Hahn Over Haren in Home Loss

The Dodgers dropped Friday night’s game against San Diego behind another frustrating Dan Haren start and an equally frustrating night from the Dodger offense. The Dodgers were only able to squeak out one run off rookie Jesse Hahn which was in the first inning on a RBI single by Kemp. Hahn only allowed 3 Dodger hits over 6 innings. The Dodgers scored two more runs in the seventh thanks to a RBI double by Puig and a sacrifice double play by Adrian Gonzalez which brought home Dee to score, but the play ended with the third out made by Puig on the base path.

Squandering opportunities with the bases loaded is a regular happening for this team, and they once again left the bases loaded in the eighth.

The Padres pounced on Haren tonight, and they took the lead back quickly in the second off the Amarista homerun. From then on, San Diego controlled this game. They scored twice more in the fifth off doubles from Headley and Quentin, and two more runs in the sixth off Jamey Wright. Quentin once again came up clutch with two RBIs with his two-out single.

Dodgers 3 6 1

Padres 6 9 0

WP- Hahn (5-2)

LP- Haren (8-6)

S- Street (24)

HR- Amarista (3)

Dan Haren begins the game in typical Haren style by allowing men on base. The right-hander walks Seth Smith to start things off in the top of the first. Yasmani Grandal singles with two outs, and Smith advances to third. Haren escapes the inning without allowing a run after he induces an inning ending groundout to Jake Goebbert.

The Dodgers get on the board in the home half of the first. Yasiel Puig draws a walk, and Matt Kemp brings him home with a two-out RBI single to left. Dodgers take a 1-0 lead.

The Friars gets on the board in the second inning via the “Haren Express” also known as a homerun. Alexi Amarista muscles one out over the right field wall after Venable reached first on a third strike wild pitch, and the Padres take a 2-1 lead.

Dan Haren has now allowed 19 homeruns this season.

The Dodgers can only muster a two-out walk by Drew Butera off Jesse Hahn in the bottom of the second.

Jul 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista (5) is congratulated by pitcher Jesse Hahn (45) after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning as Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Derew Butera (right) watches at Dodger Stadium. The Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Haren settles down in the third, and he retires the side in order.

All-Star Dee Gordon leads off the bottom of the third with a single to right. Puig grounds out, and Dee takes second. Gonzo flies out to left. Matt Kemp draws a two-out walk. Van Slyke strikes out, and the Dodgers strand the two runners.

Venable singles with two outs in the top of the fourth, and he swipes second with Amarista at the plate. They’ll intentionally walk Amarista to get to the opposing pitcher Hahn. Hahn grounds out to end the inning, and Haren is off the hook.

For the first time during the night, Jesse Hahn retires the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the fourth.

San Diego scores again off Haren in the fifth. Seth Smith leads off with a single, and Chase Headley doubles off Van Slyke’s glove in center to bring in the third San Diego run of the night. SVS made a valiant attempt, but the ball hit his glove and bounces out. This type of play just highlights the need for the Dodgers to play someone capable in center field. SVS, Ethier, and now Kemp are no longer viable long-term options. 3-1 San Diego. Haren has already reached 100 pitches as he faces Carlos Quentin with Headley on second and nobody out. Another run scores as Quentin doubles to center. That’s going to be for Haren who got roughed up early. Chris Perez will come out of the Dodger bullpen to take over with nobody out and Quentin at second base. Perez does a nice job by retiring Grandal, Goebbert, and Brooks Conrad to contain the damage to two runs.

Dan Haren pitched 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks on 102 pitches.

Carl Crawford is in to pinch-hit for Haren to begin the bottom of the fifth, but he strikes out on a foul tip. Gordon grounds out. Puig singles, and Gonzo draws a walk but Matt Kemp strikes out swinging to end the scoreless frame.

The Padres attack again in the sixth, and they score two runs off Jamey Wright. Crawford remains in the game in left field. Venable leads off with a single, and he moves to second on a fielder’s choice on Uribe. With Smith batting, Wright uncorks a wild pitch which allows the runners to advance to second and third. Wright intentionally walks Smith. Headley grounds into a force out as Venable is nabbed at home by Butera! Quentin, the usual suspect, singles in two runs after the great play at home, and the Padres lead 6-1 just like that.

Hahn easily retires the side in order in the bottom of the sixth.

Jamey Wright is in for the seventh, and he pitches much better while striking out both Grandal and Conrad.

Jul 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dan Haren (14) delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Blaine Boyer will come in to pitch the bottom of the seventh in relief of Jesse Hahn. Drew Butera hits the ball the hardest of any Dodger tonight as he strokes a double off the center field wall to open the inning! CC draws a walk. Gordon grounds into a force out. Puig doubles in a run as he lines one to center field.

That’s Puig’s 26th double of the season.

Bud Black will go to his pen again, and he brings in Alex Torres to pitch to Gonzo with one out and runners at second and third. The Dodgers score a run on a sacrifice fly by Gonzo to left field, but Puig makes the third out on the base path as he’s caught between second and third. Luckily the run scored first, but Puig’s base running needs a lot of work. 6-3 San Diego.

Jesse Hahn pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 4 walks on 95 pitches.

J.P. Howell is the next pitcher for the Dodgers, and the lefty comes in for the top of the eighth. Venable comes up with his third hit of the night, a lead-off single to deep short. Miguel Rojas makes a valiant attempt and nice long throw, but Venable, the left-hander, beats it out. Amarista drops down a perfect sacrifice bunt on a Howell slow curve, and Venable moves to second. Irving Falu grounds out, and Venable takes third base. Smith lines one right past Howell, but Rojas is there backing him up to handle the final out.

Joaquin Benoit is in for the bottom of the eighth for the Padres. Andre Ethier will pinch-hit, and he draws a walk. SVS singles to right, and Ethier stops at second with Uribe coming up. A wild pitch by Benoit allows the runners to move to second and third. Uribe strikes out for the third time of the night, and the crowd is exasperated with disappointment. For some reason Mattingly doesn’t use Hanley Ramirez to pinch-hit for Rojas, and Rojas strikes out as well. Hanley has his helmet on and was ready to go but was called back. Hanley actually had received a cortisone shot in his shoulder, and he was not able to play. Don Mattingly wanted to perhaps try to fool Bud Black? Not sure that was necessary. A.J. draws his signature walk to load the bases for the Dodgers with two outs. Crawford grounds out to short, and once again the Dodgers fail with the bases loaded.

The Dodgers have loaded the base 63 times this season but are only hitting .175 with the bases loaded.

Jul 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp (27) breaks his bat over his knee after striking out to end the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The Padres defeated the Dodgers 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kenley Jansen will get some work in. He had only made eight pitches in the month of July. Headley is taken care of on one pitch. Uribe can’t catch a high foul pop up by Quentin, and he draws an error on the dropped ball. Kenley sends a heater past Quentin who strikes out swinging. Grandal grounds out, and Kenley only needed 7 pitches to retire the side in order.

Huston Street is the fifth San Diego pitcher of the night. Street back hands a line drive to take a hit away from Dee Gordon in the bottom of the ninth. Great play by the closer. Puig strikes out swinging, and the Dodgers are down to their last out. Gonzo grounds out, and the Dodgers go out with a whisper in the ninth.

The Dodgers drop to 52-43. They move back into a first-place tie with San Francisco who beat the D-backs on Friday night. The Dodgers will have to make a decision as to who is starting on Saturday versus Ian Kennedy. Since Josh Beckett is on the D.L., they will most likely start Paul Maholm in his place for Game 3.