What started as a pitchers’ duel unraveled after a rain delay into a 5-0 Tigers lead. The Dodgers then rallied for four runs in the ninth to make it 5-4 but still took the loss to be victims of the sweep.
Nate Robertson and Denny Bautista held the Dodgers to five hits through eight innings. The Dodgers were down 0-5 heading into the ninth but began to rally in hopes of a come-from-behind win. Russell Martin hit a two-run homerun to left for the Dodgers first runs of the game. James Loney and Matt Kemp then both singled, with Loney scoring on Jeff Kent’s RBI-single to make it 5-3. Kemp then scored the fourth run from a wild pitch by Tigers’ closer Todd Jones. Juan Pierre then flied out with the tying run on second to end the game and take the sweep.
Clayton Kershaw had a fantastic outing, giving up just four hits in his four innings of work. Almost an hour rain delay prompted Torre to pull Kershaw, though, and replace him with Chan Ho Park. Park proved ineffective, being tagged for all five Tiger runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. He allowed the Tigers to rally for three runs in the fifth and then gave up back-to-back solo homeruns in the sixth to dig the Dodgers in a 5-0 hole. Park was tagged for the loss, his second of the season, and elevated his ERA from 1.96 to 2.95.
The Dodgers still haven’t seen a series win in almost a month, and they now have a five-game losing streak as they head into Cincinnati.
