Brandon League Loses Another One for Clayton Kershaw

Dodgers 4 14 0

Diamondbacks 5 11 1

WP- Sipp (3-1)

LP- League (2-3) BS (4)

S- Bell (12)

HR- M. Ellis (3), Uribe (3)

The hobbled Dodgers hoped that their strung together lineup could put up a few runs in support of their ace on Monday night against the Snakes. Clayton Kershaw did not have his best stuff throughout the night, but Kershaw still fought to pitch seven innings of one-run ball. Kershaw was able to easily handle slugger Paul Goldschmidt who ended up hitless against him.  

Clayton Kershaw settled down and pitches 7 innings of one-run ball. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The trifecta of hamstring injuries to Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, and Carl Crawford has really been sinking this team. Now composed of a majority of minor leaguers and second string fill-ins, the Dodgers are lucky that they aren’t even further back in the standings. Even with the emergence of Yasiel Puig, who garnered the National League Player of the Week honor, the Dodgers have seriously lacked in run production.

The Dodgers were able to come up with some clutch hits Monday night, and the four runs they posted should have been enough for Kershaw to pitch them toward a win. Jerry Hairston and Juan Uribe both hit RBI hits, and Mark Ellis and Uribe both hit their third homeruns of the season. Yasiel Puig went 3-for-4 with three singles raising his batting average to an even .500.

Kenley Jansen pitched a nice scoreless inning, but Brandon League once again stood in the way of Kershaw’s win. League proceeded to blow the save in the top of the ninth after surrendering 4 runs in just 25 pitches. The Dodgers have a short rally in the bottom of the ninth, but the one additional run is too little too late.

Clayton Kershaw comes out of the gates strong as he puts the D-backs away in order in the top of the first. He pitches very carefully to notorious Dodger killer Paul Goldschmidt whom he strikes out swinging to end the inning!

Wade Miley strikes out Nick Punto looking for the first out in the bottom half of the first inning.

Wade Miley leaves the game losing after allowing 3 runs on 9 hits to the Dodgers. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Ellis draws a walk, and he becomes the first base runner of the game. Adrian Gonzalez flies out to deep right field. Yasiel Puig hits a beautiful single to right field on a ball that was down and away. Jerry Hairston Jr. hits a rare clutch Dodger hit, a RBI single to center field! Andre Ethier lines out to Gerardo Parra in right field, but the Dodgers have an early 1-0 lead.

The D-backs quickly get the run back in the top of the second. Cody Ross leads off with a double to left field. Hairston bobbles the ball a bit out there. Miguel Montero singles home Ross, and the game is tied 1-1. Martin Prado grounds out as Montero advances to second on the play. Kershaw walks Parra. Cliff Pennington flies out to Hairston, and two are down. Wade Miley grounds out to first, and the damage is contained to one run.

Juan Uribe and Tim Federowicz both ground out against Miley in the bottom of the second. Kershaw strikes out looking, and he quickly starts walking back to the dugout before the umpire even calls the whiff.

In the third, Kershaw allows singles to Willie Bloomquist and Cody Ross. Goldschmidt grounds into a force out thankfully, and Kersh’s curve works this time to strike out Montero and end the frame.

Mark Ellis lines a single right over the head of a ducking Miley for a one-out hit in the bottom of the third. Adrian Gonzalez grounds into a double play, and Puig is left in the on deck circle.

Kershaw has a nice 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth.

A.J. Pollack and Gerardo Parra are both unable to make a catch in the fourth inning. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers regain the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Puig singles for the second time of the night. Hairston also collects his second hit of the night, but Puig is thrown out at third by an incredible throw by Parra on the play. Parra seemed to say don’t run on me with that throw. Ethier reaches on a fielding error by Bloomquist which is later rescored as a base hit for Dre. Uribe then comes up with a clutch double to center field as the ball bounces off Ross’s glove. Hairston brings in the second run of the game for the Dodgers! Miley is asked to intentionally walk Tim Federowicz to get to Kershaw. The plan worked for Kirk Gibson as Clayton Kershaw grounds into the inning ending double play.

Kershaw begins with his third strikeout of the game in the top of the fifth as Miley goes down swinging. Pollack and Bloomquist both ground out, and it looks as though Kershaw has settled down.

Mark Ellis hits a solo homerun against Miley with one-out in the bottom of the sixth inning! It’s 3-1 Dodgers. Puig strikes out on a check swing to end the inning.

Goldschmidt strikes out swinging against Clayton Kershaw in the sixth, and the southpaw has been able to keep Goldy at bay tonight. Cody Ross on the other hand is swinging comfortably against Kershaw. He smacks his third hit for a single with one-out. He now has two singles and a double this game. Montero grounds into an inning ending double play and no damage is done.

Mark Ellis hits his third homerun of the season against the D-backs. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Hairston singles to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Ethier strikes out looking. Juan Uribe proceeds to hit into yet another inning ending double play.

In the seventh, Parra doubles with one-out. Pennington grounds out to third. The D-backs send up pinch-hitter Wil Nieves to replace Wade Miley who is done for the night. Parra takes third on a wild pitch. Kershaw is tiring, and he walks Nieves. A.J. Pollack strikes out on a breaking ball in the dirt, and Parra is stranded at third.

Wade Miley pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks on 94 pitches.

Clayton Kershaw pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks on 99 pitches.

Charles Brewer will be making his MLB debut for the D-backs in relief of Miley for the bottom of the seventh inning. Gerardo Parra makes a huge play in right field on a deep fly ball hit by FedEx. Parra leaps and catches the ball as he hits the wall then somersaults over. That would have been an easy extra base hit for the catcher. Justin Sellers, who was just called up when the Dodger optioned Matt Magill back to Albuquerque, strikes out. Punto grounds out to short, and Brewer pitches a scoreless frame in his first game.

Kenley Jansen will pitch the top of the eighth for the Dodgers. Bloomquist whiffs for the first out. Goldschmidt flies out, and Ross pops out to Mark Ellis to end the inning. Kenley only needs 13 pitches in the inning.

Charles Brewer is in for another inning for Arizona in the home half of the eighth. Mark Ellis, Adrian Gonzalez, and Yasiel Puig hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases up with nobody out! Puig goes 3-for-4 with 3 singles on the night. Puig has now set a Dodger record with 16 hits over his first 8 games. Hairston hits into a double play, and Ellis is out at home and Hairston out at first. Jerry is angry on the call at first, and Mattingly goes out to argue for a bit to no avail. The replay shows that Hairston was obviously safe. Another blown call by the umpires. Tony Sipp will come in out of the Arizona bullpen to pitch to Andre Ethier. Ethier is out on a little fly ball, and the Dodgers are unable to add any runs to the bank.

Brandon League comes in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. League strikes out Montero! Martin Prado singles to left. Parra doubles off the center field wall, and the D-backs have runners at second and third with one out. Ethier makes a nice recovery to get the ball on the bounce off the wall and back in to the infield before another run could score. Jason Kubel singles, and Mark Ellis is able to knock down the ball and keep it in the infield, but one run scores. Didi Gregorious walks to load the bases up, and Mattingly is just leaving League in to blow the game. Pollack pops up to MEllis who goes out to shallow center to pick off the ball. Bloomquist proceeds to single on a ground ball knocked down by MEllis, but the tying run and the go-ahead run come in to score. Mattingly then decides to make a pitching change after the game has already been blown. Peter Moylan serves up a RBI single to Goldschmidt, and that’s the fourth run charged to League. The inning mercifully on a pop out by Ross who was the ninth man to bat in the inning.

Heath Bell will try to shut the door on the bewildered Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth. Juan Uribe is not giving up on this game, and he hits a solo homerun off the top of the wall! It’s now 5-4 D-backs. FedEx then doubles to right field as Parra dives but is unable to catch it. Scott Van Slyke will pinch-run for FedEx. Skip Schumaker bunts himself aboard after Prado is unable to pick up the ball to make a play drawing an error.  Van Slyke is the tying run at third. Punto pops out to shallow left, and Van Slyke is unable to tag up and go home. Bell strikes out Mark Ellis, and the Dodgers are down to their last out. Gonzalez ends the game with a comebacker.

The Dodgers fall to 27-36, and they will look to tie up the series on Tuesday.

Tomorrow Zack Greinke and Ian Kennedy will clash in game two at 7:10 p.m.