The Los Angeles Dodgers avoided suffering consecutive shutout losses for the first time this season but fell to the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2. The Dodgers dropped their first series since June 5-7 and suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since June 20-21.
On the final day of Players Weekend, Jimmy “Big Sweat” Nelson fired five no-hit innings. It was without any spectacular defensive plays, but included some luck on a Curtis Granderson drive down the right-field line that hooked foul. Granderson wound up striking out in the at-bat.
Nelson had six strikeouts against two walks through the five innings. His bid for history came to an end up Chase Utley’s pinch-hit single with one out in the sixth.
A slow groundout moved Utley to second base, and he scored on Corey Seager’s single to center. That not only got the Dodgers on the board, but extended Seager’s hitting streak to a season-best 15 games.
Nelson induced Justin Turner into a routine pop-fly hit to shallow right field, but Domingo Santana lost it in the sun and the RBI double got the Dodgers to within a run of the Brewers. Nelson was removed with the tying runner on base and two outs in the seventh.
Anthony Swarzak got pinch-hitter Yasiel Puig to hit a chopper up the middle that Eric Sogard made a diving play on to end the inning and preserve the Brewers’ lead.
Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch to open the ninth and Logan Forsythe kept the inning alive with a two-out walk, Corey Knebel struck out pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer on a full count to convert the save opportunity.
Yu Darvish wasn’t overly sharp in his return from the disabled list. A leadoff walk in the first inning and Seager’s error resulted in the Brewers striking first. Darvish minimized the damage as he induced another ground ball that the Dodgers were able to turn an inning-ending double play on.
Darvish allowed a leadoff single int he second but struck out the next three batters to strand the runner. Hernan Perez’s solo home run in the third inning extended the Brewers’ lead to 2-0. It was followed by a walk, double and RBI single before Darvish could get out of the inning.
He was aided by Chris Taylor throwing out Travis Shaw at home plate on his attempt to score a second run on Santana’s base hit to center. Darvish worked around a leadoff double and subsequent walk to throw a scoreless fifth.
He threw 95 pitches in five innings, allowed the three runs on six hits, issued three walks and recorded seven strikeouts.
