Exhausted Dodgers Are Fish Food in Miami

Dodgers 3 7 0

Marlins   6 11 1

WP-Koehler-3-2

LP-Beckett-0-1

HR-Saltalamacchia-6

The Fish didn’t get to see the Dodgers at their best on Friday night in Miami. The Marlins had just come off of a sweep of the Braves, were rested and have been at home. The Dodgers on the other hand were just coming off of playing ten straight hours of Baseball in 35 degree weather, with no sleep.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

So naturally, the Dodgers looked like zombies for most of the game. That’s a big determining factor in why the Fish beat the Dodgers 6-3 Friday night at Marlin’s Park.

Before the game the Dodgers made a flurry of moves. They placed Hyun-jin Ryu on the 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation. Apparently Ryu had the same shoulder-blade soreness in Korea, and said it normally took him about 10 days to recover. The Dodgers have no plans for an MRI.

In corresponding moves, the Dodgers recalled Jose Dominguez, and Chone Figgins, while optioning Paco again, and sending Red Patterson back to Albuquerque. Which means that Sunday’s start is up in the air.

Back to the game. The Dodgers had two former Fish in tonight’s lineup. Starter Josh Beckett, and Hanley Ramirez both are former Marlins. The game also featured former Dodgers Reed Johnson, and Carlos Marmol. More on Johnson in a minute.

Beckett pitched well, going 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, with one walk, and eight whiffs. He really didn’t deserve the loss, but the seventh inning was a nightmare.

The Dodgers technically didn’t make any errors, but still played sloppy Baseball in the field. The Dodger offense was sleepwalking all game against Tom Koehler. The right hander threw seven shutout innings to get the win. He allowed just three hits, and whiffed four.

The Dodgers had another replay challenge go against them in the first inning. Although there was another one later in the game, that the Dodgers did win. Neither of them made much difference because the Dodgers didn’t score in either inning. Both were on stolen base calls. Gordon stealing second base in the first inning, after singling, was originally called safe. The call was overturned as Gordon was tagged on the head while sliding into the bag. He was trying to protect his head during the slide. The second call was justified on a Puig steal in the fourth.

Tonight’s winning pitcher-Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers wasted an Ethier double in the fourth, and left two runners stranded in the fifth.

The Marlins scored one run in the second on a solo home run from Jarrod Saltalamacchia (who was Beckett’s teammate in Boston). Another run was scored in the fourth with two outs, when Saltalamacchia singled, and Jones doubled him in. The seventh inning was a disaster, with the Fish scoring four runs. Jones doubled, Then pinch-hitter Reed Johnson’s RBI single opened the flood gates. Then the club just had to bring in the utterly atrocious Jose Dominguez to eat a couple of innings. He couldn’t retire anyone. Christian Yelich tripled in Johnson. After Dietrich was hit by a pitch, Stanton and McGehee hit consecutive run scoring singles, to extend the lead to 6-0 at the time.

The Dodgers did rally for two runs in the eighth, and one in the ninth. Gordon and Puig both had RBI singles in the eighth, and Olivon tripled and scored on a Crawford grounder. Gordon was the offensive star of the game with three hits, and a steal. But it was too little too late. For the Fish, Jones had three hits, and Saltalamacchia and McGehee each had two. The Dodgers drop game one by a score of 6-3. Here’s how it happened…..

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Gordon leads-off the game by slapping an infield single to the hole at short. Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria makes a nice stop, but no way he can throw out Dee. With Yasiel Puig at the plate, Gordon steals second, appearing to slide just underneath the tag. Initially he is ruled safe, but the Marlins challenge. The Dodgers lose the challenge as Gordon is ruled out by the New York office. The tag was on his head, and that’s just Gordon’s second caught stealing in 2014. So Puig walks, and steals second himself. Hanley’s grounder to short can’t advance Puig. Koehler then hits Adrian Gonzalez with a pitch, but Andre Ethier grounds out to short.

Josh Beckett starts the bottom of the first with a four pitch walk to Christian Yelich. While Derek Dietrich is at the plate, Yelich tries to steal second and is thrown out by Miguel Olivo. Then Dietrich flies to Puig. Beckett whiffs the always scary Giancarlo Stanton to end the frame. No score after one.

The Dodgers go down in the top of the second, but the Fish grab the lead in the bottom half of the second. Beckett starts the inning by whiffing Casey McGehee. Then catcher Saltalamacchia hits a solo home run in the right field corner, to give Miami a 1-0 lead. Garrett Jones reaches on a pop fly double, that bounces off of Hanley’s glove in shallow left field. Marcel Ozuna whiffs, and Figgins tags out Jones in between second and third on Hechavarria’s grounder.

Screw you Johnson-Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers wasted Ethier’s double in the fourth, leaving him stranded when  Olivo whiffed, and Crawford flied out.

Beckett whiffs Stanton to start the bottom of the fourth, but the Fish tack on another run to take a two-run lead. After McGehee flies out, Saltalamacchia singles. Garrett Jones doubles to right off of Puig’s glove. Saltalamacchia scores, and the Fish now lead 2-0.

A failed bunt keys the Dodger’s inability to score in the top of the fifth. Figgins with a lead-off walk. Then Beckett whiffs on a sacrifice attempt. Gordon’s infield single puts two runners on, but Puig grounds into an inning ending double play.

The Fish leave a runner stranded at third in the bottom of the fifth. The Fish have a failed bunt attempt of their own tarnish their rally in this inning. Koehler strikes out trying to bunt. Yelich grunds out, and Dietrich flies out.

The Dodgers go quietly in the top of the sixth. Beckett gets through the bottom of the sixth without allowing anyone to score. McGehee got a one-out single, but Saltalamacchia grounded into an inning ending double play.

The Dodgers go down 123 again in the top of the seventh. They don’t get to Beckett’s spot in the order, so he stays out for the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately the inning is a disaster for the Dodgers. The Fish scored four unanswered runs. Here’s how it happened.

Jones doubles off of Gonzo’s glove, Ozuna whiffed. Hechavarria grounds out. That’s two outs people. Then pinch-hitter and former Dodger Reed Johnson, batting in Koehler’s spot reaches to bloop a single over Hanley’s head to score Jones. 3-0 Fish. Things went downhill from there. The Dodgers removed Beckett, and brought in Jose Dominguez, who is always awful. It’s a double-switch with Justin Turner replacing Figgins at third.

Yelich then triples down the line in left, scoring Johnson. Now it’s 4-0 Marlins. Dietrich is hit by a pitch. Consecutive singles from Stanton, and McGehee make it 6-0 Fish.

The Dodgers were tired, and played crappy Baseball on Friday-Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers rally in the top of the eighth against their old friend Carlos Marmol. Turner leads-off with a walk, and advances to second when Marmol uncorks a wild pitch. Gordon’s single up the middle scores Turner, and the Dodgers are finally on the board. It’s 6-1 now. Gordon steals second, and Puig strokes a single to left to score Gordon. It’s 6-2 Fish. With Hanley at the plate Puig steals second, but is called out by second base umpire C.B. Bucknor. He was obviously safe, so Mattingly challenges. The Dodgers win that as the call is overruled. Puig is safe at second.

Then Hanley hits a litte tapper in front of the plate, and Puig stupidly tries to go to third, as Marmol charges off the mound to throw him out at third. The Marlins hook Marmol, and bring in left hander Mike Dunn. Gonzo flies to center, and Kemp comes off the bench to whiff. End of rally.

Domnguez actually throws a 123 bottom of the eighth. Probably because the game was over at this point. Move to the top of the ninth. Right hander Steve Cishek, the Marlin’s closer enters the game. Olivo triples into the gap to lead-off. Crawford’s grounder scores him and it’s now 6-3 Fish. But the Dodgers use up a precious out. Scott Van Slyke fouls out. Then Turner singles to keep the Dodgers alive. But Gordon whiffs to end the game.

Clayton Kershaw rejoined the Dodgers tonight in Miami, and the club changed their minds. Kershaw will pitch Tuesday in Washington, with Zack Greinke going on Monday. The big question is who will go on Sunday. We’ll wait and see.

Now let’s hope Puig, and the rest of the Dodgers stay far away from the nightclubs of downtown Miami. The boys in blue need to get some rest. So, as Eephus said,

Well put Eephus.

Saturday night Paul Maholm counters Jacob Turner at 4:10 PM in game two. Go to sleep Dodgers! We need you fully rested.