Dodgers’ winning streak stops at three -- again -- in 7-5 loss to Tigers

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Apparently the third time is the charm, because the Dodgers can’t seem to make it to four.

The Dodgers attempted to win a fourth consecutive game Wednesday and, as in three previous attempts this season at extending a three-game winning streak, came up empty.

This time they fell, 7-5, to the Detroit Tigers before a crowd that was announced at 30,332 but probably was half that.

The Dodgers had built their mini-winning streak around pitching. In their three previous games, they had given up only one run.

Alas, strong pitching took the day off. Ted Lilly (5-7) suffered his second consecutive poor outing, wasting a rare 12-hit, five-run Dodgers offensive outburst.

The Tigers missed Lilly a lot -- he struck out eight in his 4 2/3 innings -- but when they connected, baseballs screamed.

Lilly gave up three home runs and a double off the wall. He has given up 15 home runs this season, tied for fourth highest in the majors.

The Dodgers had held opponents without a home run in their seven previous games.

Casper Wells started the home-run parade with a solo shot leading off the game. The Dodgers came back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on a triple by Matt Kemp and a single by James Loney, but the rest of the day belonged to Detroit.

Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer in the second and Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the third, the latter just escaping the glove of Andre Ethier, bouncing off the top off the fence and over.

Detroit was up, 5-1, and would never surrender the lead.

The Dodgers tried to keep chipping away, with Marcus Thames hitting a run-scoing single against Detroit starter Rick Porcello in the fourth and the Dodgers adding two more in the fifth on five singles -- hits by Ethier and Loney each driving in runs. The Dodgers made one last attempt, loading the bases with one out in the ninth against Detroit closer Jose Valverde, but Casey Blake struck out and Dioner Navarro lined out to deep center to end it.

The big comeback proved elusive, same as a four-game winning streak.

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-- Steve Dilbeck