Los Angeles Dodgers Game Recaps: Gordon’s Four Hits, Bullpen Meltdown Screws Dodgers Out of Sweep

You know I have said a lot of bad things about Don Mattingly’s managerial strategies. I have complained, shouted, tweeted, I even wanted him fired at one point. However it takes someone ten times worse than him to make me appreciate Donnie Baseball. Enter Tim Wallach. I’ll never complain about Mattingly again.

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The Dodger’s bench coach had to take over as manager after Mattingly was ejected in the fourth inning during the Dodger’s 5-4 loss to the Marlins Wednesday afternoon. He made all the wrong choices in this one, helping the Marlin’s salvage the final game of the three game set to avoid a sweep, and ruin everyone’s fun. The Dodgers are dealt only their third home loss of the season. The Dodgers were leading 4-2, until a disastrous seventh frame saw the club suffer a rare bullpen collapse. The seventh inning was a train wreck as the Marlin’s scored three runs on five consecutive hits, two fielder’s choices, and a walk to take a 5-4 lead. The Dodgers never threatened after that. To make matters worse right hander Pedro Baez had to leave the game in the top of the eighth due to a pectoral injury.

Marlins   5 12 0

Dodgers 4 6 0

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The Marlins scored five runs on ten hits, they scored one run in the third inning on a Gordon double, and a couple of ground outs to take an early 1-0 lead. Then they scored one in the fourth on three consecutive singles from J.T. Realmuto, Adeiny Hechavarria, and starting pitcher Jarred Cosart. The run scoring single from Cosart was up the gut past the over shifted infield.

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The Dodgers scored one run in the fourth and three in the fifth to eventually take a 4-2 lead, but the bullpen was unable to hold the lead. The first run for the Dodgers scored in the fourth when Alex Guerrero tripled off of Giancarlo Stanton’s glove, and then Guerrero came home on a Cosart wild pitch. The Dodgers got three more runs in the following frame when Andre Ethier walked, and Enrique Hernandez drilled a line drive two-run home run to left. That was his first home run as a Dodger. Joc Pederson followed with his tenth bomb of the season which put the Dodgers up 4-2. Everything seemed grand.

Go away Gordon!, GO AWAY!-Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately it was not. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Howie Kendrick’s sinking liner to right was caught by a sliding Stanton. It looked like he had trapped the ball, and Mattingly challenged the play after it was originally ruled out. The Dodgers lost the challenge of course, and Mattingly threw his hat in frustration. So home plate umpire Bob Davidson ejected him from the game. Bench coach Tim Wallach was forced to manage the rest of the game. Things went south from there.

Carlos Frias pitched well enough to win, but ends up getting a no-decision. Frias allowed three earned runs on six hits, and struck out five. He was taken out after allowing a lead-off single in that horrific seventh inning.

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Frias did a fine job of escaping a bases loaded jam in the first, when he gave up an infield single to Gordon, a walk to Martin Prado, and a hit by pitch to Christian Yelich. Stanton’s line drive was caught by a leaping Kendrick for the first out. Then Marcell Ozuna, and Mike Morse grounded out to keep the Fish from scoring.

The Dodgers loaded the bases off of Cosart (5.1 IP, 4R 5H 3BB 4K) in the second frame, but were unable to score when Yasmani Grandal was thrown out at the plate on Hernandez’s single on a great throw from Stanton.

Dee Gordon is really annoying. The former Dodger got four hits in the game, two doubles, two singles, and scored twice. Stanton drove in three runs himself with an RBI groundout in the third, and a two-run single in the seventh.

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The seventh inning was a nightmare. Frias allowed a single to Hechavarria to lead-off the frame, then Wallach pulled him to bring in left hander Adam Liberatore. He had been lights out, retiring 28 of 29 batters, but allowed a bunt single to Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro was pinch-hitting for Cosart who had to leave the game in the sixth inning due to a strained hamstring. Then Gordon singled to load the bases. Wallach brings in right hander and former Marlin Chris Hatcher.

Not a good move. Hatcher was ineffective and Wallach left him on the mound to cough up the lead. Prado’s single to center scored Hechavarria to cut the lead to 4-3. Then Stanton’s single brought home Ichiro and Gordon to give the Fish a 5-4 lead. Hatcher did get two fielder’s choice ground outs, but walks Morse before being finally removed. In comes Pedro Baez who blows away Realmuto to mercilessly end the inning. The damage is done though and the lead is blown.

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The Dodgers didn’t make a peep the rest of the game. Sam Dyson, Bryan Morris, Mike Dunn, and A.J. Ramos finished the game for the Marlins with Ramos earning his first major league save. Liberatore was charged with the loss, although it should have been given to Hatcher for his awful pitching.

As if things weren’t bad enough, Baez had to leave the game in the eighth inning with a pectoral injury. The Dodgers announced that he will have an MRI tomorrow. Lovely.

The Dodgers fall to 22-11 and their home record drops to 15-3. Yes I know the Dodgers can’t win them all, but this one was painful to watch. I don’t understand why Wallach just left Hatcher in when he clearly didn’t have it. Double-switching Guerrero out of the game probably was not a smart move either.

One bright spot is Kenley Jansen is due to be activated on Saturday. He can’t get back soon enough. The slumping Rockies will come into town tomorrow to begin a four game series. Rookie Chad Bettis will counter left hander Brett Anderson in the series opener at 7:10 PM.

Go drink away the loss everyone and forget about this stinker. Go Blue!