Dan Haren Gets Hammered; Cubs Snap Dodgers Winning Streak

The Dodgers had their six-game winning streak snapped on Friday night by none other than the last-place Cubs. It was a messy game filled with four challenges (plus one umpire video review), two home plate games of Twister, and one awful Dan Haren start. The Dodgers also lost Adrian Gonzalez with a right knee contusion after the big first baseman made an awkward slide at home in the second inning. Yasiel Puig was replaced by Andre Ethier in the seventh due to mild left hamstring soreness. Paul Maholm also was injured while covering first base, and his right-knee injury could be serious and will require a MRI. He heard a pop, and he was seen leaving on crutches. It’s always hard to be knocked around to a tune of 8-2 by the Cubs, but the injuries just put more salt in the wound.

Dan Haren has now allowed 20 homeruns in his last 15 starts, and he has not pitched past the fifth inning in his last five starts which have all been losses. Meanwhile, Chicago rookie Kyle Hendricks lowered his ERA to 2.05 after 7 solid innings while only allowing 4 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) to the Dodgers. Kyle, from San Juan Capistrano, also collected his first two Major League base hits and a RBI in front of his friends and family at Chavez Ravine.

The only runs for the Dodgers came in the first inning thanks to Dee Gordon‘s speed and two stolen bases. The Dodgers scored their second run in the sixth when Puig scored all the way from second on a force out hit into by Hanley.

Dodgers 2 4 1

Cubs 8 13 2

WP- Hendricks (2-1)

LP- Haren (8-9)

HR- Valbuena (9)

The Dodgers are aggressive to start off the home half of the first and notch a run against Kyle Hendricks. Dee Gordon literally gets a base hit off Hendricks as the ball is deflected off the opposing pitcher to start things off. Gordon steals second and third base for his 49th and 50th stolen bases of the season. The Cubs walk Adrian Gonzalez to take their chances with Hanley with one out and Gordon at third. Hanley reaches safely on a really bad throwing error by shortstop Starlin Castro who throws the ball into right field allowing Gordon to score. Adrian Gonzalez attempts to come all the way home, but he totally misses the plate as he slides awkwardly. Hanley takes second on the wild play. Crawford grounds out to end the inning, but the Dodgers cash in the rare Castro miscue.

Dan Haren serves up a lead-off homerun to Luis Valbuena in the top of the second, and the game is tied 1-1 just like that. Before

Aug 1, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dan Haren throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd inning during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

the inning mercifully comes to an end, Haren also walks Wellington Castillo and gifts Kyle Hendricks his first Major League hit, a single to center.

Justin Turner singles up the middle with one out in the bottom of the second, but A.J. Ellis proceeds to ground into the double play.

Scott Van Slyke replaces Adrian Gonzalez at first base for the third inning who left the game with a right knee contusion. Anthony Rizzo doubles to center field off the tip of Matt Kemp‘s glove. Kemp slides into the wall on the warning track, and I hold my breath hoping his surgically repaired ankle survived. Starlin Castro comes up with an infield single on a little roller to third which Justin Turner can’t get to in time to make a play. Haren rears back to strike out Valbuena. Ryan Sweeney singles to right field, and Matt Kemp throws to Justin Turner at third. The ball bounces away for an error on Kemp, and two runs come home on the costly mistake. With Wellington at the plate, a wild pitch which isn’t blocked by A.J., allows the third run of the inning to score with Sweeney. Rick Honeycutt goes out to the mound to talk to Haren as Paul Maholm gets up in the bullpen to start warming. Nate Schierholtz flies out to center to finally end the three-run inning, and the Cubs now lead 4-0.

Dan Haren singles to right to lead-off the bottom of the third, but Schierholtz guns him down from right field. The first base umpire calls him safe, but the Cubs challenge the play which is overturned after we see that Haren is clearly out on the old 9-3 put out. Gordon lines out to left, and Puig grounds out to short.

Haren turns around to retire the side in order in the top of the fourth.

Aug 1, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) is tagged out at home plate by Chicago Cubs catcher Welington Castillo (5) in the first inning during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Hanley singles in the bottom of the fourth, but Crawford and Kemp strike out against Hendricks.

Haren continues to pitch horribly right into the fifth inning. He hits Rizzo with a pitch, and Castro singles to center. Crawford and Puig nearly collide on a fly ball hit by Valbuena, but CC takes care of it.  Sweeny singles to center, and Rizzo stops at third on the perfect throw by Puig to A.J. at home. Puig is having some sort of issue with the side of his mouth, and Vin Scully thinks it may be an issue with his tooth. The bases are loaded for Chicago with one out, and Don Mattingly has finally seen enough of Dan Haren. The hook couldn’t have come soon enough.

Chris Perez will come in from the Dodgers’ bullpen to relieve the hammered Haren. Wellington Castillo promptly singles on a long line drive off the center field wall, and Rizzo comes in to score. Nate Schierholtz brings in another run on a sacrifice fly to center. Puig makes a great throw to home, but A.J. can’t hold on to the ball. The obligatory wild pitch is unfurled by Perez with Hendricks at the plate, and the runners advance to second and third. Hendricks hits one off Perez’s foot which careens to Turner at third who forgets he has a play at third. A run scores, and Hendricks comes up with his second hit of the night and his first MLB RBI. The Cubs now lead 7-1.  The disaster of an inning comes to an end on a Arismendy Alcantara fly ball to left field.

Joe Blanton…er… I mean Dan Haren pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed 7 runs on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks on 93 pitches.

The Dodgers go down quietly in the bottom of the fifth.

Paul Maholm will take over for the Dodgers on the mound in the sixth. Anthony Rizzo is called out after a challenge and review of a great play by Justin Turner at third to throw him out from deep at the hot corner. Castro picks up his third hit, a two-out double to left. The Cubs score their eighth run of the night on a Valbuena single to left.

In the bottom of the sixth, Puig singles on a ground ball to short with one out. Yasiel Puig comes all the way home to score from second on a force out hit into by Hanley. Puig didn’t touch the plate at first, but he reached for the dish as Castillo reached out to tag him across the plate. The Cubs will challenge the play, but the play is upheld and the run counts as Puig wins the game of Twister. Left hand WHITE!

“The Wild Horse steals a run.”- Vin Scully

We move to the eighth, and Brian Wilson will be the Dodgers fourth pitcher of the night. The Beard strikes out two in the perfect inning.

Kyle Hendricks pitched 7 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk on 107 pitches.

Justin Grimm takes over for Hendricks in the home half of the eighth, and he retires the Dodgers in order capped off with a strikeout of Andre Ethier.

Jamey Wright will pitch the ninth for the Dodgers, and the veteran strikes out two Chicago batters in the scoreless frame.

Blake Parker is in for the bottom of the ninth for the Cubbies. Scott Van Slyke strikes out. Ramirez lines out to second. Crawford lines out to center.

The Dodgers drop to 62-48 on the season, and the Giants pick up a game on them (2 1/2 games back) after winning earlier in the day. Saturday evening’s game will feature Hyun-jin Ryu versus Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada.