Both the Dodgers and the Cardinals came into Dodger Stadium on Thursday night trying to find any way possible to make that final push for the Wild Card.
While the Cardinals only scored twice, it was the Dodgers that once again failed to get any sort of big hit when they needed it.
An RBI single by Allen Craig in the seventh proved to be the game-winning run, as the Dodgers lost again, 2-1. Since winning three straight to begin September, they've now dropped seven of eight, and are 6-12 since the big trade with Boston.
Yet somehow, through all of this horrible baseball, they are still only two games in back of the Cardinals for that final Wild Card spot. The bad news is that the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Brewers, and Pirates are all within at least 2 1/2 games of the Dodgers, so it's not looking good.
For a change, it was the Dodgers that cracked the scoreboard in the first. Remember when they routinely would do this in the first half of the season? They've practically given all of that right back since then. Anyway, Mark Ellis singled leading off. Andre Ethier was moved up to hit #2, and he took a walk.
That of course meant that in a big spot, Matt Kemp grounded into a double play. One month ago on August 13 he was hitting .358, now it's tumbled all the way down to .311. Wow, that's a HUGE dropoff. At least Adrian Gonzalez found enough room in the outfield to bloop an RBI double, and it was 1-0.
The fun was short-lived, as Josh Beckett gave that run right back. Well, he didn't exactly get a lot of help from his infield, though. With one out, Yadier Molina's grounder was just past Hanley Ramirez at short for a single. Not an easy play, but one that could've been made. Then Carlos Beltran whacked one past Ellis at second. Again, not easy, but could've been made.
An RBI single by Skip Schumaker scored Molina, and was 1-1. Beckett did leave a couple stranded by getting the final two outs.
Both teams blew chances to take the lead in the fourth. The Cards loaded the bases with one out on a single by Molina, a walk to Beltran, and another single by Schumaker. Molina probably should've scored, but he was stealing on Schumaker's single, and ended up sliding to third instead of rounding it. He stayed put, and Beckett got Daniel Descalso and Lance Lynn swinging to leave 'em loaded.
Kemp singled to open up the bottom of the inning. Gonzalez then struck out, and as he was doing so, Kemp was easily gunned down trying to swipe second. Ramirez struck out looking (again) to end the inning.
Much like the fourth, both teams blew it again in the sixth, as they each had two men reach and nothing to show for it. Paco Rodriguez (no matter how much the Dodgers lose, he still has one of the best names in baseball!) relieved Beckett with two on and one out and got out of the jam.
The Cards broke through in the seventh, and you knew that with the way the Dodgers (weren't) swinging, it was very costly. Rodriguez stayed on to walk Shane Robinson leading off. After John Jay popped up a bunt, Matt Carpenter singled. Ronald Belisario came in to get Matt Holliday, but Craig's single scored Robinson to make it 2-1.
Not much happened for the Dodgers in the seventh and eighth. Luis Cruz reached on an error with one out in the seventh. Dee Gordon pinch-ran for him, and was then nailed trying to steal second. So if he can't steal a base, what can he do? It's not like he can hit or field.
Ramirez did hit a two-out double in the ninth to bring up Shane Victorino. And like he does oh so well, he hit a measly pop up into left to end the game. He's really torn it up since coming to LA with a blistering .245 average. Pathetic.
It's the same old recap at the end of every game - the pitching does its part, but the offense completely sucks. It happened once again in this game, as Beckett wasn't his sharpest, but still was effective. He lasted 5 1/3 innings for seven hits, one run, two walks, and six strikeouts. In his four starts with the Dodgers, he's 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The WHIP is high, but the bottom line is that his ERA is very good, yet he only has one win to show for it.
I'll give Don Mattingly credit for trying to shake up the lineup, as he swapped Ethier up to #2, and Victorino down to #6. It hardly mattered, as the offense was facing a struggling Lynn, who went through August with a 6.66 ERA, and couldn't do a damn thing. Six hits, two walks, one run. That's it. I don't care who you play, you're not going to win any game.
There's three game left in this series, and the Dodgers still have plenty of chances to make something happen. Only 18 games remain in this season, but we all have seen already that with that second Wild Card spot, the races are a lot more exciting and tight because of it. Chris Capuano will try to even up the series on Friday.
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