Gallardo Out-Pitches Kershaw in Frustrating Loss

I’m sorry guys I know that title is a bit ridiculous, but I’m frustrated. And how else can I express my frustration, but through my written word over here? I know Clayton Kershaw can’t win every game. He needs support from his offense. As usual he got nothing from the Dodger’s listless bats as his 11 game winning streak was snapped in frustrating fashion Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw pitched his heart out and had nothing but a frustrating loss to show for it. The reigning Cy Young winner pitched his sixth complete game of the season, allowing three earned runs on five hits while whiffing eleven and not issuing a walk. Kershaw made 97 pitches but was victimized by the Dodger’s pitiful hitting once again as the Dodgers fell to the Brewers 3-2.

Brewers  3 5 0

Dodgers  2 7 2

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This was just Kershaw’s third loss of the season as he falls to 14-3. Of the five hits he allowed, four of the five were for extra bases. Milwaukee slugged two doubles and two home runs to defeat the Dodgers for the fourth time in five games.

The Brewers are an outstanding club, and have an incredibly powerful lineup that can hit anyone in Baseball. No wonder they’re in first place. Opposing starter Yovani Gallardo held the Dodgers to just one earned run on six hits across eight frames. Gallardo induced 12 ground ball outs to pick up his eighth win of the season.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The pathetic Dodger offense again put up terrible plate approach after terrible plate approach throughout the game, and could only muster two runs on seven hits.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth, when the volatile but talented Carlos Gomez doubled, and came around to score on senior cheater Ryan Braun’s two-run home run over the right field wall. That put Milwaukee up 2-0.

The Dodgers scored a run in the bottom half of their fourth to close the gap to 2-1. However a costly tootblan from Justin Turner prevented the boys in blue from doing anything further. In that frame Crawford singled and stole second, and scored on an RBI single from Turner. But Turner was thrown out trying to advance to second. Again the talented Gomez’s great throw was able to nail him before he even got to second.

The Brewers added one more run in the sixth when Gomez himself homered into the Dodger bullpen to give Milwaukee a 3-1 lead.

By that point everyone knew the game was over. The Dodgers are now 0-45 when trailing after seven innings. Some things in life you just can’t explain. For instance why is the sky blue? Why does water flow downhill? And why do the Dodgers fold up like a tin can when trailing late in the game? I don’t know. I can’t answer that. It just doesn’t compute. Don’t bother trying to figure it out because it will just make you want to gouge your eyes out.

You really are a jerk Braun-Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately this game made us all want to gouge our eyes out as the Dodgers again couldn’t do anything on offense.

Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez also known as K-Rod was brought into the game to pick up his 38 save of the season. Matt Kemp hit a lead-off home run that hooked just inside the foul pole. That brought the Dodgers within a run to make it a 3-2 game.

But that was it. Crawford, and Turner struck out, and Andre Ethier grounded out to end the game. The Dodgers are facing a frustrating sweep if they don’t get their act together. Somebody tell me how this club is in first place with 45 losses after the seventh inning?

Poor Kershaw. What more could he do? This was another game that proved the obvious evidence that a strong lineup helps you win games just as much as good pitching and defense do. The Dodgers got good pitching tonight from Kershaw, yet still lost because they can’t hit at home. It’s infuriating. Too make matters worse, the club lost Juan Uribe to another hamstring strain. The club recalled the useless Carlos Triunfel to fill the hole on the left side of the infield. Too bad Triunfel is a hole.

I’m extremely frustrated. If you want to read on about how the Dodgers gave away another late inning defeat, please be my guest……

Kershaw retires the Brewers in order in the top of the first. He whiffs Carlos Gomez, and Jonathan Lucroy, and gets Ryan Braun to foul out to Gordon. Yovani  Gallardo sets the Dodgers down easily in the bottom of the first. Dee Gordon and Yasiel Puig both fly out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounds out.

In the top of the second, Aramis Ramirez flies out to Kemp. Khris Davis grounds out to Third. Kershaw freezes Rickie Weeks on a called third strike like a frozen pizza.

The Dodgers get a one-out single from Carl Crawford in the bottom of the second. Weeks makes a sliding stop on his knees to field Turner’s grounder. He touches the bag with his glove to get the force on Crawford. Then Turner steals second base. A.J. Ellis walks. Rojas predictably whiffs, and the Dodgers strand two runners.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In the top of the third, Mark Reynolds flies out, old friend Elian Herrera is called out on strikes, and opposing starter Gallardo grounds out. The Dodgers don’t score again in the bottom of the third. Puig reaches on a two-out single, but he is left there.

In the top of the fourth, The Brewers take the lead. Gomez lines a double to left. After Lucroy grounds out and Rojas looks Gomez back to second, cheater McCheater Ryan Braun homers over the right field wall to put Milwaukee up 2-0. Ramirez singles. But Kershaw gets Davis to fly to right, and Weeks whiffs on a foul tip.

The Dodgers get a run in the bottom of the fourth. But a costly tootblan robs them of scoring more. Crawford reaches on a ground ball single to second. With Turner at the plate, Crawford steals second. Then Turner singles to center to score Crawford. That makes the score 2-1 Brewers. But Turner is thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw. A.J. singles to right, but Rojas grounds out back to the box.

Kershaw retires the Brewers in order in the fifth, with a whiff of Herrera. Meanwhile Gallardo easily quiets the Dodgers in their half of the fifth, retiring Kershaw, Gordon, and Puig.

Milwaukee plates another run in the top of the sixth. Gomez slams a solo home run into the Dodger bullpen to give the Brewers a 3-1 lead. Braun is whiffed, and Lucroy pops out. Ramirez doubles down the left field line. But Crawford makes a nice sliding catch on Davis’s line drive to end the frame. The Dodgers spin their wheels again in the bottom of the sixth. Gonzalez singles to center. Kemp, Crawford, and Turner all ground out.

The sure handed Rojas makes an error on Week’s easy grounder to start the top of the seventh. Kershaw whiffs Reynolds for the first out. The Dodgers get a gift double play on Herrera’s grounder when Weeks is called out for running out of the base line.

The Dodgers go down 123 in the bottom of the seventh. Kershaw picks up two more whiffs in the top of the eighth (Gallardo and Lucroy). Gallardo sets the Dodgers down 123 again in the bottom of the eighth.

Kershaw stays out in the top of the ninth. Braun reaches on a fielding error by Turner, but Ramirez’s double play grounder erases that. Kershaw whiffs Davis to give him eleven whiffs on the night. We move to the bottom of the ninth with the Brewers leading 3-1.

Milwaukee closer Francisco Rodriguez enters the game in the bottom of the ninth. Kemp leads-off the frame with a solo home run that just hooked inside the left field foul pole to inch the Dodgers within a run. But Crawford and Turner whiff. Then pinch-hitter Andre Ethier grounds out to short to end the game. The Dodgers lose 3-2.

The Dodgers fall to 70-55 and coupled with the Giants win over Philadelphia, lose a game in the standings. The Dodgers are now 4.5 games ahead.

The Dodgers will try and avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon in the series finale. Fourteen game winner Wily Peralta will counter Dan Haren at 1:05 PM.