The Dodgers got down 4-0, put together somewhat of a threat late, but could not cash in when opportunities came. The end result was their fifth straight loss, this time to the Giants, 5-2. They're now six games back and in fourth place in the NL West.
James McDonald was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and had a mixed bag of results. He looked great in the first inning as the Giants went down in order. Then the second came, and a walk and two singles loaded the bases with nobody out. But then a strikeout, groundout, and flyout ended that threat.
In the bottom of the second, Matt Kemp singled to left with two outs. He was no doubt so thrilled about it that he decided to get picked off of first. And this is one of the many reasons he's underachieved this season.
McDonald wouldn't be so lucky in the third. Andres Torres doubled to lead off. Freddy Sanchez and Aubrey Huff couldn't reach, so there were now two outs. But, Buster Posey hit an RBI single and Pablo Sandoval an RBI double for the 2-0 lead.
The next inning brought two more runs for the Giants. Travis Ishikawa singled to start, and Nate Schierholtz hit a two-run homer to right just out of the reach of Andre Ethier for the 4-0 lead. Actually, Ethier never jumped for it, but maybe it was higher than it appeared.
The Dodgers finally got something going in the sixth. Rafael Furcal led off with a long solo homer to left to make it 4-1. Jamey Carroll then singled and James Loney walked two outs later. Old friend Guillermo Mota came in and threw a pickoff attempt at second into center, sending both runners into scoring position.
What happened next was a little weird, but it benefited the Dodgers. Kemp hit a grounder to third that Sandoval gloved and tagged Loney. Since Sandoval never made the putout to first, the home plate umpire ruled that Carroll crossed the plate in time (in reality he didn't) and the run would score, so it was 4-2 after all of that.
If the Dodgers got a questionable run in the sixth, then the Giants got one right back in the eighth. With one out and the bases loaded, Sanchez hit a sac-fly RBI to Ethier. For reasons only known to Torres, he decided to run past second, then head back to first way too late. The Dodgers made the easy throw to first for the double play.
Joe Torre argued that Torres ran past the runner ahead of him, Edgar Renteria. The umps either didn't see it or didn't agree, so the run counted, keeping the score at 5-2.
In the end, it was all a wash. Both teams were given runs they probably shouldn't have gotten.
The ninth brought a great scoring chance against Brian Wilson. That was also the case in the seventh against three relievers, but Ethier grounded out to end the inning. This time, Russell Martin and Raffy singled, and Ethier walked with two outs. Casey Blake had a chance to be a hero, but struck out to end the game.
It was an appropriate ending for a horrible stretch that has started the second half.
It's not like the Dodgers didn't put anyone on base. They collected 10 hits, took five walks... and scored two runs. Of course, leaving 11 men on base and going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position won't win you much of any games.
McDonald was decent, as he went five innings for nine hits, four runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. I think he showed some signs that he can improve. It's only his first start of the season, so he'll need more time to settle down.
As for the rest of the team, they're really at a crossroads now. They have a tough second half schedule, and so far have not at all risen to the occasion. The three teams ahead of them, the Padres, Rockies, and Giants, don't look like they're going to slow down.
The bottom line is, if the Dodgers don't start playing better and quick, they may find themselves in too big a hole to dig out of.
Tuesday's pitching matchup should be a great one, as Clayton Kershaw goes against Tim Lincecum. Kershaw didn't look very good in St. Louis his last start, but he's still had a great year. Lincecum is still Lincecum. It won't be easy, but maybe this will be the game that jumpstarts the Dodgers again.
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