Shaun Marcum joined the ever-increasing crowd of pitchers to shut down the Dodgers this season, allowing just a single run in seven innings. The Brewers rode the arm of Marcum, and the glove of Carlos Gomez, to a 2-1 win at Dodger Stadium, the third straight loss for the Dodgers. Jon Garland didn't pitch particularly well, but still ended up with a quality start, the 21st for the Dodgers in their last 27 games. But, it wasn't enough for the Dodgers, whose offense gives them very little room for error.
A lineup built with Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and cross your fingers six times is maddening enough to watch. But when Ethier and Kemp aren't producing -- they were a combined 0-for-7 with a sacrifice fly tonight -- the frustration reaches another level. There is also nothing inspirational watching an offense with Dioner Navarro as the primary pinch hitter on the bench.
This offense has managed two runs in their last three games, and eight runs in their last five. There was one sign of hope tonight, off the bat of Juan Uribe, in the second inning. Uribe launched a ball to left center field that was headed for the pavilion, but Gomez reached over the wall to take away a much-needed Dodger run.
Garland allowed 12 baserunners in his six innings of work -- seven hits, four walks, and a hit batter -- none more frustrating than the walk in the top of the sixth inning to Marcum. Corey Hart opened the inning with a double and two outs later at looked he might be stranded there. However, Garland pushed the count to 3-1 on the pitcher Marcum and after getting a second strike just missed wide, sending Marcum to first and allowing Rickie Weeks to bat. Weeks delivered with a single through between Jamey Carroll and Uribe to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
Heading into the dugout after the top of the sixth ended, Garland had some words for home plate umpire Brian Knight about the Marcum walk, though MLB Gameday showed the pitches called balls to be outside the strikezone. Garland should have been upset at himself instead for striking out just one batter while allowing two runners per inning, but it's understandable to get frustrated with such a small margin for error with the Dodger offense performing so poorly.
Hiroki Kuroda, with five days rest, looks to stop the bleeding Tuesday night, against old friend Randy Wolf.
WP - Shaun Marcum (5-1): 7 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
LP - Jon Garland (1-3): 6 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Sv - John Axford (9): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts