Dodgers Strand All the Runners in Loss to Chicago

The Hello Kitty mini bobblehead night winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night as the Dodgers lost a uninspired ball game to the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium.

Hello Kitty mini bobblehead night #2 Sept 9, 2013 Win 8-1

Hello Kitty mini bobblehead night #1 July 1, 2012 Win 8-3

The Dodgers went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and they left an unfathomable 12 men on base. The Dodgers only sole run came in the top of the second when Matt Kemp scored on a Dee Gordon sac fly. That’s it. That’s all they could muster off a pitcher who had not won a game in ages.

The White Sox jumped on Haren right away as Jose Abreu launched a two-run homerun in the first. The Sox scored again in the third on a scoring groundball and once more in the fourth on a solo shot by Tyler Flowers.

The Dodgers’ pitching wasn’t bad, and Paul Maholm pitched two scoreless innings in relief followed by a scoreless frame from Chris Perez. It was the utter lack of clutch offense which doomed the Dodgers tonight. When your middle-of-the-order guys are batting this…

Andre Ethier .248

Hanley Ramirez .257

Adrian Gonzalez .264

Matt Kemp .243

….then it’s going to be hard to score runs.

Dodgers 1 6 0

White Sox 4 7 0

WP- Noesi (1-4)

LP- Haren (5-4)

S- Belisario (4)

HR- Abreu (17), Flowers (5)

Dan Haren serves up some first inning runs right away. Gordon Beckham doubles off the top of the left field wall with one out in the top of the first. Then Jose Abreu continues to do Jose Abreu things. He hits another two-run homerun, this one in the left field corner. Adam Dunn, who is curiously starting tonight instead of yesterday versus Kershaw who he has 8 hits in 14 plate appearances against with 4 homeruns, doesn’t hit Haren as well and flies out to left. Alexei Ramirez singles to left, and Dan Haren isn’t fooling anyone. Ramirez steals second with Conor Gillaspie at the plate. The final out of the inning finally comes on a pop out to Hanley.

After going 3-2 against Hector Noesi, is hung up to dry on a delayed strikeout call by the home plate umpire in the home half of the first. Andre

Jun 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dan Haren (14) in the second inning of the game against the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Ethier grounds out to second. The National League Player of the Month, Yasiel Puig, proceeds to hit a beautiful stand-up double to center. Hanley Ramirez draws a walk. Adrian Gonzalez comes up empty as Noesi strikes him out to end the inning and strand the two runners.

Dan Haren pitches an easy 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second.

Matt Kemp leads off the bottom of the second with a single to right field. Chone Figgins draws his signature walk. Drew Butera advances the runners to second and third on a little dribbler up along third which is as good as a sacrifice bunt. Dan Haren walks, and the Dodgers have loaded the bases with one out and Dee Gordon up. Gordon flies deep enough to left field, and Kemp tags up and scores while Figgins also tags up and moves to third. Adam Dunn is awkwardly playing left field, and he had no chance to throw the runners out. Dodgers cut the White Sox lead in half, 2-1.

Haren walks Adam Eaton on four pitches to begin the top of the third. Beckham lines a single to center field, and Eaton steams into third. Abreu’s big hopper to third almost knocks Figgins down at third. Figgins throws out Beckham at second for the force, but the run scores as Eaton comes home. Adam Dunn also grounds into a force out, and Gordon made a nice play to prevent a base hit. Alexei Ramirez also grounds into a force although Hanley momentarily bobbles the ball while trying to shovel it to Gordon. The Pale Hose pick up another run, 3-1.

Noesi makes it look easy after retiring Puig, Ramirez, and Gonzalez in order in the bottom of the third.

The White Sox add another run in the top of the top of the fourth on a solo homerun by Tyler Flowers. The shot to right field came with two outs. The Sox are up 4-1 now.

Matt Kemp begins the bottom of the fourth by striking out. Figgins singles to right field. Drew Butera singles to right, and Figgins turns on the afterburner and makes it to third. Beckham makes a diving catch to snag a line drive hit by Haren, and the runners have to hold. Dee Gordon strikes out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Puig runs out an infield single with one out. Hanley strikes out on a foul tip. Gonzo also strikes out. The Dodgers strand another runner, and once again the middle of the lineup fails to produce.

Haren pitches a perfectly popped sixth inning as Ramirez, Gillaspie, and Dayan Viciedo all pop out. Adrian Gonzalez makes a really nice backhand catch in foul territory to end the inning on the pop out by Viciedo.

Kemp flies out to open the bottom of the sixth against Noesi. Figgins grounds out. Butera draws a walk. Jamie Romak will pinch-hit for Dan Haren, and on his third MLB at-bat, Romak flies out to right.

Dan Haren pitched 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk on 94 pitches.

Hector Noesi made 104 pitches and allowed 1 run on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and 4 walks through 6 innings of work.

Jun 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers (21) is greeted in the dugout after a home run in the fourth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Paul Maholm takes over for Dan Haren in the top of the seventh. Paul Konerko gets a pinch-hit single with one out as Noesi is taken out of the game. Adam Eaton grounds into a inning ending double play.

Scott Downs, a lefty, is in for the bottom of the seventh. Gordon flies out, and I’m afraid he is regressing steadily. Ethier strikes out. The White Sox will go to the pen again after Downs does his job by getting the left-handed hitters. Jake Petricka will face Puig who draws a walk. Hanley also draws a walk. Chicago is forced to go to their bullpen again. The Dodgers have two on with two out and Adrian Gonzalez coming up to bat. Zach Putnam will try to get out of this jam for the White Sox. Gonzo comes up empty once again in the clutch situation as he flies out to center to end the inning and strand two more runners.

Paul Maholm is in for his second inning of work in the eighth, and he sends the Sox down in order.

Putnam strikes out Matt Kemp to begin the bottom of the eighth. Matt struck out twice on the night, but had a single in the first inning. Figgins grounds out. Drew Butera manages an infield single to short. Justin Turner walks, and ball four is wild and rolls all the way to the backstop. Gordon can’t come up with the much needed clutch hit as he lines out to center to end the inning and strand more runners.

Chris Perez will come out of the Dodgers bullpen for the ninth inning. Perez walks Gillaspie with one out, but he induces an inning ending double play from Viciedo to finish off the frame.

Good old friend Ronald Belisario is in for the ninth pitching against his former team for the first time. Ethier grounds out, and the center fielder goes 0-for-5 on the night. Puig grounds out. Hanley grounds out, and the Dodgers go down without a fight.

The Dodgers fall to 31-29. On Wednesday, the Dodgers and White Sox will wrap-up the series in the rubber game. Josh Beckett will face left-hander John Danks.