Dodgers Taken To School By Real Playoff Team In Series Loss To Washington

The Dodgers desperately needed a win tonight against Washington, to keep their diminishing playoff hopes alive. The Cardinals already had won, and the Dodgers were faced with the stark reality of falling three games behind the Cardinals, in the wild card standings, and being passed up by the red hot Brewers.

What they did get was an old fashioned schooling from a real live first place playoff team. The Washington Nationals, a real playoff team, took the Dodgers to school. You could consider the Nationals bus drivers.

The Dodgers lost to Washington 4-1 in the Nation’s capital. They lose two of three in the series, and have not won a series in almost a month. Well it’s not hard to see why the Nationals are the best team in the National League and have won 90 games. Actually 91 to be exact. Lefty starter Ross Detwiler held the Dodgers to just one run and three hits over six frames, while whiffing five. Meanwhile In comparison, the Dodger’s starter lefty Chris Capuano, was barely mediocre. Cappy allowed four runs, (three earned) six hits, through five frames, while whiffing three.

Hanley Ramirez can’t make the play.

Washington’s solid lineup easily came through. Washington scored two runs in the third and fourth frames. Werthless singled, and Ryan Zimmerman doubled him home. In the fourth frame, Desmond walked, and was doubled home by Danny Espinosa. There was a throwing error from Hanley Ramirez, and a Kurt Suzuki sacrifice fly. The fourth run scored on a wild pitch.

Ross Detwiler picked up his tenth win of the season. Cappy takes the loss, dropping him back to .500 at 11-11. Storen saved his third game of the year.

The Dodgers offense returned back to normal, scoring only one run on four hits. The lone murmur of protest was a solo home run from Mark Ellis in the top of the fourth. His only road dinger of the season. Washington used three relievers to finish off the Dodger’s pathetic lineup. With the win, Washington clinches a playoff berth.

Lefty Ross Detwiler starts the game with a 123 scoreless frame in the top of the first. Mark Ellis whiffs. Shane Victorino grounds out to short. Matt Kemp whiffs as well.  Chris Capuano begins the bottom of the first by allowing a single to Jayson Werthless. Bryce Harper, also known as Kid Hype flies out to left. Ryan Zimmerman pops out to Second. With Adam LaRoche batting, Werthless steals second. That’s only his sixth steal of the season. Cappy then whiffs LaRoche like a rented mule for the third out. No score.

Cappy is now back to .500- Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

Top of the second. Adrian Gonzalez weakly grounds out. Hanley Ramirez whiffs. Andre Ethier grounds out to first. The Dodgers go down quickly in the second. Bottom of the second. Michael Morse, and Ian Desmond both lead off with consecutive singles. Desmond’s single moves Practice Swing Boy over to second. Danny Espinosa flies out to Bison, and the runners can’t advance. Catcher Kurt Suzuki fouls out to Cruz. Cappy whiffs opposing starter Detwiler to get out of the frame.

Detwiler retires the Dodgers in order 123 again in the top of the third. Luis Cruz lines out to Werthless. A.J. Ellis is slumping and whiffs again. Cappy pops out. Werthless singles to open the bottom half of the third frame. Kid Hype’s bouncing force out is snared by a leaping Gonzo. He’s able to get the lead runner at second, but Harper beats the throw back to first. Then the wheels fall off the bus. Ryan Zimmerman doubles into the left field gap to score Harper. 1-0 Washington. LaRoche grounds out to second, Zimmerman moves to third. Then of course, Cappy uncorks a wild pitch. When is there not a wild pitch involved? Zimmerman scores, despite AJ’s return throw being close. It’s 2-0 Nationals. Practice Swing Boy flies out to right, and the inning ends.

Mark Ellis leads off with a solo home run to left, to put the Dodgers on the board in the top of the fourth. That breaks up Detwiler’s perfect game. That’s Mark’s seventh home run of the season, which makes it a 2-1 game. Victorino whiffs. Kemp pops out. Gonzo singles over Desmond’s glove. Hanley pops out.

The Nationals add two more runs off the deflated Boys in Blue in the bottom of the fourth. Desmond walks. Espinosa doubles home Desmond, and Espinosa advances to third, on a lazy throw from Hanley that sails wide left. Hanley is charged with the throwing error. Suzuki’s sac fly to right scores Espinosa. The Nationals lead 4-1. Detwiler pops out, and Werthless flies out. Andre Ethier reaches on a fielding error from Zimmerman. Of course, Luis Cruz immediately grounds into a double play. Hey this is the Dodgers here. AJ pops out.

Cappy spears Kid Hype’s liner to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Zimmerman grounds out to short. LaRoche whiffs to end the fifth.

Elian Herrera pinch-hitting for Cappy leads off the top of the sixth with a walk. M.Ellis flies out. Victorino lines out to Zimmerman. Kemp reaches on an infield single to short. Gonzalez who has been a huge disappointment weakly ground out, ending the frame. Jamey Wright takes over on the mound for the Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth. Cappy goes five frames, allows four runs, three earned, one walk, and three whiffs. Wright gets Practice Swing Boy to ground out. Desmond singles. Espinosa pops out. Desmond steals second on a close play. Suzuki fouls out.

Cristian Garcia replaces Detwiler in the top of the seventh, and retires the Dodgers in order. Detwiler allows one run on three hits through six frames, and whiffs five. Ramirez grounds out. Ethier and Cruz both whiff.

Kid Hype and Practice Swing Boy walk back to the dugout after scoring- Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

Paco Rodriguez comes in for the bottom of the seventh. Steve Lombardozzi whiffs. Werthless walks. Kid Hype whiffs. Mattingly hooks Paco, and calls in Kenley Jansen. This is his first appearance since he has been sidelined with his heart issue. Jansen retires Zimmerman on a grounder to second. Welcome back Kenley!

Ryan Matheus pitches the eighth for Washington. Pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu reaches on a one out single. M.Ellis lines out to Zimmerman. Victorino uselessly flies out to left. Randy Choate pitches a scoreless bottom of the eighth, and whiffs Practice Swing Boy and Desmond.

Move to the top of the ninth. Drew Storen on to close up for Washington. Kemp is called out on strikes to lead off the inning. He’s not happy about it. Of course I have a solution to that. Ya know swing the bats maybe? Gonzalez whiffs, and so does Hanley to end the game and the series. Pathetic.

The Dodgers drop to 77-73 and fall three games behind the Cardinals for the second NL Wild Card. Hang in there Dodger fans, this awful agonizing season is almost over. Tomorrow the Dodgers travel to Cincinnati to take on another first place team the Reds. Joe Blanton will take the mound for the Dodgers. Bronson Arroyo will counter for the Reds. Join us tomorrow for more Dodger losery. Or perhaps I should say Misery. Go Blue.