Dodgers Offense and Guerrier Falter in Extra Inning Loss to Snakes

Dodgers 3 6 0

Diamondbacks 4 9 0

F/11

WP- Bergesen (1-0)

LP- Guerrier (0-2)

S- Putz (28)

HR- Kubel (27)

Tonight the Dodgers continued to fail miserably against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Going into tonight’s game they had lost seven straight against the Snakes and nine of eleven. Last night the Dodgers were blanked by Ian Kennedy and company on the hallowed Vin Scully bobblehead night. Tonight the Dodgers would once again lose to the Snakes in an eleven inning showdown. Andre Ethier lost a ball in the light of the Blue moon in the second inning which gave Chris Johnson a RBI triple. Both teams would score two runs in the fifth, and the Dodgers would tie it up in the sixth. Trevor Cahill and Aaron Harang were both out of the game before the sixth inning and neither factored in the decision. The game was tied until the eleventh, and Shawn Tolleson, Ronald Belisario, and Brandon League pitched scoreless ball until then. With a diluted bullpen with the absence of Kenley Jansen, Mattingly chose to bring in Matt Guerrier for his first Major League appearance since April. Jason Kubel took advantage by smacking a solo homerun which was enough to win it for the D-backs. The Dodgers tried to rally in the bottom of the eleventh, but J.J Putz managed to close them down and pick up his 28th save of the season for Arizona.

Aaron Harang starts off the first inning by striking out Chris Young. Aaron Hill is then promptly hit by a pitch and rewarded first base. Jason Kubel grounds into an inning ending double play, and the Dodgers complete a rare scoreless first inning.

Mark Ellis and Shane Victorino both ground out in the home half of the first against Trevor Cahill. Adrian Gonzalez strikes out, and the Dodgers go down meekly once again.

Paul Goldschmidt leads off with a walk in the second inning. Justin Upton grounds into another double play. Miguel Montero dunks a single in front of Victorino in left field. Chris Johnson triples on a fly ball lost by Andre Ethier. Dre somehow lost the ball then tried to dive and catch it without success. Montero scores to give the D-backs a 1-0 lead. Jake Elmore pops out to end the inning.

Matt Kemp, who’s back in the lineup, leads off the bottom of the second inning and strikes out swinging. Hanley Ramirez draws a one-out walk. Ethier is badly fooled and strikes out swinging. Luis Cruz grounds out.

The Big Show sends the Snakes down in order in the top of the third, and he strikes out Aaron Hill in the process.

A.J. Ellis singles to open the bottom of the third, but Aaron Harang fails to execute the sacrifice bunt and strikes out. Mark Ellis then grounds into the…well you know by now, right? The inning ending double play.

Goldschmidt walks for the second time with one out in the top of the fourth. Harang strikes out Montero, and the D-backs strand Goldschmidt.

More of the same in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers go down quietly 1-2-3. They have only one hit up to this point.

Chris Johnson, who already tripled in the second inning, now comes up with a double to right to lead-off the fifth for Arizona. Elmore lines out. Trevor Cahill, the opposing pitcher mind you, singles up the middle which scores Johnson. Young grounds out to third for the second out. Hill doubles to the gap in right center, and Cahill scores to give the D-backs a 3-0 lead.

The groundout extravaganza continues in the bottom of the fifth as Hanley and Dre both are retired by Cahill on grounders. Luis Cruz comes up with what is only the second Dodger hit of the night with a two-out single. A.J. is hit by a pitch on the hip. Nick Punto will pinch-hit for Aaron Harang. Punto’s head first dive into first base just beats out Johnson’s throw on the little infield dribbler. The bases are now loaded for Mark Ellis with two outs. Mark Ellis comes up with a HUGE single to left field, and two runs score for the Dodgers! The drought has finally ended, 3-2 Arizona. Victorino pops out to shallow left field to end the inning as Elmore goes out to snag it.

Aaron Harang pitched 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts on 82 pitches.

Shawn Tolleson comes in for the sixth inning to relieve Harang. He strikes out Goldschmidt to start off. Upton pops out in foul territory. Montero singles with two-out. Johnson is finally retired on a fly ball to end the inning.

Matt Kemp draws a one-out walk in the bottom half of the sixth to put the tying run aboard. With Hanley at bat, Matt Kemp steals second banged up knee and all. Matt Kemp fools Upton, and he tags up on Hanley’s fly ball. Upton didn’t think Kemp was going, but Bison takes off at the last moment. That’s going to be all for baby face Cahill. Mike Zagurski, lefty, comes out of the Arizona bullpen to face Ethier. Ethier makes up for his misjudgment on that fly ball in the second inning as he drops a flare single into left field which scores Kemp and ties up the game! Baseball is so cyclical. Arizona goes to their bullpen again, this time for Bryan Shaw. He whiffs Luis Cruz to end the rally.

Trevor Cahill pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 96 pitches.

Tolleson pitches a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, and he strikes out Gerardo Parra and Chris Young.

Brad Ziegler will pitch the bottom of the seventh, and the submariner retires the Dodgers in order.

Ronald Belisario comes in for the top of the eighth. Hill leads off with a single. He walks Kubel. Goldschmidt strikes out. The double play is finally on our side as Upton hits into an inning ending DP!

The Dodgers face David Hernandez in the bottom of the eighth. Victorino strikes out and goes 0-for-4 on the night. Gonzo flies out, and he goes hitless. Matt Kemp strikes out, and he throws his bat down in anger.

In the ninth, Belisario is asked to pitch another inning since Kenley Jansen is out dealing with heart issues. The cardiologist is going to make a decision on Tuesday whether Jansen needs to take blood thinners for five days or four weeks. Belisario allows a lead-off single to Montero for his third hit of the night. Luis Cochito Cruz makes a dazzling play at third to stop a ball hit by Johnson which would have gone through for a base hit, and then he turns the double play! Wow! Elmore strikes out to end the inning.

Brad Bergesen, a righty, is the sixth Arizona pitcher of the night. Hanley grounds out. Andre Ethier draws a one-out walk. Cruz flies out to right. A.J. strikes out. Extra innings here we come.

Brandon League is into pitch the top of the tenth for the Dodgers, and he doesn’t do much but strike out the side. John McDonald strikes out. Chris Young strikes out. Aaron Hill strikes out.

Juan Rivera will pinch-hit in the bottom of the tenth against Bergesen. Rivera continues to fail, and he strikes out swinging. Mark Ellis strikes out. See a pattern here? Victorino breaks up the whiff fest with a walk. Gonzalez flies out.

On to the eleventh. In comes stranger Matt Guerrier who hasn’t pitched since April 18th. Jason Kubel promptly hits a solo homerun to right field. Well

what do you expect, Guerrier hasn’t pitched in a year. Goldschmidt strikes out. Upton strikes out. Montero grounds out, but the D-backs take the 4-3 lead.

J.J. Putz comes in to try to shut the door on the Dodgers in the bottom of the eleventh. Matt Kemp strikes out. Hanley draws a walk. Ethier strikes, out and the Dodgers are down to their last out. Luis Cruz singles to left, and Hanley gets to third. It’s up to A.J. Ellis now. He flies out, and that’s that.

The Dodgers fall to 70-63 on the year. They squander a perfect opportunity to make up ground in the division and Wild Card race since San Francisco, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh lost today. They remain 4 1/2 back of the Giants and 1 1/2 back of the second Wild Card.

Josh Beckett and Tyler Skaggs will face each other in game three. The first game of September will begin at 6:10 pm. Tomorrow the Dodgers are expected to call up Tim Federowicz as a third catcher, Javy Guerra to help an overworked pen, and we may see the likes of some other familiar faces in days to come.