Dodgers 3 Marlins 5: Can’t Avoid the Sweep

Don Mattingly got the best revenge he could have asked for, as his Marlins came into LA and swept a four game series against the Dodgers.

Coming into the series, the Dodgers had won eight of 11 and the Marlins had lost eight of 11. So naturally, the Marlins swept the Dodgers. Because, for the 100th time, baseball is the worst.

The Dodgers had an absolutely pathetic offensive showing on Wednesday, which combined with some bad BABIP luck led to them getting two-hit by a pitcher making his first start of the season. In the finale, it was promising that they scored two in the first off one of the best pitchers in baseball, Jose Fernandez. Chase Utley led off with a single and Corey Seager walked. After Adrian Gonzalez struck out, Yasmani Grandal crushed a double to center and Yasiel Puig hit a nubber that landed somehow in the infield to score two runs. They added a run in the ninth on a wild pitch but were cold for much of the night.

Kenta Maeda couldn’t toss a #ShutdownInning in the top of the second, as J.T. Realmuto hit his second homer of the year to cut the lead in half. Neither team could do much on offense until the seventh, as both Maeda and Fernandez turned in solid outings.

In the seventh, Realmuto knocked a one-out single and Adeiny Hechavarria followed it up with a single of his own. Maeda got a strikeout, but old friend Dee Gordon singled in the tying run and Maeda was pulled. Pedro Baez came in and gave up another RBI single, and then made matters worst by balking in a fourth run. The Dodgers had a chance to answer in the bottom of the inning when Gordon misplayed an inning-ending grounder, but of course, Utley was caught off second base to end the frame. Giancarlo Stanton added his third homer of the series for insurance, and the Dodgers had their second series-loss of the season and their first sweep.

This was obviously a frustrating series, especially after the roller coaster series at Coors Field. This was one of the worst four-game stretches I can recall over the last couple seasons, but as long as it doesn’t carry over to the next series, it probably won’t matter in the long run.

The Padres come to town next, so that should be a decent opportunity for the Dodgers’ bats to get right. It’s a long season, so we should remember as fans not to get too high over any series wins and too low over any series losses. The Dodgers just need to right the ship (preferably soon, so people can stop acting like the season is over).