Dodgers 2 Reds 9: Reds Pitchers Collect RBI’s

The Dodgers fall to the Reds in game one after they failed to get runners home.

Basicailly everyone was left on base for the Dodgers tonight. The pitching was disappointing, the defense robbed them of some hits and when men got home they got stranded. Perhaps the most frustrating part about tonight’s game is that the Reds pitchers had five RBI’s on the evening. As Joe Davis said in the ninth inning, “it is one of those games where you are glad when it ends”.

Dodgers Starter

Bud Norris struggled greatly this evening. He went 3.2 innings, allowed six runs off of seven hits while striking out three and walking four batters. Norris allowed three of the six runs in the first inning. The game started off with a walk to Billy Hamilton followed by a single and then Joey Votto sent the ball yard. Norris’ pitches were hanging up in the zone. His pitch to Votto was right in a hitters sweet spot. Norris clearly not fooling anyone. Norris seemed to have calmed down because he managed to get quick 1-2-3 second and third innings, but in the fourth everything unraveled. A single and wile pitch was how the inning started and it only got worse from there. After an intentional walk, Tim Adleman doubled to deep right center and two more runs came home. You know your stuff is off, when the opposing pitcher hits a double off of you. ( Not if it is Madison Bumgarner, but Adleman is not the “hot hitting pitcher” type). Another walk and single, the bases were loaded for Votto. Votto would walk and that meant a run was also being walked in. Norris left the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and the score was 6 to 0, Reds. The Reds may have the second best record in the National League since the All-Star break, but they still remain in last place which made Norris’ outing this evening all the more frustrating.

Dodgers Offense

The Dodgers offense could not catch a break. Coming into the fifth inning they had hit three balls that made it to the warning track, but were not long enough to leave the park. Things started off promising when Justin Turner tripled to deep right with two outs in the first, but he would eventually get stranded there. The Dodgers got two runners on in the top of the second inning when Adrian Gonzalez doubled and Joc Pederson was hit by a pitch, but Howie Kendrick hit into a double play and that ended that little rally. Norris even singled in the third inning, but still, the Dodgers could not manage to get anyone home. Through five innings, they remained scoreless despite having runners on every inning.

The Dodgers FINALLY got on the board in the top of the seventh inning when Rob Segedin led off with a walk. Chase Utley came to the plate and singled to right as Segedin advanced to third. Corey Seager then singled to right and Segedin came across the plate.

Seager had a good night with two walks and two singles. Every month that kid gets better and better. He reached four times tonight, only further proving his case for the National League Rookie of the Year award conversation.

The Dodgers were not willing to give up easily. After Seager walked, Turner flied out, but Josh Reddick singled to right. Seager went from first to third on the hit. With one out and runners on the corner, A.J. Ellis entered the box and the game. Seager scored when Ellis grounded out. Yasmani Grandal worked a two out walk. That brought Pederson to the plate. He would ground out to Votto to end the game.

Dodgers Bullpen

The bullpen came in for the bottom of the fourth inning due to Norris’ struggles. Jesse Chavez got a quick ground out with the bases still loaded in the fourth in order to keep the Reds at six runs and not allow them to tack on anymore. Chavez pitched two scoreless innings and J.P. Howell joined him by pitching another scoreless sixth inning.

Sadly the bad luck that Norris faced did not go away for the bullpen. The Reds were silent through the fifth and sixth, but would tack on three more runs in the seventh. Two singles started off the inning as Pedro Baez entered the game. Then Michael Lorenzen hit a three run home run off of Baez. This was Lorenzen’s first major league home run. He rounded the bases and was crying as he was greeted in the dugout. (While the home run was frustrating as a Dodger fan, it was pretty cute to see Lorenzen’s emotion. His Father recently passed away so he was just removed from the bereavement list).

Adam Liberatore came in the game for the eighth inning. Liberatore is back after being on the DL for a bit. (Just like everyone else). He struck out the first batter he faced and looked good after spending time on the DL. The first pitch he threw was a strike and right where Yasmani Grandal wanted it. It looked like he had another quick ground out, but Hamilton hit a ground ball to Chris Taylor. Taylor released the ball quickly because of Hamilton’s speed, but his throw was way off-line to Segedin who was playing first. It was ruled a base hit. After facing Hamilton, Liberatore got a quick double play and the inning was over.

Other Stuff

The Dodgers just left everyone on base tonight and always seemed to get a rally going with two outs only to have a ground ball end the inning. This is a four game series with the Reds, so they have three more remaining to make up for what happened tonight.

Everything was just all bad. The pitching gave up huge hits to the Reds who had 11 hits by the time it was the seventh inning. The Dodgers managed to string together nine hits tonight, but only scored one run from it all.

Game two is tomorrow and first pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM. That’s all for tonight. Go Mets.