Dodgers make ascent to the top, then stumble

A day after capturing a half game lead in the NL West, the Dodgers stumbled in Chavez Ravine, dropping a 10-3 decision to Cleveland and falling a half game back of the Giants, 5-0 winners over St. Louis.

Josh Beckett (5-5) gave up five runs on six hits and relievers Jamey Wright and Paul Maholm couldn’t douse the Indians’ firepower in relief, giving up another five runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Dee Gordon went three-for-five to lead the Dodgers on offense, Adrian Gonzalez hit his 14^th homer of the year and Yasiel Puig collected a pair of hits in the loss.

It was the kind of night that saw Gordon thrown out at second and at home and even a rare triple play when Gonzalez flied out to left, Gordon was thrown out at the plate and Puig was gunned down at second.

Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly, who saw his team climb back into the pennant race in June, said the loss was a good reminder that the team is still a work in progress.

"It really was a game that I think just shows us that we still got a lot to continue to work on," said Mattingly. "And tonight had a lot of teaching opportunities for us as we move forward. We just have to continue to get better. And it's just one of those games that shows you you're not where you want to be."

The Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-4, 3.12) to the mound today in the noontime series rubber match.

Next up for the Dodgers is a six-game road trip at Colorado and Detroit followed by a four-game set at Chavez Ravine against the Padres before the All-Star break.

Haren handcuffs Tribe

Good pitching is apparently contagious.

Dan Haren, the No. 5 man in the rotation, pitched a one-hitter through seven innings last night as the Dodgers downed Cleveland 1-0 to take a half-game lead in the National League West over idle San Francisco.

 

Haren (8-4) acknowledged that the peer pressure of pitching with the likes of Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu and Beckett can bring out the best in a pitcher who is five years removed from his all-star days in Arizona and Oakland.

"I've been on good staffs, but it's tough to hold my weight here. Every time out, the guys are dealing. I try to maintain the momentum and haven't done it until today,” said Haren.

Cleveland’s Cory Kluber was equally effective for the Indians until the seventh when Andre Ethier tripled off the glove of center fielder Michael Bourn and was cashed in on a two-out single by Clint Robinson. Robinson’s game winner was his first major league hit.

The Dodgers mustered only six hits off Kluber with Adrian Gonzalez getting a pair.

Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen pitched no-hit ball in the eighth and ninth frames to preserve Haren’s masterpiece.

Josh Beckett (5-4, 2.11) gets the call today against Cleveland.

Dodgers draw even with Giants

On June 9, Los Angeles trailed San Francisco by 9.5 games in the National League West.

Today, the Dodgers drew even with the Giants behind a 6-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals and a 4-0 San Francisco loss to Cincinnati.

Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw scattered five hits over seven innings, struck out 13 and improved his record to 9-2 on the season.

Los Angeles scored twice in the fourth inning and four times in the fifth inning to chase the Cards’ Shelby Miller.

Andre Ethier hit a three-run homerun and Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp had a pair hits apiece to pace the Los Angeles attack.

Brandon League and Jamey Wright pitched the eighth and ninth innings in relief as Don Mattingly was able to rest Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen for the second straight game.

The Dodgers took three of four from St. Louis, the team that knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs a year ago.

With the seven innings of shutout ball, Kershaw extended his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 28, fifth on the Dodgers all-time list of Orel Hershiser (59), Don Drysdale (58), Don Sutton (35) and Sandy Koufax (33).

Kershaw finished his June outings with a 6-0 record and 0.82 ERA. The Dodger southpaw had 61 strikeouts in June, second behind Koufax.

The Dodgers welcome Cleveland to Chavez Ravine tomorrow through Wednesday with Dan Haren (7-4, 3.83) on the bump for Los Angeles in the series opener.

Dodgers breathing down the Giants’ necks

Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you. – Satchel Paige

Then it was one. One game is all that separates the Dodgers and the Giants in the National League West after Los Angeles clobbered St. Louis 9-1 last night and San Francisco imploded in a 7-2 extra inning loss to Cincinnati.

Zack Greinke (10-4) held the Cards to four hits over seven innings and struck out 10 as Los Angeles continued its march on first place.

The Dodgers put up a six-spot in the second inning on a series of bloopers and St. Louis blunders that included misplayed balls, dropped relays and overall weak defense.

Dee Gordon had a three-for-five night with two doubles and an RBI with Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis each contributing a pair of hits in 15-hit outburst.

Paul Maholm and Chris Perez mopped up for Greinke out the pen. Perez walked two and hit a batter in the ninth but still closed out the game without surrendering a run.

While the Dodgers were caging the Redbirds, San Francisco continued its slide up north. Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer off of Giants’ closer Sergio Romo in the top of the ninth for a 2-1 lead.

San Francisco’s Buster Posey tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a laser shot double to left but the Giants’ pen then gave up five runs in the 11^th to lose again.

The Dodgers will try to take three of four from St. Louis today when Clayton Kershaw (8-2) goes to the hill against Shelby Miller (7-6).

-

Beckett outduels Waynewright

Josh Beckett continued pitching like he has been sipping from the fountain of youth, Justin Turner knocked in the lone run and Matt Kemp made a critical throw to home in the late innings last night as the Dodgers downed the Cards to pull within two games of San Francisco in the National League West.

Beckett and Waynewright went pitch for pitch, but it was the St. Louis ace who blinked when Turner drove a single to left to break the logjam and give Los Angeles a key victory.

Kemp's laser throw to the plate gunned down Allen Craig and kept the Cards from getting on the scoreboard.

During the game, Dodger manager Don Mattingly told pitching coach Rick Honeycutt that the team would get his pitcher a run but that would have to be enough.

Talk about premonitions.

The Dodgers were 9.5 games back of the Giants two weeks ago and have made another June run to get back in the hunt. Last year the Dodgers made a historic run starting in June that propelled them to the NL West title and a run into the playoffs.

Dodgers fans are hoping the June awakening in 2014 will lead to a similar result.

Kershaw handcuffs Kansas City

So how do you follow pitching a no-hitter in your last outing?

Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw (8-2) continued his dominance Tuesday, scattering six hits over eight innings and striking out eight in a 2-0 win over the Royals.

Coupled with San Francisco’s 7-2 loss against San Diego, Los Angeles pulled to within three games of the Giants in the National League West.

Los Angeles scored once in the first inning and once in the ninth to give Kershaw all the cushion he needed. Kenley Jansen pitched a hitless ninth to preserve the shutout, striking out two to close down the Royals.

Justin Turner sparked the Dodgers in the first inning with a triple to right field. Turner scored on a ground out by Adrian Gonzalez.

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth when Andre Ethier singled home Gonzalez, who had walked and moved into scoring position on a single by A.J. Ellis.

The Dodgers send Dan Haren (7-2, 3.62) to the hill tomorrow in the rubber match against Kansas City before heading back to Los Angeles for a home stand that includes visits from St. Louis and Cleveland.

Ryu keeps Dodgers rolling

Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed a four-hitter through six innings and the Dodgers posted a 2-1 win in San Diego today to stay four games behind San Francisco, winners against Arizona.

J.P. Howell, Brian Wilson and Kenley Jansen finished strong on the mound, striking out four and keeping San Diego hitless. Jansen struck out the side in order in the bottom of the ninth.

The Dodgers scored once in first and once in the second innings and that was all Ryu needed to improve his record to 9-3.

Hanley Ramirez started the scoring with single to left, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an Adrian Gonzalez ground out.

Scott Van Slyke scored the eventual winning run in the second when he singled to left, moved to second on a walk, moved to third on Ryu sacrifice and scored on a Dee Gordon single to right.

The Dodgers hit the road for interleague play against Kansas City tomorrow with Zack Greinke on the hill against his former teammates.