Post-Game 139 Thread: It's All Mat Latos' Fault

ANGELS 3, DODGERS 2

Last outing, Mat Latos complained about being pulled early in yet another ineffective start in his Dodger career. This time, Latos didn't even make it to the mound for game time, complaining of a stiff neck. And he's probably also complaining about being pulled from the starting lineup early, knowing Latos, who then watched us fall 3-2 to the Angels.

Losing our first game out of nine to the Angels shouldn't be all that bad, so I suppose I won't pull a Latos and complain about things, such as understudy Joe Wieland lasting a Latos-like four innings and giving up two runs, dropping his ERA to 8.31. Or about Luis Avilan coming in for the bottom of the eighth, in a 2-2 tie, and giving up a leadoff double to Kole Calhoun. Or Andre Ethier badly misplaying the ball to give Calhoun third base, easily. Or Pedro Baez relieving Avilan to give up a game-winning RBI to Albert Pujols. Or the Dodgers only going 1-for-5 with RISP tonight.

No, I won't be like Mat Latos; I'll just keep my mouth shut, and be thankful the Giants lost, so the magic number drops to 15 as the division lead stays at 8.5 games.

Post-Game 131 Thread: Madison Hacked on Joc's Jack

DODGERS 2, GIANTS 1

Zack Greinke threw 114 pitches, holding the Giants helpless into the seventh inning. By then, the Dodgers already wielded a 2-0 lead thanks to a majestic solo shot to center field off the bat of Joc Pederson. Pederson, who had been demoted to ninth in the batting order for this game, looked ebullient rounding the bases--Joc's emotion looked a lot like the type of energetic boost that this team so desperately needs (and has been missing from stoics like Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, fwiw). Pederson's HR off of "Ashley" Madison Bumgarner handed Bumgarner his seventh loss of the year.

Two runs was all the Dodgers needed, as well. When Greinke exited the game with two on and a run already in (to make it 2-1), Luis Avilan got Brandon Belt to ground into double play to shut off the threat. Kenley Jansen came in for the ninth and seal the win.

Dodgers are now 5.5 games up in the West, with one more game in this series tomorrow. Let's go, Dodgers!

Post-Game 130 Thread: Dodgers Finally Grab Spotlight Off Broadway

DODGERS 5, GIANTS 4 (14)

The Dodgers won a game. Against the Giants.

Adrian Gonzalez had a walk-off single with the bases loaded and none out in the bottom of the 14th, lacing the first pitch from Yusmiero Petit to left field to score A.J. Ellis. Ellis, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley had all reached in succession off of Mike Broadway, who ended up with the game's worst line (0.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 Ks). With the bases loaded, even third base coach Ron Roenicke couldn't hold up the Dodgers from scoring--and really, it was about time, after this five-and-a-half hour ulcer-creating tightrope walk.

What was good--actually, what was amazing--was that the Dodgers' bullpen actually did pretty okay. Nine innings of work, post-Brett Anderson's five-inning, 3 ER start, and Pedro Baez, Luis Avilan, Kenley Jansen, Jim Johnson (two innings!), and Chris Hatcher (three innings!) all put in great scoreless efforts. Juan Nicasio blew the save in the eighth inning, allowing the Giants to score off a Marlon Byrd double.

But after that, the scoring completely shut down for both teams, though it seemed like it was the Dodgers who were regularly narrowly escaping jams AND blowing chances to win. Losing would have been dispiriting, particularly to Justin Turner (who doubled in a run in the first inning off of Jake Peavy), Adrian Gonzalez (whose two-run HR tied the game at 3), and Andre Ethier (who put the Dodgers ahead 4-3 until Nicasio's effort).

But six innings of scoreless bullpen work from our boys? Pretty damn impressive, and certainly needed. Dodgers' lead grows to 4.5 games; Giants' losing streak extends to three games; and though we won't have any arms for the rest of this series, Zack Greinke (Tuesday) and Clayton Kershaw (who PH unsuccessfully tonight; Wednesday) might be able to go beyond five innings?! Either way, we'll take it.

Post-Game 124 Thread: Dodgers Win Game Despite Roenicke

DODGERS 5, REDS 1

Surprisingly, the Dodgers finally brought an end to their season-high five-game losing streak, but don't think that new coach Ron Roenicke didn't try his hardest to foil the Dodgers' winning plans. When the Dodgers opened up the game with back-to-back doubles (Yasiel Puig scoring Jimmy Rollins before the first out), Roenicke used his third base forces to make sure the next four batters couldn't advance Puig another 90 feet.

For the rest of the entire game, Roenicke was able to hex spell the Dodgers away from third base, as the only time other Dodger players were allowed to even touch third base were due to home runs (Justin Turner and Jimmy Rollins, each with two-run HRs). Roenicke made sure that, if a Dodger came near third, he had better have a damn good reason.

And rumors have it that it was Roenicke who inspired John Lamb to lead off the fifth with a HBP on Adrian Gonzalez. After that, Roenicke allegedly turned his Dodgers-dooming wrath towards our leaky bullpen--brainwashing manager Don Mattingly into pulling Alex Wood after 5 2/3 innings (a move which immediately backfired when Chris Hatcher allowed a run-scoring double).

Roenicke's last big attempt at sabotaging the game for the Dodgers came in the eighth, when he tried to call Juan Nicasio in for relief work, only to see Juan load the bases with Reds. Luis Avilan entered the game to replace Nicasio and record the third out in the bottom of the eighth, but really: Roenicke was that close to causing yet another loss.

So the Dodgers overcome the Reds, and Roenicke, for the first game in Cincinnati. The red-hot Cubs also beat down the Giants, extending the Dodgers' lead back to 2.5 games. Will Roenicke destroy us Wednesday, with Brett Anderson on the mound? I'm sure he'll try.