Keeping with their post All-Star break tradition, the Dodgers had someone pitch their best game of the season against them. However, fortunately for the home team, today's opposing starter, Jason Marquis came in with a 20.52 ERA in three starts, so his best start was still terrible. The Dodgers plated four tallies in their opening frame, and never looked back, taking the series finale against the Nationals, 8-3.
Ted Lilly, making his second start with the Dodgers, and victim of the second-worst run support in baseball this season, gladly took the offensive bounty and picked up his second win this week. He gave up back-to-back home runs, to Mike Morse and Justin Maxwell, in the second inning, and nearly gave up a third straight to Will Nieves (who hit a ball just foul), but pitched a quality start by definition, giving up three runs in six innings.
The offense was led by grittiness today, as Jamey Carroll had three hits, including a double, a walk, and two RBI, and Scott Podsednik reached base three times and had a stolen base.
Notes
- Ronnie Belliard, who had two hits, including a double, and a stolen base, has played in 14 straight home games. He played all seven games of the Dodgers last homestand, followed by a road trip during which he sat on the bench for the whole week, and then played in all seven games of the current homestand
- Jay "I'm not GA" Gibbons welcomed himself to Dodgertown with pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth inning
- The double by A.J. Ellis in the fourth inning, which drove in Carroll with the Dodgers' fifth run, was his first extra-base hit since April 17, a span of 54 plate appearances.
- For some reason, Hong-Chih Kuo was brought into the game with two on and two outs in the ninth inning, up 8-3. It was the first time he has pitched on back-to-back days since August 30-31, 2009
- Matt Kemp got fitted for a golden sombrero today, with four strikeouts in four at-bats. It was the third time in Kemp's career he has struck out four times in a game.
- Before today, the last time the Dodgers had two different pinch hitters collect RBI in the same game was October 3, 2009 (True Blue LA Night I)
The Dodgers are off tomorrow, then start a seven-game road trip with the beasts from the NL East, Philadelphia and Atlanta.
WP - Ted Lilly (5-8): 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts
LP - Jason Marquis (0-4): 4+ IP, 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts