Dodgers Lose Infuriating 13-Inning Marathon

Why is Kevin Correia on the roster? I don’t know. Why couldn’t the Dodgers get a single hit for eight innings from the fifth inning on Monday night? I don’t know. Why did Matt Kemp drop a routine fly ball to make a costly three-base error? I have no idea. Some things just can’t be answered. The Dodgers lost a frustrating game to the Giants Monday night that went 13 innings. Correia allowed three runs in the top of the thirteenth inning, and the Dodgers lost 5-2. The Dodgers blew a golden opportunity to trim their magic number to one. The division title seems inevitable, so let’s not get too down about this one. I guess we have to put the bubble on hold for a little while longer.

Giants 5 12 1

Dodgers 2 4 3

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One thing is for sure, you can’t blame this loss on Dan Haren. The right hander pitched well enough to win. Haren allowed just two runs, (One earned) on just one hit over seven innings. He whiffed seven and walked none. The veteran’s ten million dollar option year vested after he pitched a scoreless sixth inning, and it looks like he’ll be back with the blue in 2015. Haren still pitched well. The only hit he allowed was a lead-off first inning home run to Gregor Blanco.

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The Giants scored their second run in the third when Blanco’s fly ball fell in between Kemp and Puig for a three-base error. Joe Panik’s suicide squeeze scored Blanco to put the Giants up 2-0.

The Dodgers finally got to Dodger Nemesis Jake peavey with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Carl Crawford homered followed by consecutive hits from Juan Uribe (Doubled), and A.J. Ellis (single). Dee Gordon’s sacrifice fly plated Uribe to tie the game.

The Dodgers almost lost in the eleventh, but an incredible throw from Yasiel Puig saved the game and nailed Brandon Belt at the plate. Brandon League allowed a one-out single to Belt, and then singles to Juan Perez and Brandon Crawford. The Giants tried to test Puig’s arm by sending Belt to score on Crawford’s single. Bad idea. Puig’s laser throw nailed Belt, as Drew Butera applied the tag to keep the game tied.

But it was all for naught for the Dodgers. Correia came in to pitch the top of the thirteenth inning. After Pence was whiffed, Belt singled. Perez’s grounder moved Belt to second. The Dodgers intentionally walked Brandon Crawford to pitch to pinch-hitter Andrew Susac. The backup catcher’s line drive single scored Belt to finally break the tie and give the Giants the 3-2 lead. The Giants scored twice more to put the game away when Blanco doubled in two more runs.

I think we all need to get some sleep, so please read the highlights and lowlights below and let’s move on and forget this one. The Dodgers still have a 3.5 game lead and Zack Greinke on the mound Tuesday night.

Dan Haren begins the game in the top of the first by allowing a lead-off home run to Gregor Blanco that lands over the center field wall. Of course. Just like that it’s 1-0 Giants. Haren comes back to whiff Joe Panik. Buster Posey flies to center, but Pablo Sandoval is hit in the stomach with a pitch. Pence ends the inning with a pop out to short. Jake Peavy retires the Dodgers quickly in the bottom of the first. Three fly outs sandwiched around a hit by pitch, but nothing else.

Haren retires the Giants 123 in the top of the second, getting a whiff on Brandon Crawford to end the inning. Hanley walks to lead off the bottom of the second, but the Dodgers go down against Peavy.

Crappy defense does the Dodgers in during the top of the third. After Peavy grounds out, Blanco reaches on a three base error when his fly ball is dropped between Kemp and Puig. Then Joe Panik’s squeeze bunt scores Blanco to give the Giants a 2-0 lead in the third.

The Dodgers commit another error in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Gordon makes a wide throw on a Brandon Belt grounder and Gonzo can’t pick it. Fortunately Chris Dominquez’s line out to center ends the inning. Peavy sets the Dodgers down again in the home half of the fourth. Whiffing Hanley and Kemp to keep the Dodgers without a hit.

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Haren gets B.Crawford to ground out, whiffs Peavy and Blanco pops out to get through the top of the fifth. The Dodgers rally to tie up the score in the bottom half of the fifth. Carl Crawford leads off with a line drive solo home run over the right field wall. His eighth of the season makes the score 2-1 San Francisco. Then Uribe’s bloop double and an A.J. Ellis single puts runners at first and third with none out for the Dodgers.

Haren’s sacrifice moves Ellis to second. Gordon’s sacrifice fly to left allows Uribe to score and ties the game. Dominguez’s throw is way off line and Uribe scores without sliding.

Haren throws another 123 scoreless frame in the sixth. That means he reaches 180 innings on the season and his 10 million dollar option for 2015 will vest. Welcome back to the Dodgers Danny boy.

The Dodgers get a two-out single from Hanley in the bottom of the sixth, but Crawford’s line drive is caught on a nice diving catch from Pence.

In the top of the seventh, Pence pops out to Hanley. Belt is called out on strikes. But Dominguez reaches on a throwing error from Gordon. That’s the third error of the game for the Dodgers. There was a replay called on a pick-off throw on pinch-runner Juan Perez. The Dodgers felt that Gonzo got the tag on his helmet, but the replays confirmed that he was safe. It didn’t matter because Haren whiffs Crawford to end the inning anyways.

In the bottom of the seventh, A.J. is hit by a pitch with one out. But pinch-hitter Andre Ethier lines out to left, and Gordon lines out to short.

In the top of the eighth, J.P. Howell gets pinch-hitter Matt Duffy to whiff. Blanco grounds out, but Panik singles to center. Then for some reason I can’t explain Don Mattingly hooks Howell, and brings in bum Brian Wilson. He immediately walks Posey and then falls behind Sandoval 3-0. But he’s able to get Sandoval to ground out, and the Dodgers are out of it.

Sergio Romo sets the Dodgers down in order in the bottom of the eighth, whiffing Puig and getting Gonzo and Kemp to fly out. We’re still tied at 2-2 after eight frames.

What a shame the Dodgers couldnt win for Tommy on his birthday-Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Kenley enters to pitch the top of the ninth. He walks Pence to start the inning. Then Belt whiffs. Dominguez pops out. But Crawford singles into right to send Pence to third. Kenley whiffs pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa to get out of the inning. We go to the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, right hander Jean Machi is on to pitch. Hanley flies out to deep right. Crawford flies to center for the second out. Uribe whiffs. Looks like another five hour crapfest ahead of us. On to extra innings we go.

The top of the tenth sees left hander Scott Elbert takes the mound. He’s able to beat Blanco to the bag on a grounder to first for the first out. Panik singles to Gordon who can’t handle another grounder. Then Elbert is hooked, and Brandon League is called in to pitch to Posey with Sandoval on deck. Somehow, League gets Sandoval to ground into a double play and the Dodgers get out of it!!! Unbelievable!

The Dodgers don’t score in the bottom of the tenth, and we go to the eleventh. With League still on the mound, Belt singles to the hole at short with one out. Juan Perez singles to center and the Dodgers are in trouble. Crawford singles to center, and the Giants send Belt home to test the arm of Puig. Yasiel nails Belt at the plate with a great throw! What a play! Then League whiffs Arias and the Dodgers get out of it again!

The Dodgers don’t score in their half of the eleventh, and we go to the twelfth. Daniel Coulombe is called on to pitch in the top of the twelfth. He gets Blanco to ground out. Panik singles to center, but the young lefty is able to get Posey and Sandoval to fly out to right.

In the bottom of the twelfth, Santiago Casilla hits Darwin Barney with a pitch. But Crawford whiffs and Uribe hits into a double play. We move to the thirteenth inning.

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Kevin Correia comes in to pitch in the top of the thirteenth inning. He whiffs Pence for the first out. Belt singles to right. Juan Perez’s ground out moves Belt to second. The Dodgers intentionally walk Brandon Crawford to put two on with two outs.

Pinch-hitter Andrew Susac singles to left to drive in Blanco and the Giants break the tie to go up 3-2. Blanco immediately doubles in two more runs to put the Giants up by a 5-2 score. That was all she wrote. Hunter Strickland whiffs Turner and Scott Van Slyke in the bottom of the 13th. Gordon grounds out and the Dodgers lose.

The series continues Tuesday night at 7 PM. Madison Bumgarner counters Zack Greinke in the second Game.

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