Dodgers Punt Away Game To Colorado, Play Like Senior Citizens on Old Timer’s Day

Tonight was old timers day at Dodger Stadium, and team Nomar defeated team Orel 3-0 before Saturday night’s Rockies/Dodgers game. Ironically the Dodgers played like senior citizens.

Remember when I said I would never complain about Don Mattingly again? Well, I lied. I’m sorry, but how can I not complain? Mattingly basically punted away Saturday night’s game by putting out the all righty lineup again. Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson, and Yasmani Grandal were all on the bench as the Dodgers got blown out by the Rockies 7-1.

Rockies  7 9 2

Dodgers 1 3 1

WP-De La Rosa-1-2

LP-Greinke-5-1

HR-Cargo-4-Descalso-1-Arenado-7

Instead the Dodgers used Justin Turner at first base (0 for 3), Enrique Hernandez in center field (1 for 3), and A.J. Ellis (0 for 3) behind the plate. Those guys combined to go 1 for 9, as Gonzalez and company (Grandal, Joc) watched from the bench.

This is the third time this season that Gonzalez was not in the lineup against a left hander. Colorado left hander Jorge De La Rosa mowed down the Dodger lineup like he was Sandy Koufax. De La Rosa threw 7.1 innings, allowing just two hits and struck out three, and retired 18 Dodgers in a row at one point before having to come out of the game in the bottom of the eighth because of an injury.

I know what you are going to say. Perhaps the Dodgers would have still gotten shut out anyways with the way De La Rosa was dealing. That’s a fair statement to make. However if you are going to lose, then you lose with your best, not with your best on the bench.

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Zack Greinke pitched very well, but unfortunately takes his first loss of the season. Not only that but this is Greinke’s first loss since last August. Greinke was previously 22-1 against the NL West. Greinke pitched six frames, allowing one run on four hits, and whiffing five without allowing a walk. His only mistake on the night was a line drive solo home run to right field by Carlos Gonzalez in the first inning. Again though, another Dodger starter couldn’t make it past the sixth inning, and the struggling bullpen had to take over.

In case you are wondering the Dodger starters have only pitched 210.2 innings this season. That comes out to an average of 5.8 innings per start for the starting rotation. That means the Dodger relievers have had to pitch over four innings per game. That puts an unusually high amount of stress on your relievers.

So in the top of the seventh, right hander Sergio Santos (who gave up five earned runs on three hits in two frames) had to come into the game, and that’s when the Rockies really blew it wide open. Colorado scored two runs in the seventh, three in the eighth, and one more in the ninth.

Michael McKenry walked with one out, and then Daniel Descalso slugged a two-run home run to put Colorado up 3-0. In the top of the eighth, Santos whiffed DJ LeMahieu but he reached base on a wild pitch. Cargo singled to left, and took second on Alex Guerrero’s fielding error when the ball got past him in left field. That allowed LeMahieu to score and put the Rockies up 4-0. Then Nolan Arenado homers over the center field wall to make the score 6-0 Colorado. In the top of the ninth, LeMahieu’s RBI single off of Paco Rodriguez scored former Dodger Rafael Ynoa to put Colorado up by a score of 7-0.

Oh sure the Dodgers did mount a little meaningless rally in the ninth against Scott Oberg when they scored their one measly run. Hernandez walked, and Jimmy Rollins doubled. Kendrick followed with a walk, and Justin Turner was hit by a pitch to force in the lone Dodger run. However all that did was assure that they wouldn’t get shutout. Hooray. Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke both struck out to end the game.

Looking on the bright side, Kike did do this in the top of the fourth inning to rob McKenry of an extra-base hit.

Tune in tomorrow afternoon for the series finale, as the Dodgers (23-13) will try to salvage a series split. Kyle Kendrick will counter Mike Bolsinger at 1:10 PM.

Go Blue