On a night where their offense was again practically non-existent, the Dodgers lost it in the ninth thanks to their worst reliever.
Oscar Salazar hit an RBI single up the middle to score Scott Hairston, giving George Sherrill and the Dodgers the loss, 3-2. The Padres took two of three in this series, and the Dodgers are now seven games back in the NL West.
Um, not good.
Vicente Padilla started on the mound, and he got into a bit of trouble in the first. Jerry Hairston Jr. reached on an infield single leading off. Adrian Gonzalez singled an out later for two on. Chase Headley delivered an RBI single to go up 1-0.
James Loney made sure the deficit was wiped out as quickly as he could, as he hit a solo homer to open the second. It was his eighth of the year to go along with 65 RBIs.
The Padres got the lead back a couple batters into the fourth. Headley drew a walk this time, and Yorvit Torrealba crushed an RBI double for the 2-1 advantage. A couple men reached with two outs, but Padilla got Mat Latos swinging to end the inning.
To start the fifth, Jamey Carroll walked. Blake DeWitt struck out, but Brad Ausmus also walked. With the way the Dodgers have been hitting, or not hitting for that matter, Joe Torre chose to pinch-hit Garret Anderson for Padilla already. For a change, Anderson came through with a single, and Carroll scored on Hairston's error at left, making it 2-2.
With still only one out, new Dodger Scott Podsednik grounded one in the infield, and Ausmus was gunned out trying to get home. Rafael Furcal flied out, and the Dodgers could not cash in more with two on and one out.
James McDonald got the call next, and he did a great job in both innings he pitched. He only gave up one walk to Headley, who was soon picked off of first. Kenley Jansen pitched the eighth, gave up a double to Will Venable with two outs, but got Hairston Jr. to fly out for the last out.
The offense was still failing miserably to get anything going, so it came down to a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. Hong-Chih Kuo worked the eighth and was pinch-hit for, so he was gone. Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill were both warming up.
I guess there's an old unwritten rule that a closer does not enter a tie game on the road. Torre's old school, so he went with Sherrill. Do I even need to tell you what happened next?
Here goes anyway: single by Hairston, sacrifice by Tony Gwynn, game winning hit by Salazar.
I wasn't thrilled about the way Torre used the bullpen the night before, and I'm definitely not now. For the life of me, I just don't understand why Sherrill continues to not only appear in games, but in big situations. The guy has a 7.23 ERA. Yes, you read that right, SEVEN FREAKIN' TWENTY-THREE. And there he is pitching in a big game against the first place team. Unbelievable.
If this doesn't warrant releasing Sherrill, I don't know what will. Maybe the Ned Colletti and Torre are being stubborn and hoping that Sherrill will turn it around. Or maybe they just don't give a damn. I don't even know what else to say about that.
At seven games back, the Dodgers can't afford to mess around anymore. The trade deadline is nearby, so maybe someone will come in to give them a lift. I can hope anyway. Because right now, this team doesn't look it has a playoff appearance in them.
The starting staff are doing all they can, but the guys at the plate are not at all backing them up. The rotation has to be nearly perfect just to get a win. Even when they were winning, I warned that they were living dangerously by not scoring many runs. The putrid offense has obviously come back to bite them in the backside.
The Dodgers will next travel to San Francisco for three. The Giants are only 3 1/2 back, so this is a big series for them as well. And wouldn't you know it, Tim Lincecum will go in the first game. Carlos Monasterios will give it his best shot in another spot start.
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