Dodgers Fall Apart Against Angels

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-4, their second loss in six games. The Dodgers had an early 4-1 lead, but Chad Billingsley coughed it up in the sixth inning, and the game was tied. In the eighth, Juan Rivera connected and homered to left to give the Angels the lead. LA went a combined 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving the bases loaded in the eighth and stranding the tying run on second in the ninth. James Loney and Rafael Furcal both homered for the third time this season, and Orlando Hudson had three hits. Juan Pierre and Russell Martin both scored a run, and Casey Blake had an RBI and an amazing diving-catch to end a serious bases-loaded threat. Chone Figgins had two hits and scored a run for the Angels, and Vladimir Guerrero had an RBI and a run scored. Maicer Izturis drove in two runs.

The Dodgers recalled James McDonald from Triple-A Albuquerque. McDonald was on the Opening Day roster, but struggled in his first career starts, posting an ERA of 6.75. However, he had a tremendous turnaround in the minors, and compiled an ERA of 3.26 and 40 strikeouts. Travis Schlichting was demoted to make room for McDonald. Schlichting was rarely used as a reliever, pitching just 2.2 innings in his rookie-season.

Dodgers Out-Clutched by Angels

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2, snapping a four-game winning streak. Both teams struggled to produce with runners in scoring position; Anaheim went 2-for-17 and the Dodgers went 1-or-14. However, the Angels got the key hit from Chone Figgins as he singled with the bases-loaded to score two runs in the eighth. Rafael Furcal doubled twice but never scored, and James Loney had two hits and the lone RBI. Russell Martin scored the only run, and both Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp each had two hits. Gary Matthews, Jr. had two hits, a run scored, and an RBI, and Figgins was just a homer short of the cycle. Torii Hunter doubled and scored.