the first out. Goldschmidt loops a single to center, and Parra goes to second. Chavez whiffs for out number two, but Trumbo clobbers a monster three-run home run to left center to make the score 8-6 Dodgers. Now the Dodgers begin to almost predictably meltdown. Pollack singles off of Gordon’s glove, and Wright can’t find the plate walking Owings. That brings up Gosewisch, and thankfully Wright whiffs him to mercifully end the inning. But the Dodgers still hold onto an 8-6 lead.

Harris all of a sudden starts pitching like Koufax and whiffs pinch-hitter Chone Figgins, Gordon, and Owings retires Puig on a very good diving play to rob him of a hit.

Wow that’s one big Puig sign-Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

In the bottom of the eighth, J.P. Howell hits Tony Campana with a pitch, and then whiffs Parra. Howell is hooked, and in comes Chris Perez. Then Campana steals second, and the Dodgers are in trouble. Perez whiffs Hill, and he gets Goldschmidt representing the tying run to ground out to Hanley.

Side-armer Brad Ziegler pitches the top of the ninth for the Snakes. The veteran whiffs Hanley, Gonzo pops out, and Kemp whiffs.

Move to the bottom of the ninth with the Dodgers leading 8-6. Enter Kenley Jansen again to hold the lead, but will he blow it this time? Chavez grounds out to Gordon, who makes a nice play to get him. Trumbo is blown away on some super 99 mph heater. Pollack makes the last out on a called check-swing third strike. That ends the game, and the Dodgers win 8-6!

The Dodgers are now 9-4 on the season and after taking Monday off will travel up north to the lion’s den of phony book park to battle the Giants for a three game series beginning Tuesday night. Josh Beckett I scheduled to start against dork face Tim Lincecum.