Dodger Bats Silenced By Mariners

by Eric Stephen on Jun 28, 2009 4:36 PM PDT in Game Recaps Comment 10 comments

Garrett Olson pitched five solid innings to earn the win against the Dodgers Sunday afternoon.

The Dodgers managed only two runs and five hits off Mariner pitching, and dropped the series finale to Seattle, 4-2 at Dodger Stadium. This is the first time all season the Dodgers have lost two series in a row.

Hiroki Kuroda struggled in the second and third innings, giving up four runs, the key hit being a two-run double by Jose Lopez. The Mariner second baseman was eight for 12 in the series. That play was huge because it came one pitch after a pickoff attempt that would have ended the inning, if not for Kuroda's wild throw into centerfield. Kuroda's error snapped a season-high errorless streak by the club at 50.2 innings.

To Kuroda's credit, he settled down after that and was able to last through six innings. He pitched to two batters in the seventh inning. Kuroda has not walked a batter in 26.1 straight innings. Said Joe Torre:

Well, he was better at the end. That one inning, he missed his spots a couple of times and it wound up hurting him. He tried to make pitches and they got too fat in the plate, basically. After the three run inning, he settled down and made better pitches. I guess we just have to understand he's not all the way back yet.

Matt Kemp provided the first Dodger run with a booming shot deep into right-centerfield, on a nice-and-easy, smooth swing. Speaking of going the other way, Russell Martin hit a gapper double to right-center in his first at-bat, which always seems to be a harbinger of good things to come, at least for the optimists among us.

David Aardsma, the only man listed ahead of Hank Aaron in the Baseball Encyclopedia, pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

The Dodgers continue their homestand with the final three Manny-less games, Monday through Wednesday against the Rockies. Randy Wolf faces Ubaldo Jimenez tomorrow night.

WP - Garrett Olson (3-2): 5 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

LP - Hiroki Kuroda (2-4): 6.1 IP, 8 hits, 4 runs, 5 strikeouts

Sv - David Aardsma (16): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

Box Score

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NL Standings nontheless are stunning -

LA 48-28 . (Still a BIG 20 games over .500 with Manny back friday.)

Frisco . 40-34 . 7
Philly… 39-34 . 7 1/2
Tracys.. 40-35 . 7 1/2
Milwauk 40-35 . 7 1/2
St Louis. 41-36 . 7 1/2

by Craig88USC on Jun 28, 2009 5:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Hope you had fun at the game nevertheless, Eric

I guess we can’t have all winning weeks. : )

by Craig88USC on Jun 28, 2009 5:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mannywood is starting up again on Friday (after we take the Rockie series hopefully).

If I were Torre for ’09 only -

Lineup vs L … vs R

1st – Raffy …… Raffy
2nd- O-Dog …. O-Dog
3rd – Manny … ’Dre
4th – Shake …. Manny
5th – ’Dre ……. Loney
6th – J Mart ….. Shake
7th – Loney …. J Mart
8th – Bison ….. Bison

… or just pick from a hat, I don’t care. ; )

They are so good top to bottom… when Manny returns friday, imho

by Craig88USC on Jun 28, 2009 5:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My lineup (although Torre won't use something like this)

Russ
Ethier
O-Dog
Manny
Kemp
Loney
Blake
Furcal
Pitcher

I’d use that lineup against pitchers of either handedness.

Can I get a clarification on the reason for the “Shake” nickname?

by Brendan Scolari on Jun 28, 2009 11:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it is “shake and blake” which is similar to “shake and bake.”

by Michael White on Jun 29, 2009 7:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see...

by Brendan Scolari on Jun 29, 2009 11:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mariners fan here...

To be honest, I’m pretty much shocked we won today. You’ve got a great team there, it actually reminds me a lot of the 2001 M’s that won 116 games. No real superstars (other than Manny, but he’s been out nearly all of the season), but no real weak spots either, just above-average players all over the field, and a good balance of offense and defense. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you won 105-110 games.

by I Lick Squirrels on Jun 28, 2009 10:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

We hope you are correct. :)

by Brendan Scolari on Jun 28, 2009 11:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope the season ends better than the 2001 M's :)

That was a great team. I was a freshman in college at the time and living in Portland, OR amongst many Mariner fans. If memory serves the M’s beat the Indians in the first round and lost to the Yankees in the ALCS— the Yankee team that retired the A’s thanks to the Jeter “flip” play. The Yanks would go on to lose to the Diamondbacks— a pretty excellent post-season I must say.

by Michael White on Jun 29, 2009 7:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that was pretty crushing.

I think the problem there was that the M’s were too offense-based, without a true, legit ace. I think the Dodgers might actually have a better chance this year, with the way Billingsley has looked so far.

by I Lick Squirrels on Jun 29, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs