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