Dodgers lose another heartbreaker to drop nightcap against Cubs

Man. This is starting to get verrrrry old. Once again, the Dodgers had a chance to win a tight game, and once again, the bullpen was unable to close the deal. Such has been life in Dodgerland for the last two weeks. This time, David Bote sent a flyball over the drawn-in outfield with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to score designated runner Kris Bryant from third base with the winning run. The final score today: 4-3. The Cubs fly the “W” for the second time today, and the Dodgers are left to regroup and shake their heads.

Since this was the second game of a double-header, it was supposed to be over in seven innings, so technically this nine-inning affair was an extra-inning game. Which is why Bryant was on base in the first place. But before we dwell on the sad finish, let’s recap the events that led to this thrilling, but ultimately disappointing result.

Bauer guts out his start

Trevor Bauer got the start today, and like his last outing in Milwaukee, he didn’t have his best stuff. He was much wilder than we are accustomed to seeing him, and ran up a high pitch count during his 4.1 innings of work. He walked four Cubs and had a lot of 3-ball counts on hitters, only throwing strikes on 50 of his 91 pitches. But he gritted his way through the start, and ending up only surrendering one run, on a solo jack from Justin Heyward in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Dodgers’ bats quiet until final innings

Meanwhile, after scoring only one run in the opening game of the double header, the Dodgers once again couldn’t seem to solve Cubs’ pitching in the nightcap Rookie Keegan Thompson pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to start the game, which was all the Cubbies were hoping for out of him. They got another three innings of scoreless relief, and the Dodgers were down by a run, coming up in the bottom of the seventh (which was the last inning scheduled under these rules) to face relief ace Craig Kimbrel, who had been looking a lot like his old World Series-winning self of late.

Muncy comes up clutch

The prospects for Dodger victory didn’t look good at all. Will Smith struck out to open the inning. The next hitter, Max Muncy, had been struggling mightily at the plate leaving some to question whether or not Matt Beaty might have been a better choice to play at first in at least one of these games. However, Muncy didn’t let Dodgers fans down. On a 2-1, he ripped a Kimbrel 4-seamer over the right center field fence and suddenly the game was tied.

In the bottom of the inning, Kenley Jansen gave up a one-out walk, but got helped by a double play ball from Ildemaro Vargas to end the inning. We were on to extras frames.

Wild pitch for the lead, then JT crushes

The tenth inning started with Edwin Rios on second. Thanks to a ground-out a slow groundout, he advanced to third with one out. Justin Turner was then called on to pinch hit for Kenley Jansen. Reliever Dillon Maples then uncorked a wild pitch that scored Rios from third, and put the Dodgers up by one. Justin then smoked a ball to left field that landed among the paying customers to add a second run to the Dodgers’ lead.

Bullpen. Again.

Things were looking great, right? Well, almost. Unfortunately, the Dodgers were unable to push across any other runs and went to the bottom of the inning clinging to a 3-1 lead. Mitch White, the hard luck loser from a couple of days ago in Milwaukee came on to try to hold the Cubs to no more than one in the eighth. After a groundout from Jake Marisnick, a wild pitch moved the designated runner to third. Now, a fly ball could score the Cubs’ second run. However, White struck out Tony Wolters for the second out.

White needed only one more out for his first signature moment as a big leaguer. But Javier Baez just obliterated a four-seam fast ball and the score was once again tied.

After that happened, it almost felt inevitable that the Dodgers would end up losing. After going quietly in their half of the ninth, Chicago came up with a chance to win the ball game with just one run. The Cubs played good situational baseball to get the job done. First, Anthony Rizzo moved the runner to third on an infield grounder against new Dodgers pitcher Garrett Cleavinger. Then, with the infield in and the outfield drawn tight to cut off a potential game-winner, Game 1 Hero David Bote stroked a 2-2 pitch into left. It sailed over the drawn-in Mookie Betts‘s head to win the game.

Different day. Same old Story.

Ugh. Too many of these tight games have been lost in the late innings. Tooo many. Since April 19th, the Dodgers have lost NINE games decided by two runs or fewer. In the same time, they’ve won only two such contests. 2-9 in tight games ain’t gonna get it done, boys.

The Dodgers try to salvage a win tomorrow. Walker Buehler gets the ball for the snakebit Dodgers. 4:40 pm start time on the West Coast.

Gotta keep positive. It can’t get much worse.