Athletics 3, Dodgers 2: Yasmani Grandal’s failure to catch costs Dodgers late

The Athletics beat the Dodgers tonight, 3-2, in a close-fought game that came down to a bang-bang play at the plate and a dropped ball. That halts any Dodger attempt at a winning streak and evens the season series for the year at 2-2.

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Clayton Kershaw definitely didn’t have his best stuff today even if he was generally still effective. He worked six innings in 97 pitches and gave up just two runs, both coming in the 4th. All of the six hits he surrendered were singles, and four just happened to come in that 4th, but it’s what can happen when you strike just one batter out. While Kershaw didn’t walk anyone, he also generated a paltry four swings and misses in the outing.

Of course, these are the kinda starts that generally make him great, as he can keep his team well into the game even when he doesn’t have it. That quality proved valuable today.

The Athletics sent Mike Fiers to the mound, who no-hit the Dodgers last time he faced them, and he started by setting the first 12 men he faced down in order. Thankfully, he did not throw back-to-back no-hitters. Fiers threw one too many fastballs up to Yasmani Grandal, and he started the 5th by crushing a liner to right for his 20th dong of the year.

The bats then struggled to get the two-out hit with a runner in scoring position they needed in the 5th and 6th. However, in the 7th, Cody Bellinger started the frame with a single, eventually advanced to second, and then scored to tie the game after Chris Taylor came up with a two-out single.

JT Chargois took over for Kershaw in the 7th, and comfortably got a 1-2-3 inning with two ground outs and a line out. Due to him only throwing nine pitches, he also was tasked with the 8th, but faced a stiffer test from the top of the order. Chargois allowed two singles with a line out sandwiched between to put runners on the corners with one out, and I’m not quite sure why he was allowed to go that far to begin with.

Regardless, he continued on and induced a grounder to third, and Manny Machado made a great play that would’ve got the runner at home, but Grandal couldn’t hold onto the throw and the A’s took a 3-2 lead. That brought on Dylan Floro, who got a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat. Figures.

The bats came up empty with a man in scoring position in the 8th and they did so again in the 9th to cap off a rather frustrating loss.

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The see-saw battle between 11-12 games over .500 continues on, as the Dodgers fall to 63-52 on the season. The Diamondbacks unfortunately won, so the NL West deficit for the Dodgers is now a half game.

Tomorrow they travel to Satan Field in Colorado to face the Rockies starting at 2:40 PM HST/5:40 PM PST/8:40 PM EST. Ross Stripling will come off the disabled list looking to get his season back on track, and he’ll face off against Tyler Anderson. In theory the Dodgers should be able to handle lefties better, but … uh, in practice they haven’t.

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"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times