The Dodgers were in cruise control for most of the afternoon yesterday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Clayton Kershaw had a great start, Jason Johnson pitched very well from the bullpen, and Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier homered. Yup, it was shaping up to an easy win with a 5-1 9th inning lead...
...Except that the Dodgers decided to nearly hand them a win on a silver platter.
James Loney committed 2 errors on 1 play, and Ryan Braun launched an 0-2 hanging slider well over the left field wall to tie the game at 5. After all of the hard work put in for 3 hours, the game appeared to be lost.
Then Ethier stepped up and showed why he should never have to sit for Juan Pierre.
Matt Kemp led off the bottom of the 9th with a single, and Ethier promptly lifted one just over the wall in right for the game winning, walk-off home run. It was Ethier's 2nd shot of the day to bring his total up to 15, and increases his average in August to .357, with 4 homers in 11 games.
Needless to say, he's been money. And it couldn't have come at a better time after all of Dodger Stadium was in a shocked silence over the blown lead.
The game started off fantastically for the Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw allowed a leadoff double to Richie Weeks, and let the bases get loaded in the 2nd, but didn't allow a run either time. In the 1st, Matt Kemp hit the first pitch he saw into the seats for a 1-0 lead. After Jeff Kent singled, Manny creamed his first pitch to deep left, and it was 3-0 after 1.
Kershaw's lone blemish was a homer allowed to Mike Cameron in the 4th. He finished with 6 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. He has been terrific lately. After getting shelled in Colorado his first game back from the minors, he's had a quality start in his other 5 games. Twice he's given up no runs, twice 1 run, and once 3 runs. Those starts have earned him a spot locked in the rotation.
Another guy who pitched well was Johnson, who I admit am surprised to still see around. But, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief only helps his cause. He's pitched in 2 close games in a row where he hasn't given up a run, so he's been very reliable.
As great as Ethier's walk-off was, it should have never even come to that. Chan Ho Park wasn't very good in the 9th, but he's not the one that made 2 errors on 1 simple ground ball, it was Loney. His 0-2 pitch to Braun was horrendous, though. I'll bet both Loney and Park are breathing huge sighs of relief still.
With the win and the Diamondbacks loss (nice to see Houston finally show up), it's a deadlock in the NL West. On the homestand against 2 playoff caliber teams, the Dodgers are 6-1. After a rest on Monday, the Colorado Rockies come into town for 3. The last thing they need is a letdown after 2 huge series wins, so they need to win the winnable games. After these 3, they hit the road for 10 against the Phillies, Nationals, and Diamondbacks.
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