The Dodgers were a bundle of inefficient energy Monday night, shooting themselves in the foot several times, while the Brewers made their hits count, hitting three solo home runs en route to a 3-0 win. It was the 17th win for Milwaukee in their last 19 games.
The Dodgers put 12 runners on base, including eight in the first five innings. However, in those first five innings, the Dodgers hit into three double plays, a triple play, and had a runner (well, it was catcher Dioner Navarro so consider it a loose interpretation of the word "runner") cut down at the plate. For good measure, the final play of the game was also a double play, this time a line out to first by Juan Rivera in the ninth inning.
The triple play was basically your garden variety 4-6-3 double play (albeit with a nice flip by second baseman Josh Wilson to start it off) with the added facet of Matt Kemp trying to score from second base:
If you're scoring at home, that double play went 4-6-3-2. The last triple play the Dodgers hit into was on May 4, 2009 against Arizona, and that triplet killing was started, like tonight, by Wilson.
Ted Lilly was very good for the third straight start, allowing just one run on two hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out six. Lilly has allowed four runs in 21 innings over his last three starts, a 1.71 ERA, but his record during that span is 0-3, thanks to one total run scored by the Dodgers.
The lone run scored off Lilly was a solo home run by Ryan Braun, his 23rd of the season. The Brewers added two more solo home runs in the eighth as each Dodgers reliever was greeted with a first-batter jack. Jonathan Lucroy hit a pinch hit home run off Scott Elbert, then later in the inning Corey Hart took Mike MacDougal deep.
30/30 watch: Lilly allowed one home run and one steal on the night, both by Ryan Braun. On the season, Lilly has allowed 26 home runs and 26 steals. No Dodger pitcher ever has allowed 30 homers and 30 steals in the same season.
Chad Billingsley takes the hill Tuesday night, facing Yovani Gallardo.
WP - Randy Wolf (10-8): 8 IP, 6 hits, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts
LP - Ted Lilly (7-13): 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
Sv - John Axford (35): 1 IP, 1 hit