Dodgers go quietly again in 2-1 loss to Brewers
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That’s the way it’s going for the Dodgers these days. Make a mistake, and it proves costly. They can only count on strong starting pitching for so long.
The Dodgers got another strong starting effort Monday, this time by right-hander Jon Garland, but it again fell short in a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
A mistake cost Garland the game, but at least it was his own.
The score was tied 1-1 in the sixth inning when Corey Hart led off with a double. Garland got the next two outs and appeared ready to pitch out of trouble with pitcher Shaun Marcum up.
Only Garland walked him. Walked the opposing pitcher.
Always a major baseball no-no, this one made worse coming with two outs.
Which brought up Rickie Weeks, who had already singled and lined out with a drive left-fielder Jay Gibbons caught crashing into the wall.
Weeks promptly singled again, and the Brewers had their 2-1 lead.
The Dodgers have now lost three consecutive games, scoring a combined three runs in the defeats.
The Dodgers scored against Marcum (5-1) in the fourth inning on consecutive singles by Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles, and a sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp.
The Dodgers had a couple of other prime chances, but the big hit continues to be as elusive as a Jonathan Broxton changeup.
Gibbons led off the fifth inning with a double, and didn’t advance a step.
Juan Uribe and James Loney led off the seventh with hits, and stood by silently while Marcum recorded three consecutive outs, including pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro on a pop fly. The weakness of the Dodgers’ bench is pretty clear when Navarro is pinch hitting late in consecutive games.
Marcum left after seven innings, holding the Dodgers to one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
Which proved just a tad better than Garland’s six innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out one.
The score actually could have been tied 2-2 after nine innings, but for a home-run stealing catch by Milwaukee center fielder Carlos Gomez on a Uribe drive in the second inning.
Gomez sprinted back to the left-center wall, jumped at the last moment, gloved the drive just over the wall and pulled it back for a remarkable catch.
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-- Steve Dilbeck