The Brooms Were Unleashed Upon the Dodgers

So how do I describe the Dodgers getting swept by the Giants? Perhaps that it was about as gorgeous of a performance as the lady's rendition of "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch. Like the Dodgers she too succumbed on the field, however she got to leave afterwards.

"It's not that we played badly," manager Don Mattingly refuted. "We just didn't do enough to win."

As the Dodgers were getting killed 8-4 by the Giants, there was a thought about taking the easy way out and doing a whole obfuscating treatise on nihilism. Then I remembered I did something similar to that before the All Star break, so I put the kibosh on that.

Prior to making a rally in the eighth inning against Giants relievers to make the socre look a bit respectable, the Dodgers were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The majority of the Dodger fans amongst the 40,173 in the Ravine had left before the rally. It was telling that the play that got one of the hugest cheers was when left fielder Justin Christian sold out with a diving catch of Juan Rivera's tailing fly ball in the bottom of the seventh inning. Then again, the Dodger fans saw the futility of sticking around during an 8-1 deficit.

The Dodgers have given up 0.46 runs per game in the first inning this season, however in all three games against the Giants the Dodgers got into the early hole. Clayton Kershaw gave up a run on Monday, Joe Blanton gave up two on Tuesday, and now Chris Capuano gave up three Wednesday night.

"They kind of got us on the ropes instantly," Mattingly said. "You don't want to give Matt Cain a three-run lead the way he throws a fastball."

Angel Pagan led off the game with a double, went to third on Marco Scutaro's single and came home on Pablo Sandoval's sacrifice fly. After Hunter Pence struck out Joaquin Arias hit a two-run homer, the first two runs of his career-best five-RBI night.

Capuano coasted from that point through the fifth inning retiring 13 consecutive batters.

That came to an end in the sixth inning with a lead off single by Pagan. After Scutaro hit a ground-rule double and Sandoval hit a single that scored Pagan, Capuano was sent to the showers having made 71 pitches through five innings and three batters.

Sean Tolleson gave up an RBI double to Arias and a bases-loaded walk to Justin Christian that tagged Capuano with six earned runs for the night.

"It was alpha and omega," Capuano said channelling the psychedelic rantings of St. John the Divine. "Innings two to five were great. We were attacking the zone and getting quick outs. My first and last innings I made some mistakes out in the middle of the plate. These guys made me pay tonight."

Those six runs were more than enough for Matt Cain who was his usual self giving up only one run in his seven innings of work, an RBI single by Hanley Ramirez after Andre Ethier hit a two-out ground-rule double.

Even Rubby De La Rosa couldn't get a break in what was to be a triumphant return to Dodger Stadium. Instead, armed with fastball measured from 94 to 96 mph, De La Rosa left the game after having walked Pagan and Pence. Both scored on Arias' double off of Jamey Wright for the 8-1 lead. De La Rosa did feel some apprehension before throwing the first pitch.

"I was a little scared," De La Rosa said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

But after he let it go, "I felt very comfortable, very happy getting back."

Mattingly noticed De La Rosa was a bit rough. "I didn't know what to expect a year, first game back, Tommy John surgery."

And to keep the grim news coming. Dodgers infielder Jerry Hairston, Jr. will need season-ending hip surgery which has yet to be scheduled. Andre Ethier has a blister that, according to Mattingly, is a monster. No word yet if there will be any bad romances or if he was born that way.

So perhaps the off day comes at a good time, especially with the Miami Marlins set to arrive for a weekend series.