Dodgers Can't Hang On in Extras

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Francisco Giants 4-2 in 10 innings, but still took the series two games to one. Tim Lincecum was nails, allowing only one run in eight innings of work before going into the ninth. After Rafael Furcal singled and tagged up to second, Andre Ethier singled him home with two out to tie the game at two runs apiece. The match entered extra innings, and Guillermo Mota surrendered a two-run homer to Juan Uribe that ended the game. The Dodgers had only four hits, two coming from Ethier. Juan Pierre tripled and scored a run, and Rafael Furcal had the only other hit and RBI. Freddy Sanchez had two hits, a run scored, and an RBI for the Giants.

Braves Hold Down Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 10 innings, their second straight loss to the Braves in extras. Clayton Kershaw threw a gem, allowing only three baserunners over seven innings of work while striking out 10. The Dodgers could not get a clutch hit, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Atlanta took the lead after Kelly Johnson hit his second two-run homer in as many games in the 10th inning. LA tried to stage a comeback, but ultimately fell a run short. Andre Ethier had the only RBI, driving in Juan Pierre. Matt Kemp had two hits and a stolen base.

Scott Elbert was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, and Ronald Belisario was activated to take his place. Eric Stults will be called up to start tomorrow's game.

Mr. Walkoff: Ethier Sends Dodger Fans Home Happy

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-4, their second victory over Atlanta this season. With the Dodgers down 4-2, Juan Pierre and Rafael Furcal scratched out bases hits, and Andre Ethier knocked a home run over the right-field wall, his fifth walk-off hit of the season. Furcal had two hits, and Manny Ramirez knocked in a run. Orlando Hudson had a run scored, and Pierre collected an RBI. Derek Lowe pitched 6-plus innings against his former club, limiting LA to just two runs. Chipper Jones hit a homer, and Matt Diaz had three hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Braves.

Dodgers Defeat Mets Handily

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 8-0, their first victory in the Mets' new Citi Field. The Dodgers struck early in the second with three runs, and led for the rest of the game. New York could only muster four hits and two walks over nine innings. Rafael Furcal scored twice, and Orlando Hudson drove in two runs. Manny Ramirez collected three RBI's before being ejected after reacting negatively to a strike out. Matt Kemp totaled two hits, a run scored, a run-batted-in, and an outfield assist. Blake DeWitt had a pinch-hit homer, his first blast of the season. Juan Pierre tripled and scored a run after replacing Manny. Clayton Kershaw pitched six shutout innings, striking out seven and walking only two. Luis Castillo had only one of the Amazins' four hits.

Claudio Vargas made his Dodger debut after spending the entire season on the disabled list. Vargas had a perfect inning, but was struck by a line-drive.

Ronald Belisario returned to Los Angeles to have an MRI on his right elbow after he complained of stiffness. There is no word if he will be placed on the disabled list.

Dodgers Salvage Game in Extras

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 7-6 in 13 innings, taking the series 2-1. The Dodgers seemed to be in complete control entering the bottom of the ninth, as Chad Billingsley was cruising to what looked like a complete-game and his 10th win of the season. However, a homer and a double later, he was pulled and Jonathan Broxton was put in with a still comfortable four-run lead. Things took a turn for the worst in Broxton's worst outing of the season though, as he gave up a walk, single, walk, walk, and single to tie the game at six runs apiece. In the 13th inning, James Loney broke the game open with a solo-homer, and Jeff Weaver spun three innings of no-hit ball to get his fourth win. Casey Blake hit a three-run home run, and Andre Ethier had a solo-shot. Billingsley doubled and hit his first career homer. Juan Pierre had four hits, and Rafael Furcal scored twice. Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley both had solo-homers for the Padres, and Everth Cabrera had the game-tying, two-run single.

Eric Milton was placed on the 15-day disabled list, again because a troubling back. Jeff Weaver, James McDonald, and Claudio Vargas are all capable of filling his spot in the rotation. Blake DeWitt was called up to replace him on the roster.

Dodgers Can't Survive Extras

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Chicago White Sox 6-5 in 13 innings, dropping the series 2-1. The Dodgers had an early 4-0 lead, but Chad Billingsley fell apart in the fifth and sixth innings, giving up five runs over that span. The Dodgers came back to tie it in the seventh, but the offense shutdown after that, not getting a hit for the rest of the game. The bullpen, specifically Jeff Weaver, held Chicago back well, but he faced a jam after the ChiSox loaded the bases with nobody out in the 13th. After getting two shallow flyouts, Weaver had Scott Podsednik on a 2-2 count. However, Podsednik lined his next pitch into centerfield for a base-hit, and won the game. Neither team hit well with runners in scoring position, going a combined 6-for-28. Orlando Hudson had three hits, two RBI's and a run scored, and Mark Loretta doubled twice and drove in two runs. Juan Pierre and Russell Martin both had a hit and run scored, and Casey Blake collected a run and an RBI. Paul Konerko had a solo-homer for the Sox, and Jermaine Dye had two hits and scored a run. A.J. Pierzynski's three-run homer gave Chicago their first lead of the game, and turned out to be a huge difference.

Manny Ramirez did not start for Triple-A Albuquerque today as planned; a rain-delay forced the team to keep him out to avoid any risk of injury.

Kershaw Deals as Dodgers Take Freeway Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-3, taking the series 2-1 and improving their interleague record to 7-5. The Dodgers got on the board first with a run in the fifth, but they looked poised to surrender the lead after the Angels loaded the bases with no one out. But Clayton Kershaw forced Bobby Abreu to ground into a 1-2-3 double play, and escaped the inning unscathed. Kershaw went 7 innings, holding the Halos scoreless on four hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. Jonathan Broxton was shaky, but he got a four-out save to give him his 17th save of the season. James Loney had a two-run jack that was upheld on a review, the first time instant-replay was used on a Dodger homer. Juan Pierre had three hits, two of which were doubles, 2 RBI's and a run scored, and Casey Blake singled twice, knocked in a run and scored a run. Matt Kemp scored twice. Juan Rivera had two hits and drove in a run for the Angels, and Torii Hunter had an RBI-double. Mike Napoli had three hits.

Kobe Bryant was at the game with his father, and while he did not wear gear of either team, he appeared to be rooting for the Dodgers. He expressed amazement after Kershaw induced a bases-loaded double-play, and left with two outs in the ninth.

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 Get Enough to Beat A's

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-2, taking the interleague series two games to one. Oakland scored first, but Orlando Hudson drove a home run into center-field to tie the game. The Dodgers scored again in the fifth inning, but the A's came back as Rajai Davis took advantage of a fielding blunder; Rafael Furcal directed Juan Pierre to throw to second-base after a single sent Davis to third. Davis saw the throw go to second, and immediately left for home and scored. However, LA took the lead for good in the seventh. Pierre had an RBI-single, and Mark Loretta knocked in the go-ahead run. Casey Blake had two hits and helped start three double-plays. Russell Martin and James Loney both had a hit and scored a run. Ramon Troncoso recorded two outs in the ninth for his fifth save of the season. Randy Wolf allowed only one run in six innings, but did not receive a decision. Kurt Suzuki had an RBI-double for the A's, and Matt Holliday also doubled but did not come around to score.

Jonathan Broxton was unavailable for the game due to a sore big right toe.

The win gave manager Joe Torre his 2,195th career managerial victory, putting him fifth on the all-time list. He passed Sparky Anderson after tying him on Tuesday.

Dodgers Can't Capitalize in Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Oakland Athletics 5-2, snapping a three-game winning streak. The Dodgers were in an early hole after Oakland jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning. However, LA tried to come back, and cut the deficit to one in the seventh. The Dodgers' fatal flaw was their poor clutch-hitting, as five men who reached third-base failed to score. Dodger hitters left 10 men on base during the game. Both Juan Pierre and Rafael Furcal had a hit and scored a run, and Orlando Hudson had a hit, run, and RBI. Ethier had a double and drove in two, and Matt Kemp collected a run-batted-it. Rajai Davis and Jack Cust each had a homer for the A's, and Matt Holliday had a hit, run scored, and RBI.

Mitch Jones got his first major-league hit, a single into right-field. Jones was subsequently erased on a double-play.

Blake Powers Dodgers Past Texas

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 6-3, taking the series two games to one. The Dodgers were in an early hole when a Rafael Furcal error allowed two runners to score in the first inning, giving Texas a 2-1 lead. However, Casey Blake hit a 3-run homer that put LA up for good. Chad Billingsley went 7+ innings, allowing only three runs (two earned). Blake also had a double and scored a run. Orlando Hudson and Brad Ausmus both doubled, with Ausmus getting an RBI and Hudson scoring a run. Juan Pierre scored twice, and James Loney drove in a run. Andruw Jones hit a solo-homer for the Rangers, and both Hank Blalock and Michael Young scored.

Dodgers Overcome Delay, Irony for Victory

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1, snapping a two-game losing streak. The game was scoreless through five innings before a power failure that caused a bank of lights to fail became too big of a distraction. The game consequently was delayed for an hour and 40 minutes. As soon as the contest resumed, Juan Pierre scored in the sixth to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. However, former Dodger and local irritant Andruw Jones homered to tie the game. Matt Kemp responded though, hitting a two-run home run in the next frame to give LA the lead for good. The bullpen held down after Randy Wolf pitched five scoreless innings, who had to be lifted due to the delay. Rafael Furcal had an RBI and a double, and Orlando Hudson collected two hits. Casey Blake also doubled. The 4-6 hitters in the Texas lineup all failed to get a hit; both Michael Young and Ian Kinsler singled.

Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save of the season after returning from Georgia for the birth of his son.

Silence Continues for Dodgers in Texas

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Texas Rangers 6-0, their third loss in four games of interleague play this season. The shutout loss puts the Dodgers' run total at 17 over the last 8 games. Hiroki Kuroda was solid through five innings before giving up three runs in the sixth. James Loney and Orlando Hudson had rare errors that resulted in three of the Rangers' runs. Juan Pierre singled twice and Rafael Furcal had a double. Casey Blake also collected two hits. Marlon Byrd had two hits, including a triple, a run scored, and an RBI for Texas, and Michael Young drove in a run. Hank Blalock had an RBI and scored a run.

Dodgers' Bats Fall Silent

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the San Diego Padres 3-1, splitting the 2-game series. San Diego struck early, tagging Clayton Kershaw for two runs in the first inning. Kershaw gave up one more run in the third before he was lifted. The bullpen then shutdown the Padres for the rest of the game, but the Dodger bats could not do their part. LA hit a combined 1-for-1o with runners in scoring position, and scratched out only four hits. Andre Ethier had the lone RBI, and Juan Pierre scored the only run. Casey Blake hit a leadoff-double but failed to score. Kevin Correia pitched six innings of one-run ball for the Padres. Both Tony Gwynn, Jr. and David Eckstein had a hit and scored a run, and both Kevin Kouzmanoff and Chase Headley singled, doubled, and drove in a run.

Phils Batter Dodgers for Split

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2, ending the 4-game series in a split. The Dodgers did not get any help from Randy Wolf, who gave up six runs in less than seven innings of work. The Phillies used LA pitching for batting-practice, as Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz each had a homer for Philadelphia. Juan Pierre had two hits, including a double, and Matt Kemp had an RBI. Casey Blake doubled and scored a run, and Ethier crossed home-plate as well.

Eric Milton was placed on the 15-day disabled list for tightness in his back. The Dodgers recalled Blake DeWitt to take his place on the roster. Milton was 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA. A fifth starter will not be needed due to three off-days until June 20 against the Angels. However, by that time Eric Stults is expected to be ready to come off the disabled list. The extra bench-player will help as the Dodgers enter interleague play, and travel to Texas and Chicago to play the Rangers and the White Sox with the designated-hitter rule.

Ninth Inning Rally Spells Victory for Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3, their third win in four games. The Dodgers won in the bottom of the ninth after Brad Lidge got two outs with the Phillies up by one, leaving the Dodgers with their final out. Casey Blake subsequently singled, James Loney walked, and Russell Martin reached first on a fielding error by Pedro Feliz. Andre Ethier immediately doubled on the first pitch, sending Blake and Loney home to win the game. Juan Pierre and Rafael Furcal both scored, and Loney had an RBI. Jonathan Broxton struck out the side in the ninth to get his sixth win of the season. Chase Utley had a two-run double for the Phils, and Jayson Werth reached base four times and scored a run.

Dodgers Can't Pick Up Kuroda in Loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2, their third loss in five games. Hiroki Kuroda made his first start since Opening Day, and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with six strikeouts. However, the Dodgers could not get on the board for the first eight innings, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position during that span. Billy Buckner held LA to just four hits and two walks over six innings to get the win. Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson both doubled, and Juan Pierre had three hits and an RBI. Josh Whitesell had a two-run double for the D-Backs, and Mark Reynolds drove in the other run with a sac-fly.

Dodgers Slip Past Cubs

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs 2-1, their fourth win in a row. The Dodgers scored two early runs and Randy Wolf cruised through seven-plus innings to get his third win of the season. Ramon Troncoso pitched two shaky-but-scoreless innings for his second save of the season. Rafael Furcal had an RBI-single in the first inning, and Casey Blake drove in the winning run in the third inning on a groundout. Juan Pierre had two hits and scored a run, and James Loney also had two hits. Andre Ethier had a double, and the Dodgers contained Chicago with four double-plays. Bobby Scales had a solo-homer for the Cubs' only run, and Derrek Lee had two singles.

Will Ohman was placed on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder pain. Catcher A.J. Ellis was called up to take his place, allowing Brad Ausmus to be used as a pinch-hitter more.

Dodgers Enjoy Rocky-Mountain Sweep

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-6, completing a three-game sweep of Colorado. The Dodgers scored five runs in the seventh to take the lead, and a 9th-inning hiccup by Jonathan Broxton did not spoil the lead. James Loney had a bases-loaded double that scored all three runners, and Juan Pierre had three hits, two RBI's and a run scored. Andre Ethier singled twice and scored twice, and Loney finished with four runs-batted-in. Clayton Kershaw pitched six solid innings to get his third win of the season. Ryan Spillborghs hit a two-run homer for the Rockies, and Dexter Fowler reached base three times.

Editor's Note: It's Your Patriotic Duty

As All-Star voting gets underway, the Dodgers try to send more than just Russell Martin to the Midsummer Classic. Orlando Hudson's best start of his career certainly warrants consideration. Russell Martin, while his offense has tapered off, is still posting offensive numbers to lead most of the catchers in the league. Even Juan Pierre is showing no signs of cooling off after getting a chance to start in place of Manny Ramirez. But they need your help. The Dodgers need to get the votes in order to represent in St. Louis. And while it appears that Milwaukee fans are stuffing the boxes to send undeserving Brewers like Jason Kendall and J.J. Hardy to the All-Star Game, there is still plenty of time to get out the vote.