If the Dodgers were looking for positive production from others now that Matt Kemp is on the DL, this game wasn't it.
If they were looking for Chad Billingsley to step up and be the man, this game wasn't it either.
The Dodgers collected nine hits, but hit into a couple double plays and stranded nine total in falling to the Diamondbacks, 5-1. The loss split the short two-game series and ended the winning streak at five.
Don Mattingly had a pretty interesting lineup on this night, as Scott Van Slyke hit in Kemp's #3 spot, Ethier hit cleanup, and A.J. Ellis right after him. Van Slyke ended up going 0-for-4, and even though it's just one game and the lefty Wade Miley was on the mound, I'm not sure we'll be seeing him hit there anytime soon.
Billingsley has been struggling lately, which is pretty much been the norm of his whole career: show signs of dominance, then stink. In the second, Jason Kubel led off with a double to left. Following a couple outs, Aaron Hill was intentionally walked to pitch to Miley. Miley struck out swinging, but hustled to first to beat the wild pitch. Sure enough, Billingsley walked Gerardo Parra to force in a run, and nearly did the same to Willie Bloomquist, who flew out.
Those two double play balls the Dodgers hit into came in the second and fourth. In the third, Dee Gordon and Mark Ellis both singled with two down, but Van Slyke couldn't do anything with it on a groundout.
The DBacks took full control in the fifth. Miley, who's actually a good hitting pitcher, started it with a single. Parra and Bloomquist did the same to load the bases. Justin Upton and Miguel Montero also did the same, as their RBIs made the score 3-0.
That was it for Bills, as former closer Javy Guerra was summoned. He immediately gave up an RBI single to Kubel to make it 4-0. But, a big double play ball from Ryan Roberts and a forceout from Hill limited any further damage.
Speaking of damage, it was already done, as the Dodgers could only come up with a solo homer from Mark Ellis in the sixth to make it 4-1. A sac-fly RBI from Lyle Overbay an inning later rounded out the scoring.
Not that he got any help from his offense, but Billingsley still didn't pitch well at all, and definitely not like a #2 starter. He lasted a mere four innings for eight hits, four runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. He's now 2-3 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Rewind to early in the year after his third start, and he was 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 0.69 WHIP.
And so it goes for Billingsley, as he just cannot ever seen to get into a groove. At this point, I've just accepted him for what he is and stopped thinking that he can ever be more consistent. He'll have his games where his stuff is brilliant. Then he'll have more games where he's all over the place and his own worst enemy. It's been the latter lately.
About the only positive was the work of some guys in the bullpen who really needed good outings: Guerra, Todd Coffey, and Scott Elbert. Guerra gave up Kubel's RBI, but he entered with the bases loaded and nobody out, and only one run scored. I'll take that. Coffey and Elbert teamed up to pitch a scoreless last two innings. Coffey still walked two, which is bad, but no runs is no runs at least.
The Dodgers will have another two-game set coming up, this time in San Diego. Man, it seems like these two teams play each other like 40 times a year. I'm not complaining, other than the Padres being just plain boring to watch. The magnificent Chris Capuano will go on Wednesday.
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