After amassing 37 runs on 53 hits in a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, the Dodgers returned home but left their bats in the windy city – and at the absolute worst possible time.

The Dodgers entered Monday night’s game with a 4.5-game lead over their hated rivals with a magic number of three to clinch their second consecutive NL West title. They came out of Monday night’s 13-inning affair 3.5 games ahead with that magic number unchanged – and it wasn’t the result of their pitching (stay for reliever Kevin Correia).

Behind an absolutely brilliant pitching performance by Dodgers right-hander Dan Haren, who saw his $10 million player option vest for 2015,  the Dodgers fell to the Giants 5-2 on Monday night. Haren allowed a leadoff home run to Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco and that was it. He threw a no-hitter to the next 25 batters he faced allowing no walks while striking out 7. It was a pitching performance worthy of a win but ended up a no-decision because of the Dodgers inability to hit.

After allowing a leadoff home run, Haren threw a no-hitter for the next 6.2 innings. Unfortunately, his teammates let him down by collecting only four hits. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

“The story to me is that we didn’t do enough to win,” said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly after the game. “That’s a good club over there, we’ve known that for awhile. They haven’t went away all year. They kind of let us get back in the race and ever since then it’s pretty much been back and forth. I don’t think we expected them to go anywhere, expect them to quit. It’s a good team over there.”

After seven outstanding innings and 100 pitches Haren was relieved by J.P Howell, Brian Wilson, Kenley Jansen, Scott Elbert, Brandon League and Daniel Coulombe, who threw a combined no-hitter allowing eight hits while walking two and striking out four.

…and then came Kevin Correia.

In the top half of the 13th inning Correia allowed three runs on three hits with a walk (which scored) and a strikeout. The (now) 5-2 deficit was too much for the Dodgers to overcome and they went quietly in the bottom of the inning. Since being acquired by the Dodgers on August 4, Correia is 2-4 with a dismal 8.03 ERA – this on top of his 5-13 record and 4.94 ERA with the Twins. Correia, along with recently acquired struggling starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez, are clearly not Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti’s best work this season.

But the blame for Monday night’s loss had nothing to do with the Dodgers pitching (except for Correia); it had everything to do with the fact that the Dodgers could muster only two runs on four hits in 13 innings against a Giants pitching staff that really wasn’t all that good. It also had everything to do with a huge and inexcusable error by Dodgers right fielder Matt Kemp.

In the top of the third Kemp failed to yield on a routine fly ball to right center field off the bat of Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco. Dodgers Center fielder Yasiel was in perfect position to make the catch but a hard-charging Matt Kemp ran into Puig and the ball dropped after hitting Kemp’s glove. The miscue was entirely Kemp’s doing and allowed Blanco to take third base and eventually score to give the Giants their second run of the night. The Dodgers would come back and score two runs themselves in the fifth inning but that unearned run forced the game into extra innings in the eventual 5-2 loss instead of a 2-1 Dodgers win.

The Dodgers would have been one game away from clenching the NL West title had it not been for Kemp’s costly error on Monday night. (Photo credit – Wally Skalij)

The Dodgers will try to reduce the magic number again tonight when Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke (15-8, 2.76 ERA) squares off against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner (18-9, 2.91 ERA).

Hopefully the Dodgers bats will finally arrive from Chicago in time for tonight’s game.