Halfway Through the Season

Dodgers 4 7 1
Twins    6 10 0
WP- Duensing (5-7)
LP- Lilly (5-8)
S- Capps (12)
HR- Miles (1)



Well we knew going into tonight's game that the formula for a sure thing loss was in place: a)Lilly was pitching + b)they had a gazillion hits yesterday+ c)Thames was the DH=LOSS. The only amusing part of this game is that Aaron Miles hit a homerun. It was his first homerun since 2009, first as a Dodgers, and number 17 in his career. It was a line drive shot, and this only adds to my steroid speculation theory.

The Dodgers start off predictably in the first going down in order. In the bottom half of the inning loser Lilly begins his usual crappiness when he gives up a single to Revere. Casilla bunts, and the umps at first don't see Blake tag him and call him safe. After a ump meeting, they reverse the call and he is rightfully out. Revere takes second on the play and steals 3rd. Mauer singles in Revere giving the Twins the early 1-0 lead. Blake also commits an error when he embarrassingly drops a pop-up by Valencia. Luckily they get out of the inning before more scorin' happens.

The Dodgers once again go down in order in the second. The Twins continue their batting practice off Lilly in the bottom part of the inning when Repko singles and steals second on a busted pickoff attempt. Repko then takes third on a Nishioka grounder. Revere singles home Repko, 2-0, and then steals second. Casilla doubles in Revere, but is thrown out at 3rd on the play, 3-0 Twins.

In the third we only get a Miles infield single. Lilly surprisingly only allows a 2-out double to Valencia in the bottom of the third.

We manage to squeak one run out in the 4th when Gwynn and Blake draw back-to-back walks, Ethier grounds into a force allowing Gwynn to third, and then Gwynn scores on a sac fly by Kemp, 3-1. Lilly continues to suck in the bottom of the inning when Repko is hit by the pitch, Rivera singles off Miles' glove scoring Repko, 4-1.

In the 5th Miles hits his blue moon homerun making it 4-2. Ellis singles, Carroll walks, and Blake walks to load the bases. Ethier singles in Ellis and Carroll and the game is tied at 4, but this would be very short-lived. In the bottom of the 5th, Valencia gets a 2-out single, and then Lilly serves up a Hughes 2-run homerun giving the Twins the 6-4 lead. Lilly is finally hooked, and Jansen comes in and strikes out Repko to end the inning.

A Miles Homer is Rarer Than a Loney Homer

Lilly goes 4.2 innings, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts on 81 pitches. His ERA is now 4.97.

Loser Lilly

In the 6th Uribe is hit by the pitch, so fully expect him to land back on the DL here soon. Burnett is brought in to relieve Duensing, and gets Thames to hit into a double play and Miles to groundout. In the bottom half of the inning Jansen does commit a balk, but doesn't allow any runs.

Duensing goes 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts on 96 pitches.

In the 7th, Carroll singles, and then Perkins is brought into pitch for the Twins. Carroll reaches second on a grounder by Gwynn which is a very close play. He looked safe to me. Blake singles, and Carroll is tagged out at home on another very close play. We get screwed X2 in that inning. Guerrier, the former Twin, comes in and amazingly pitches a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 7th.

In the 8th Ethier singles, and Nathan is brought in from the Twins bullpen. He strikes out Kemp, Uribe grounds into a force, and then Loney whiffs to end the inning. Dougie comes in and allows a swinging bunt single to Repko but nothing else. Why didn't we keep Repko? sigh


Capps comes in to close up shop in the 9th. He gives up a walk to Oeltjen, and then Donnie foolishly uses Dioner Navarro to pinch hit for Jamey Carroll. Why, Donnie, Why? Navarro grounds out, Gwynn walks, but Blake then grounds out to end the game.

The bullpen wasn't the problem this game. Lilly's 80 mph pitches just don't cut it. He has absolutely no move on the rubber, so runners run wild on him as well. Are we really stuck with him for 3 years? Trade trade trade.

The Dodgers are now 10 games back in the standings, and we are officially halfway through the season. Broxton also was reported to be shut down for three weeks, because of his continued "elbow problems." There was even mention that he might not return this season. More proof that he is done. Perhaps we will not even see him return to play for the Dodgers.

Tomorrow is an early 10:10am game. Go Blue:)