Is Chris Perez the Cursed Goat? Cubs Win Series

The Dodgers, seemingly weary from the twelve inning marathon in the rain the night prior, were outpitched and outhit by the last-place Cubs on Sunday afternoon. On a muggy day in Los Angeles, the Dodgers only mustered two runs off former friend Edwin Jackson, one being on a scoring double play and the other on a solo homerun by Matt Kemp. The Dodgers scored a third run in the eighth when Justin Turner was hit by a pitch, Puig singled, and Adrian Gonzalez‘s grounder brought Red home. The Dodgers also squandered many scoring opportunities and their troubles with the bases loaded continued.

Once again Josh Beckett struggled, and he could only go four innings. With the Dodger bullpen depleted the night before, Beckett’s short outing was detrimental in the series finale loss. The Dodgers were within one run of the Cubs after Kemp’s homer, but the Dodger bullpen made sure the one-run deficit would quickly grow into a four-run lead by the Cubs. Brandon League and Chris Perez allowed 4 runs and 5 walks combined as the Cubs scored in the eighth and ninth.

It’s the Cubs, guys.

Dodgers 3 9 0

Cubs 7 10 0

WP- Jackson (6-11)

LP- Beckett (6-6)

HR- Coghlan (6), Kemp (13), Valbuena (10)

Josh Beckett gives up a run on two hits in the top of the first, but ironically ends up striking out the side in the process. Chris Coghlan doubles to center field, and Anthony Rizzo doubles to left field to bring in the run for Chicago.

The Dodgers tie it up in the home half of the second, but they squander a perfect bases loaded no out opportunity which should have led to more than just one run. The Dodgers start off by hitting three consecutive base hits off old friend Edwin Jackson: a lead-off double by Justin Turner, an infield single by Yasiel Puig, and a Adrian Gonzalez single. Turner should have scored on the single by Gonzo, but for some reason was fooled by Nate Schierholtz in right field and stayed at third. The Dodgers score their run on Hanley Ramirez‘s RBI double play. Matt Kemp grounds out to end the frame.

Beckett strikes out another two batters in the second, and he has now fanned five in a row! John Baker flies out, and the Cubs go down 1-2-3.

Drew Butera doubles with two outs in the bottom of the second, but Arismendy Alcantara‘s great play on the shortstop side of

August 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Chris Coghlan (8) is congratulated by starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (36) after hitting a two run home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

second to rob Juan Uribe of a base hit sinks the Dodgers’ chances of scoring in the frame.

The Cubs load up the bases in the third on an Edwin Jackson lead-off single and two walks to Anthony Rizzo and Luis Valbuena. Beckett escapes the two-out jam by striking out Ryan Sweeney.

Justin Turner picks up his second hit of the game in the bottom of the third with a lead-off single and subsequently steals second, but the Dodgers end up stranding him as Puig, Gonzo and Hanley are all retired by Jackson thereafter.

Beckett pitches another scoreless inning in the top of the fourth, and the lead-off walk to Chris Valaika is erased as Nate Schierholtz lines into a double play.

Matt Kemp leads off the bottom of the fourth with a single, but Andre Ethier strikes out again. That’s Dre’s sixth consecutive strikeout, and Vin Scully points out his troubles making contact right now. With Uribe at-bat, Kemp steals second. Kemp takes third on a Uribe ground out to short. Butera strikes out swinging to waste yet another scoring opportunity.

The Cubs run Josh Beckett right out of the game in the fifth. Edwin Jackson leads off with a double to center, and Chris Coghlan crushes a Beckett changeup over the left center field wall. Chicago takes a 3-1 lead. Alcantara follows with a single, and Don Mattingly has to hook Beckett after he can’t get an out in the inning. Paco Rodriguez comes in and handles business. He picks off Alcantara between first and second, induces a groundout from Rizzo, and strikes out Valbuena. Too bad the Dodgers have wasted Paco’s talents in AAA this whole season.

Josh Beckett pitched 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks on 94 pitches.

Jackson makes quick work of the Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth.

Paco pitches another great inning in the sixth as he sends the Cubs down in order.

August 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Brandon League (43) reacts after loading the bases on walks in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Kemp narrows the gap to 3-2 as he sends another Bison Blast over the left center field wall! The bubble machine is on as the Boys in Blue celebrate in the dugout. There’s still work to be done with a one-run deficit. Kemp is red hot with 5 homeruns and 9 RBI this week.

J.P. Howell is in for the seventh inning. Hanley Ramirez makes a fantastic ice cream cone catch in shallow left field to retire John Baker. Pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano doubles to left field capitalizing on Crawford’s weak arm. Crawford came into the game on the double switch with Paco. Coghlan walks. Alcantera grounds into a force out, and Crawford makes a nice running catch on a Rizzo fly ball to end the inning.

Carlos Villanueva will come in to relieve Edwin Jackson in the bottom of the seventh. Drew Butera hits his second double of the day, a ground-rule double over the left field fence, with two outs. Butera represents the tying run. Crawford scorches a line drive to first, but Rizzo climbs the ladder to snag the ball. Rizzo fires to second to double up Butera, and the Dodgers go down in flames.

Edwin Jackson pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks on 104 pitches.

Brandon League is on the mound for the Dodgers in the top of the eighth. League proceeds to walk back-to-back batters to start off the inning which is never good. Rick Honeycutt runs out there to talk with him. It doesn’t do any good as he walks Valaika to load the bases up with nobody out. Schierholtz grounds into the force play as Adrian Gonzalez makes a good heads up play at first to get Valbuena out at home. Baker hits a little ground ball to second, and a run comes in with Sweeny. More runs come in Starlin Castro hits a single to center field, and it’s suddenly 6-2 in favor of the Cubs. Mattingly finally will take out League. It won’t get much better though as Chris Perez comes in to take over. Perez walks Coghlan for the fourth walk of the inning.

Pedro Strop will pitch the bottom of the eighth for Chicago. Justin Turner is hit by a pitch, and he advances to third on a pop-up

Josh Beckett only lasted four innings in the loss to the Cubs. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

single to first by Puig. Gonzo grounds into a force out allowing Turner to score. Hanley grounds into a double play. 6-3 Chicago.

Perez remains in the game to pitch the top of the ninth. Yasiel Puig makes a nice catch in center field on a hard hit ball by Rizzo. The next ball is hit even harder, and Luis Valbuena comes up with his second homer of the series. Ryan Sweeney follows with a single, and Perez continues to pitch poorly. Valaika lines out to Hanley. Perez walks Schierholtz just because. The final out finally comes as Baker flies out to right field.

Hector Rondon will come in to shut the door on the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Kemp goes down swinging. Dee Gordon comes up to pinch-hit, and he is retired on a little nubber to first. Uribe lines out to left field, and the Cubs take the series.

The Dodgers drop to 63-49 on the season. The Giants won earlier in the day 9-0 over the Mets, so they’ll gain a game and are now 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. The Angels come into town on Monday night as Zack Greinke takes on Garrett Richards in the series opener.