MLB
Dodgers Choke in 9th and Fall to The Los Angeles Angels 3-2
Okay so we had a crazy game in Anaheim last night, and it ended in dramatic fashion. The Los Angeles Dodgers came into town having just tied the Arizona Diamondbacks for the N.L. West division lead. However, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
The night’s pitching matchup was Kenta Maeda vs. Felix Pena. Both pitchers were pitching very well in a scoreless tie until the 4th inning. After a two-out double by Cody Bellinger, Matt Kemp walked up to the plate. Nobody would’ve thought this, but Matt Kemp has been the Dodgers best player this season batting .321 along with 57 RBI’s and 15 home runs. Kemp would deliver here with a line drive over into left field to score Bellinger, and the Dodgers are up 1-0.
Felix Pena Runs Into Trouble
Even though he was losing, Felix Pena was pitching an excellent game, but he gets into a little trouble in the 6th as there are men on 1st and 2nd and only one out. Guess who is up? Yes, it’s Matt Kemp. Kemp delivers again with another hit as Justin Turner scores, but then the game becomes weird. After the throw-in, Bellinger is caught between 2nd and 3rd base. He makes a great move to avoid the tag of Simmons and gets back to 2nd, but there is one problem. Matt Kemp is on 2nd as well. Kemp starts to go back to 1st, and the throw over there is over the head of Martin Maldanado. Kemp is back at first. However on that throw, Bellinger goes to 3rd, and with Pena backing up the throw from 1st, he gunned out Bellinger at 3rd base. So, after all, that, instead of 1st and 2nd one out, it is just man on 1st and 2 outs. This could’ve cost the Dodgers a run.
Kenta Maeda
Another story of this game is Kenta Maeda. I always thought he was overrated, but I take that back. He is a precious 2nd man to Kershaw. However, just like Pena, he gets into a little trouble in the 6th. There are two men in scoring position and two outs, and Mike Trout is up. Very wisely Dodger Manager Dave Roberts decides to walk Trout to load the bases. This is a smart move as you don’t have to face the best hitter in baseball, and you now have a force at any base.
So now the batter is Justin Upton in a very clutch spot. He starts off well with a 2-0 count. Before the next pitch, Upton asks for time, but it is not granted as Maeda started his windup. After Upton calls time, Maeda steps off the mound, but then he decides to throw home anyway. By rule, if you step off the mound and then throw to the plate, that is a balk. Everyone moves up a base. Kinsler scores, and it is now 2-1 L.A. Sadly for the Angels Upton pops up, and the inning is over after that.
Bullpen Takes Over
So now it’s a bullpen game, and both pens performed very well. We go to the bottom of the 9th with the Dodgers up 2-1. So to nobody’s surprise, the Dodgers bring in Kenly Jansen. Everything starts off as planned. Upton grounds out, and Pujols strikes out, so now the Dodgers need one more out. However, Jansen must get through the Japanese import Shohei Ohtoni. Jansen loses control giving him a four-pitch walk. So now the pressure hangs on rookie David Fletcher.
As he is batting Ohtoni breaks for 2nd. The throw from Grandal is high, and now there is a man at 3rd and two outs. David Fletcher hits a soft line drive, and it barely gets by Chris Taylor, and the game is tied 2-2. So now with a tie game Ian Kinsler comes up. He hits a looper into right field, and it just drops a few feet in front of Puig. Puig has trouble picking up the ball so Fletcher, who was running on contact, gets to 3rd and starts to come home.
This is when Puig finally picks up the ball, but then Fletcher realizes the this is Yasiel Puig, and he has a cannon. Fletcher goes back to 3rd, but on the throw-in by Puig, it skips by the catcher Grandal, and nobody is backing up the throw. Fletcher now breaks for home, and Angels fans can DRIVE HOME SAFELY! The Angels win game one of the Freeway Series.
This is a tough loss for the Dodgers, not only because they are so tight with Arizona for the division lead, but also these are the games that hurt. All 3 of the Angles runs were off errors. A balk, a wild throw to move up Ohtoni, and a lousy throw by Puig cost them. The Dodgers were the better team, and they lost.
Hope that you enjoyed this article, and have a great Saturday!
