Dodgers Lose Another Extra Inning Game

Giants      7 11 0

Dodgers   4 14 0

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The Dodgers can’t even win with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. But then again, they can’t win with anyone on the mound, no matter who or where they are playing. The 2014 suckfestival at Dodger stadium continued Sunday afternoon as the Dodgers dropped another extra inning game at home. It was Mother’s day so every player was wearing pink. There were pink bats, pink arm bands, and even Butera’s catcher mask was bright pink. There was so much pink in the park I was almost blinded by it. The color perfectly sums up the Dodgers this year. soft and weak.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a late rally in which the Dodgers scored two runs in the ninth on a two-run home run from Hanley Ramirez to tie the game at 4-4, the Dodgers still lost anyways. Of course they lost in the same way they lose every game. The bullpen blew it  in extra innings. The horrific Dodger bullpen blew the 4-4 tie in the top of the tenth, when Kenley Jansen, and J.P. Howell surrendered three runs in that fateful tenth inning, and the Dodgers lost to the Giants again by a score of 7-4. The Dodgers are now 4.5 games behind the Giants, and 7-12 at home.

Kershaw had an uncharacteristically bad game. Well bad for Kershaw. The ace lefty threw seven frames, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, with nine whiffs. He had nine whiffs in his last start, which gives him 18 whiffs in his last 14 frames. But it wasn’t enough because the Dodger bullpen sucks.

But it wasn’t just the Dodger bullpen, the rest of the club sucks too. Which includes the inconsistent offense. The Dodgers left eleven men on base on Sunday, and scored four runs on fourteen hits.

The Dodgers couldn’t hit Giant’s starter Tim Hudson, who limited the Dodgers to two earned runs on eight hits in six frames. Hudson induced fifteen ground outs, while whiffing just two. Neither starter was involved in the decision.

The Giants scored a run in the top of the first when Pagan singled, Pence singled, and after Posey hit into a double play, Pagan scored on Pablo Sandoval’s RBI double. The Giants could have scored two runs in that frame, but Pagan slipped and took a header while rounding second, and had to go back to the bag.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers finally got to Hudson in the sixth. Puig led off the frame with another solo home run, this one was a monster blast that landed into the Dodger bullpen. It might still be orbiting Dodger Stadium for all we know. So that tied the game. Then Hanley’s ground ball double (the grounder somehow eluded Adrianza, and was generously scored a double), and Adrian Gonzalez’s flare single over Adrianza’s head scored Hanley. The Dodgers had the lead 2-1.

But you know anytime the Dodgers get a lead they immediately give it up the very next inning. That’s what happened. In the top of the seventh, Kershaw gave up a flare single to Sandoval, and then the .202 hitting Brandon Hicks homered to left. The two-run shot gave the Giants the lead back 3-2. That was only the second home run ever hit off of Kershaw’s killer curveball. But he hung one to Hicks.

The Giants added another run in the eighth off of Chris Withrow. He walked Pagan, who moved to second on a ground ball, and scored on Posey’s RBI single. That made it 4-2 Giants.

The Dodgers also had two runners thrown out at home plate. Once in the fifth, when Ethier was nailed on a grounder, and the other in the sixth, when Gonzalez was inexplicably waived home by Lorenzo Bundy on a single from Justin Turner.

The Dodgers did rally in the bottom of the ninth against Giant’s closer Sergio Romo. Gordon doubled, and then with two outs, Hanley smashed a clutch two-run home run to tie the game. Chavez Ravine went into a frenzy. But as usual it was all for nothing.

The Giants scored three runs off of Kenley Jansen, (who has been atrocious this year) and Howell in the top of the tenth, to make the score 7-4. Pagan walked. There was a single to Pence. Then a wild pitch, advanced the runners. An intentional walk to Posey loaded the bases with none out. Then an RBI single from Sandoval through the drawn-in infield, an RBI single from Hector Sanchez, and a wild pitch from Howell plated the third run of the frame. That was it.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers stranded two more runners in the bottom of the tenth, when Turner walked, and Scott Van Slyke got a pinch-hit single. But Kemp whiffed, and Olivo whiffed to end the game. The Dodgers are now 3-7 against the Giants this year.

You know the perfect gift for our mom’s this year would have been a Dodger win. How are we going to explain this game to our Mothers? This has truly been a miserable season.

The Fish come into town tomorrow night for a three game series that will conclude the home stand. Monday evening Tom Koehler will counter Dan Haren at 7:10 PM.

Somehow the Dodgers will try to figure this out. Happy mother’s day everyone.