Dodgers News: Mattingly Doesn’t Blame Loss On Umpiring
On Monday, the Dodgers briefly put an end to their troubles with the bases loaded and erupted for eight runs in a big sixth inning. Their ineffectiveness with the bases full returned Tuesday, but there were also other issues at hand.
Dan Haren walked the leadoff batter on a full count in the first inning and the Colorado Rockies capitalized by scoring two runs to take an early lead. Haren gestured towards home plate umpire in protest of the called ball four and some of the frustration grew as Yasiel Puig was twice called out on strikes on a similar pitch.
One of Puig’s strikeouts came on a full count in the sixth inning with two outs and the bases loaded and perhaps more importantly, with the Dodgers only trailing by three runs. Despite what the umpiring may have cost the Dodgers, manager Don Mattingly didn’t place blame on it, via ESPN LA’s Mark Saxon:
I don’t think it does a bunch of good to talk about the umpiring, really,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “If one thing’s going to cost you a game, you didn’t play that good. I feel like we had our chances.”
The Dodgers were also on the wrong end of the new application of Rule 7.13. Justin Turner got a late jump on a Juan Uribe double to center field and was thrown out at home plate. Rockies catcher Michael McKenry appeared to block Turner’s path to the plate, but a crew chief review confirmed the original call.
The 16 hits the Dodgers collected Tuesday were one more than Monday’s total, though they had seven fewer runs to show for it. Compounding the loss was news of Hanley Ramirez’s elbow strain and the San Francisco Giants winning, which cut the Dodgers’ division lead to three games.
