Wilson Blows One-Run Lead, Dodgers Drop Series To Tribe

The Dodgers lost a tough one on Wednesday afternoon to the Cleveland Indians by a score of 5-4, but thankfully didn’t lose any ground in the standings thanks to Adam Wainwright shutting out the Giants for his eleventh win.

Manager Don Mattingly pulled a Jim Tracy by resting most of his regulars all at once. Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe, Yasiel Puig, and Hanley Ramirez were all not in the lineup on Wednesday as the B-team was unable to do much offensively against Tribe starter Trevor Bauer. I understand that guys need days off occasionally but it’s still no reason to punt away a game. It wasn’t even a Sunday for god’s sake.

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Indians  5 9 0

Dodgers 4 9 3

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No this wasn’t Sunday, but a rare midweek afternoon start time as the Dodgers wrapped up a seven game home stand. Once again the Dodgers completed a mediocre home stand by going 4-3 in those seven games. The club still has a losing record at home. The Dodgers are now 8-6 against the American League this season.

Hyun-jin Ryu pitched well enough to win, but was constantly pitching out of a stretch all day. Ryu allowed just two earned runs on seven hits across seven frames, but was not involved in the decision. He whiffed eight and walked none, but allowed a two-run home run to Ryan Raburn that put the Dodgers in a 2-0 hole in the fourth inning.

Bauer wasn’t involved in the decision either, but was easily able to keep the Dodger’s B-hitters at bay with a mixture of 90+ MPH heaters and breaking balls. Bauer tossed 5.2 innings allowing three earned runs on six hits. He whiffed two and walked two.

But it was Brian Wilson’s usual stinky pitching that eventually cost the Dodgers the game. Although he got very little help from the defense behind him. Carlos Triunfel who was playing shortstop for the ailing Hanley played like crap the entire game. Triunfel made a costly error and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts at the plate. The fact that the Dodgers have to employ this bum highlights the sorry state of the club’s farm system. There simply isn’t anyone else the Dodgers can call up. Speaking of lousy defense the Dodgers committed three errors. The normally slick fielding Miguel Rojas, and a throwing error from Matt Kemp accounted for the other two errors. Speaking of Rojas, check out what he did on this play. This guy is a real glove wonder kid.

But the Dodgers actually had the lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Rojas singled, and after a Triunfel fly out, Ryu helped his own cause with an RBI double to left that scored Rojas. Dee Gordon walked, and A.J. Ellis followed with a walk too. With the bases loaded, Andre Ethier’s clutch two-run single gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Ethier’s dunker into center gave the Dodgers their only lead of the game.

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

But then in the top of the eighth, the Dodgers brought in Wilson. Honestly I have no idea why the Dodgers keep using him. His arm is clearly blown from his two Tommy John surgeries. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Wilson has had a good career, but let’s face it, the guy is finished as a major league pitcher. His continuous lousy pitching further made the case.

He walked Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana. He did whiff Yan Gomes to give us a glimmer of hope that maybe he could not blow the one-run lead. But alas, it’s Wilson. He’s going to blow it. And of course he did. David Murphy’s single into left tied the score. Kemp’s throwing error didn’t help things. After an intentional walk to Lonnie Chisenhall,  Mike Aviles’ two-run single put the Tribe ahead by a score of 5-3. The Dodgers had to bring in left hander J.P. Howell to get out of the inning. It’s time the Dodgers stopped using Wilson in any kind of high leverage situation.

The Dodgers got close in the bottom of the eighth. Scott Van Slyke hit a solo home run into the Dodger bullpen off of Scott Atchison to make the score 5-4. But the Dodgers couldn’t score anything more in that frame. Van Slyke also threw out Cabrera at the plate to end the top of the fifth inning. Otherwise things might have been even worse for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers had a failed rally in the bottom of the ninth that gave us some hope, but they came up just short. In that frame Yasiel Puig flied out (In a pinch-hitting role), and  Gordon whiffed. Hanley worked a pinch-hit walk, and Ethier’s bloop double put runners at second and third with two outs. But Cody Allen got Kemp to fly out to deep center to end the game. Dodgers lose 5-4.

The Dodgers fall to 48-39 on the season and remain a half game behind the Giants in the NL West. Thursday evening the Dodgers will begin a four game series against the slumping Rockies at Coors Field. Zack Greinke will counter Franklin Morales at 5:10 PM.