Big Red Problem: Dodgers Drop 4th to Cards

Another game, another unsightly offensive showing.  This time it was against the St. Louis Cardinals, a team the Dodgers just can’t seem to beat at all.  A 3-2 defeat was evidence of this, as the knuckler Charlie Haeger threw seven innings but gave up three runs in just two swings of the bat.  Human power-grid Albert Pujols smashed his 39th home run of the season, though only one run scored.  The Dodgers came back, with James Loney singling to drive in Matt Kemp after he hit a double that put LA into a 2-1 advantage.  Haeger lost the lead though, hitting Ryan Ludwick then surrendering a home run to Rick Ankial.  The Dodgers could not respond, and lose yet another one-run game.

The offense sputtered for the nth time.  The bases were loaded in the first inning, a result of a Rafael Furcal single, Andre Ethier double, and Manny Ramirez intentional walk.  Casey Blake hit a deep fly-ball to right, scoring Furcal.  Ethier was then thrown out at third for the final out of the inning, killing the threat.  After Loney’s single scoring Kemp, he stole second.  The offense again failed to score, this time with nobody out, after a pop up, strikeout, and pop up ended the inning.  The Dodgers’ best chance to tie the game came in the eighth, where Juan Pierre singled and Russell Martin bunted him to second.  Furcal and Orlando Hudson both struckout, and a four-pitch bottom of the ninth ended the game.