Up 3-1 in the eighth inning and with Chris Capuano cruising, the Dodgers thought they had a great start to their three-game tilt in Atlanta.
That is, of course, before the first two hitters reached, Ronald Belisario couldn't put out the fire, and the Braves went on to win in extras.
So much for a great start.
Juan Francisco's walk-off single in the 11th inning capped a late comeback for the Braves as they downed the Dodgers, 4-3. The daily back-and-forth atop the NL West continues, as the Giants creamed the Padres, so they now own a 1/2 game lead.
Capuano's only blemish for most of the game was a leadoff home run in the second to old man Chipper Jones. Jones might be "old," but he's still putting up good numbers at .313 with 13 homers and 54 RBIs. Pretty amazing when you consider that the guy probably hasn't been fully healthy since his rookie year. I'll miss watching him after this year.
The Dodgers came alive in the sixth. Mark Ellis started things with a double. After Matt Kemp lined out, Andre Ethier crushed a two-run bomb to right to make it 2-1. It was his 12th of the year and first since way back on July 14. The hit was also big considering he was thrown out at home trying to score on Hanley Ramirez's double in the fourth.
The lead was increased by one in the seventh. Luis Cruz has been swinging a hot bat lately, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Matt "Don't Call Me Misty" Treanor got him to third, and an out later, Shane Victorino's RBI single made it 3-1. As for Cruz, he reached base all five times (three hits and two walks), and is hitting .333 this month.
All was looking good for the Dodgers... this is, until Capuano let the final two hitters in the Braves' order reach to start the eighth. Paul Janish and pinch-hitting Reed Johnson each singled. Leadoff hitter Michael Bourne then laid down a good sacrifice to advance them to scoring position.
That brought in Ronald Belisario, who... well, you pretty much know he couldn't wiggle out of the jam. Martin Prado got the Braves within one with an RBI groundout, and Jason Heyward's RBI single made it 3-3. Belisario didn't let those hitters reach, but he still showed just how far he's fallen this season by not leaving with the lead intact.
After both teams didn't do anything in the ninth, they each let opportunities slip away in the 10th. Elian Herrera reached via error to start the inning, but couldn't get past second. Michael Bourne singled off of Randy Choate with one out, went to third on a steal and bad throw by Treanor, but was also stranded.
Ramirez tried to get things going again in the 11th with a single, but a double play ball from Juan Rivera erased all of that. Brandon League got out of the 10th, so he stayed on to start the next inning. After getting the first couple outs, light-hitting David Ross and Janish both singled. Jamey Wright came in and gave up Francisco's walk-off single to end it.
A day after a frustrating final game in Pittsburgh in which Don Mattingly, Joe Blanton, and Kemp were all ejected, this was another defeat that ranks up there in the "tough loss" category. The Braves will be right in the thick of things when it's all said and done, so it's a good measuring stick for the Dodgers. I know the Dodgers can play with these guys, so now they have to show they can finish them off as well.
Capuano put forth a good effort, just with a bad ending. Overall, he lasted 7 1/3 innings for five hits, three runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. His trouble started when he gave up a leadoff hit in the eighth to a .227 hitter in Janish. Who would have thought? The positive thing to take away is that he's had three great starts after a couple of lousy ones, so maybe his arm isn't as tired as I thought it might be.
Like I said before, it's not Belisario's fault that two hitters reached to start the eighth, but he again proved how ineffective he is by letting them both score. Then again, it's not like guys such as League, Wright, or Choate showed much either. It's a tough call for Mattingly, but he's got to try someone else in this spot. Belisario is flat out not getting it done.
There's two games left on this roadtrip, which has been successful so far at 5-3. It'll look like Old Timers Day on Saturday, as Aaron Harang will take on Ben Sheets, who has come from nowhere to look awesome this year.
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