Dodgers Lose Their First Series-Brewers Walk Off With Win Again

Dodgers 2 6 1

Brewers 3 7 0

F/10

WP- Loe (1-0)

LP- Guerrier (0-1)

The Dodgers lost their first series of the season after Zack Greinke and company walked off with the win for the second in as many nights. During the game Scott told me that Greinke had never lost a game yet at home in Miller Park. Tonight he would not lose nor win, but the Brewers sunk the Dodgers’ bullpen once again. Matt Guerrier gave up the winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning, and a overthrowing error by A.J. Ellis in the inning also contributed to the run being plated. The Dodgers are now 9-3, and they have one more game to play against the offensively superior Brew Crew early tomorrow morning.

With the roof closed, Zack Greinke sets to pitch to Dee Gordon to start things off in Miller Park. Dee strikes out pathetically swinging at a ball way out of the strike zone for the first out of the game. Mark Ellis then hits one over Corey Hart‘s head for a triple! Matt Kemp singles through the infield into left field to bring home Ellis giving the Dodgers a early 1-0 lead! That’s Kemp’s 17th RBI. Andre Ethier strikes out swinging for the second out, and it’s the second whiff for Greinke. James Loney, who is hitting way too high in the lineup with Rivera’s absence, pops out to end the first inning.

Chris Capuano goes to work against his former team and has a very nice 1-2-3 inning which concludes with an enjoyable Ryan Braun strikeout.

Jerry Hairston Jr. goes down on strikes in his first at bat versus Greinke in the third. Gwynn grounds out, and A.J. Ellis flies out to center field in a quiet second inning for the Dodgers. Aramis Ramirez singles off of Hairston’s glove into left field, and he gets too greedy and is tagged out trying to go for two off a bullet thrown by Tony Gwynn to Mark Ellis. Corey Hart then promptly hits a ball to right field which bounces off Andre Ethier’s glove for a double. Alex Gonzalez‘s softly hit fly ball is caught by Tony Gwynn who misjudges it a bit. Mat Gamel then continues the hit parade off Cappy by singling by a diving Mark Ellis to bring home the run with Corey Hart. The game is all tied up at one apiece. Lucroy finally makes the last out on a groundball which forces Gamel out at second.

Cappy leads off the third inning by going down on strikes. Dee grounds out. Corey Hart catches Ellis’s shallow fly ball to end the frame.

Greinke leads off the third inning and grounds out to second, but almost takes Capuano’s head off in the process as the hard hit ball skims by the former Brewer. Rickie Weeks doubles in the left field corner with one out. Gomez pops out in foul territory for out number two bringing up Ryan Braun. Braun flies out to left field stranding Weeks in the process.

Matt Kemp walks to lead off the fourth inning. Dre flies out to center field, and Kemp is doubled up at first after he had already started to go for the stolen base. Loney pulls a Loney, and he strikes out for the third out.

Capuano allows a walk to Gonzalez but nothing else in the bottom of the fourth. Still tied up.

Jerry Hairston sharply doubles to left field to lead off the fifth inning. Tony Gwynn’s single moves Hairston to third. A.J. Ellis grounds into a force out, but Hairston scores on the play giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Cappy’s bunt is good for advancing Ellis into scoring position, but Dee Gordon strikes out swinging to end the inning and any hope of any additional runs.

Cappy strikes out Lucroy to start the bottom of the fifth inning, but Capuano’s inability to get through the fifth inning is suddenly apparent once again. Zack Greinke gets his first hit of the season by doubling down the third base line. Weeks walks. Gomez flies out, and Ryan Braun grounds into a force for outs two and three. Cappy comes out unscathed, but we may see the bullpen sooner than we like.

The Dodgers go down meekly in the sixth. Cappy starts out crappy in the sixth, and Aramis Ramirez hits a solo homerun over the center field fence to tie up the game at 2-2. Capuano comes back and strikes out Gonzalez. Gamel grounds out, and Capuano keeps the damage at one run.

Loney pops up, Hairston flies out, and Tony Gwynn walks on two outs in the seventh inning. Gwynn is caught stealing to end the inning.

Josh Lindblom comes out of the bullpen for the bottom of the seventh inning. Chris Capuano pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 82 pitches. Hairston makes a great play at third to rob Lucroy of an extra base hit down the line. Norichika Aoki does his best statue impression as he is whiffed by Lindblom for the second out. Weeks is struck out on three pitches, and Lindblom sends the Brew Crew down in order!

Francisco Rodriguez comes in to pitch the eighth for Milwaukee. Zack Greinke pitched 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and striking out 7 on 109 pitches. Gordon gets a two-out single, and he steals second for his 8th stolen base of the season. Mark Ellis walks. Matt Kemp strikes out swinging to end any threat by the Dodgers. Sigh.

Lindblom is in for a second inning of work, and Gomez singles to lead off the bottom of the eighth. With “MVP” chants in the background, Ryan Braun hits a high pop out to Andre Ethier. Ramirez swings at the first pitch and pops out to Mark Ellis. Ellis mows down Gomez at second trying to steal to preserve the tie! It still feels a bit odd to me to witness Dodger catchers throwing out would be base thieves after the likes of Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro of yesteryear.

John Axford, the closer, comes in to pitch the top of the ninth mustache and all. Andre Ethier flies out, and Dre goes 0-4 on the night. Loney grounds out. Hairston grounds out for the last out in the ninth.

Kenley Jansen comes in for the ninth, and he strikes out Corey Hart to start. Gonzalez flies out. Gamel grounds out, and we head to the tenth with horns locked.

Kameron Loe is the fourth pitcher for the Brewers. Adam Kennedy grounds out, and A.J. Ellis singles into center field. Juan Rivera hits into a double play, and that’s that.

Matt Guerrier walks the leadoff batter, then Cesar Izturis bunts pops out for the first out of the bottom of the tenth. Nyjer Morgan steals second and takes third on a throwing error by A.J. Ellis. Forget what I said about Ellis’s defense. He throws the ball into center field a la Dioner Navarro. Don Mattingly then brings in Hairston as a fifth infielder, and they intentionally walk Weeks. Weeks steals second. Walkapalooza™ is alive as Guerrier walks George Kottaras. Ryan Braun hits a shallow fly to Matt Kemp, who throws to the plate. It looks like Ellis made the tag in time, but the umps call the pinch runner Morgan safe and the Brewers win it 3-2 in walk off fashion for the second night in a row.

The Brewers are a very good team, and the Dodgers actually put up a good fight these past two games. Our undoing came at the hands of a few costly mistakes and our bullpen’s inadequacy when it comes to holding a lead or tied game. Although Josh Lindblom and Kenley Jansen are the exception, and they pitched well tonight. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier were also tamed, and without their offensive output it is mighty difficult to score runs. Let’s get ’em tomorrow, boys!

Tomorrow morning at 10:10 am will be the third and final game of the series at Miller Park. Aaron Harang will pitch against the former Dodger Randy Wolf.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LasordasLair and yours truly @organicallyrude

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