Veteran Lefty Limits The Dodgers To Just Two Hits

The Dodgers ended their ten game home stand with a whimper. Wednesday night’s  2-1 loss to the White Sox gave them a lackluster 4-6 finish. Veteran left hander John Danks held the Dodgers to just two hits across 7.1 effective frames. The Dodgers did score one run in the bottom of the eighth, on a Hanley Ramirez fielder’s choice, but that was it.

White Sox 2 9 1

Dodgers    1 2 1

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The Dodgers looked listless and apathetic with the bats all night. The Dodgers had just one hit until the eighth inning. Josh Beckett pitched as well as he could. He only allowed two earned runs on nine hits through six frames, but the Dodgers just couldn’t do anything on offense again.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers just can’t hit left handers at all this season. They rank last in the majors with a .213 batting average against lefties, and a 2-7 record at home. Danks walked three and whiffed five, but was able to easily shut down the Dodgers until the eighth.

The White Sox only needed two solo home runs from Jeury Garcia in the third that landed over the center field wall. And another from the human building Adam Dunn in the top of the fourth.

There was some shenanigans when the umpires forgot the count during an at-bat by Dunn. They actually had to do a review to get the count right. The Dodgers had another challenge not go their way in the fourth. In that frame Gonzalez reached on aBeckham error. VanSlyke walked. Then Turner’s bouncer got a force at second, and then there was a strange rundown, that ended with Gonzo getting thrown out at third. It was originally ruled safe, until the Dodgers lost the replay.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The only other morsel of offense came in the bottom of the eighth. Gordon chopped a double off of Garcia’s glove when he tried to backhand it. Gordon stole third, and Puig walked. Hanley’s fielder’s choice plated Gordon. But Gonzo softly grounded out.

The Dodgers went down 123 in the bottom of the ninth against old friend Ronald Belisario. The club had just two hits guys Both were from Gordon. A bunt single from Gordon in the first, who was immediately thrown out trying to steal second. And then Gordon’s chopped double off of Garcia’s glove in the eighth. Otherwise Danks blanked them.

The loss drops the Dodgers eight games back of the Giants in the NL West. The club is 31-30, and is now 13-19 at home. Oh and Matt Kemp took another ohfer. His average has now plummeted to .239. What a lovely season.

Beckett tosses a scoreless top of the first. But not without some heartburn. Adam Eaton grounds to Gordon. Gordon Beckham chops out to third. Turner makes the play from foul ground, and goes the long way for the out. Also credit Gonzalez with a nice reach and pick. Then Cuban slugger Jose Abreu doubles into the gap on a 2-2 count. Adam Dunn’s check-swing grounder ends the inning.

Veteran left hander John Danks takes the mound for the White Sox in the bottom of the first. Dee Gordon leads off the game with a drag bunt single. Yasiel Puig tries to bunt but pops out. What a wasted at-bat. Gordon is then thrown out trying to steal on a close play. The Dodgers do not challenge. Now the Dodgers have none on and two-outs. Hanley works a walk, but Gonzo grounds out.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It was all smiles for the White Sox on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium-Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Beckett retires the side in order in the top of the second. Alexei Ramirez grounds out. De Aza flies to left, and Beckett whiffs Tyler Flowers.

Danks keeps the Dodgers off the board again in the bottom of the second.  A groundout from Kemp. Scott Van Slyke (playing in center field again) is hit by a pitch. Turner flies to left, and Butera lines out to left for the third out.

Leury Garcia leads off the top of the third with a home run over the center field wall. The White Sox lead 1-0.  Danks flies to right, Eaton grounds out. Beckham singles past the diving Gordon. But they get Abreu to hit into a force.

Danks blanks the Dodgers again in the bottom of the third. The White Sox extend their lead in the top of the fourth. Dunn homers to right, and the Sox go up 2-0. Ramirez whiffs. De Aza a bloop single to left. De Aza then steals second. Flowers whiffs. The Dodgers wisely walk  Garcia. Beckett whiffs Danks to end the frame.

The Chicago defense almost becomes their undoing again in the bottom of the fourth, but this is the Dodgers. So we know somehow they won’t score. Gonzo reaches on a fielding error from Beckham. Kemp whiffs Van Slyke walks. Then things get confusing. Turner grounds one to Beckham who goes to first for the second out. The White Sox get Van Slyke in a rundown and then fire to third when Gonzo tries to take the base. Ramirez covering third tags out Gonzo. The White Sox challenge and win the review. Gonzo is called out and since it’s the third out, the inning is over.

Eaton doubles to lead off the fifth. Beckham’s grounder advances Eaton to third. The Dodgers pitch around and walk Abreu. The count goes to 3-2 on Dunn. Then on ball three Dunn walks towards first for some reason. The umpires lost track of the count. There’s a huge delay while they sort it all out. Abreu had actually stolen second, but the umps call him back to first. This ticks off Chicago manager Robin Ventura who comes out to argue to no avail. After all of the that, Dunn whiffs, and Ramirez grounds into a force.

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The Dodgers go down in order in the fifth. De Aza leads off with a bloop single, but is thrown out by Butera trying to steal second. Flowers  whiffs. Garcia singles. Danks a litter grounder up the middle, Gordon makes a stop, but his throw is wide. But Eaton grounds back to the box. The Dodgers get out of it.

The Dodgers go down 123 yet again in the bottom of the sixth. Brandon League relieves Beckett in the top of the seventh. Beckett goes out trailing 2-0 after six innings. League actually retires the White Sox in order including a whiff on Abreu.

The Dodgers sleepwalk through the bottom of the seventh. Kemp flies to center. Van Slyke is hit by a pitch again. But Turner whiffs, and Butera pops to center. 2-0 Chicago after seven.

The Dodgers get a nice strike em’ out throw em’ out double play in the top of the eighth, with Brian Wilson on the mound.

In the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Chone Figgins pops to right, but Gordon chops a one-out double off of third baseman Garcia’s glove. The third sacker went to his knee to backhand it, but the ball bounces into left field, and the Dodgers have a runner in scoring position. Just their second hit of the game. Chicago makes a pitching change, and in comes right hander Zach Putnam to face Puig.

With Puig batting, Gordon steals third without a throw. Puig runs the count full before drawing a walk. Then Ventura starts hollering out of the Chicago dugout. Home plate umpire Kerwin Danley tosses him because he wouldn’t shut up.

It’s up to Hanley. He chops one out to third, the White Sox can only get a force out at second. Gordon scores and the Dodgers have a run. The score is now 2-1 Chicago. But there are two outs. Chicago makes another pitching change. Enter veteran lefty Scott Downs. Gonzo predictably grounds out to short. The Dodgers only get one. 2-1 Chicago after eight frames.

The Dodgers saw a lot of this on Wednesday-Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Jamey Wright pitches a scoreless top of the ninth. Let’s move to the bottom of the ninth. Last chance for the Dodgers down by a run. Of course guess who’s on the mound for the White Sox? Old friend Ronald Belisario. Kemp pathetically grounds out to for 0 for on the night. Van Slyke whiffs looking. Butera grounds out to second. That’s the game. Dodgers lose 2-1.

Boy the Dodgers stink right now. They are not only becoming unwatchable, they were boring. Don Mattingly was very frustrated after the game walking out during the post game conference.When asked why the Dodgers were playing so poorly at home, Mattingly just responded with “Ask these guys”, and then walked out.

I think it’s time to make some moves.

The Dodgers are off on Thursday and will fly to Denver to begin a six game road trip with a three game series at Colorado. Hyun-jin Ryu will counter rookie right hander Eddie Butler at 5:40 PM in the series opener.