Chase Utley had played in the major leagues for 16 seasons, during which a has a career fielding percentage of .982 as a second baseman, a .994 fielding percentage as a first baseman, and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage as a third baseman. Now granted, he has played only 51 games at first and only four at third, but when you add all of this up, the 39-year-old Pasadena, California native and former UCLA Bruin has a combined career fielding percentage of .982; not Hall of Fame defensive numbers in and of themselves, but respectable none the less.

As such, his eventual game-losing, two-run throwing error on Wednesday afternoon / evening on a routine grounder that should have been the final out of the top of the ninth inning against the National League East last place Miami Marlins was both devastating and uncharacteristic for the man known as ‘The Man’ – aka ‘The Silver Fox.’

He doesn’t do it often, but when Chase Utley commits an error, it’s usually a doozy; in this case a two-run throwing error in the top of the ninth that ended up costing the Dodgers the game.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

Surprisingly, although not really, none of the Dodgers beat writers, radio, or television personalities interviewed the veteran infielder after the eventual 8-6 loss (yes, the Dodgers would have tied the game with their three-run bottom of the ninth were it not for Utley’s costly error); not surprisingly because he rarely makes himself available to them after most games – not out of disrespect or to hide from the media after a bad game, but because… well… he just doesn’t do many interviews regardless of a game’s outcome. This is just something that media types know and understand, and simply respect. Besides, what could he say other than he screwed up and his team lost as a result of it, right?

But for as costly as Utley’s ninth-inning error was, and it was huge, the Dodgers offense was once again as cold as ice. The sum and total against a team that hadn’t won two consecutive games all season consisted of a Joc Pederson RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning, a Matt Kemp two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth following a Corey Seager double, a Kyle Farmer RBI ground out in the bottom of the ninth, and a two-run home run by the only real hot-hitting Dodger, Yasmani Grandal, also in the bottom of the ninth, that would have tied… oh, never mind.

Add to this the fact that the guy once referred to as the best pitcher on the planet – left-hander Clayton Kershaw – was absolutely horrible, having allowed three runs on five hits. And even though the 30-year-old Dallas, Texas native – who has an opt-out clause in his contract at the end of this season – struck out seven on Wednesday afternoon, he matched his career high of six walks and allowed his fifth home run of the season (to former Dodger Miguel Rojas, no less) and is now an un-Kershaw-like 1-4 on the season – the most losses by any pitcher in the National League right now.

The good news is that Kershaw collected the first Dodgers hit of the game on Wednesday and is now 3-for-13 (.231) on the season, so he’s got that going for him.

The one highlight of Kershaw’s otherwise dismal outing on Wednesday afternoon was his third inning base hit to left field. Unfortunately, he was left stranded on base … as were six other Dodgers baserunners.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Things aren’t going to get any easier for Dave Roberts’ club, as they begin a 11-game / 12-day road trip beginning on Friday evening at a less-than-friendly AT&T Park in San Francisco for a four-game series that includes a doubleheader on Saturday; the result of an April 6 rainout. They then travel to Phoenix for four games against the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks beginning on Monday, April 30 at Chase Field.

The team then heads to Monterrey, Mexico for three games against the San Diego Padres (who will be the home team) before finally having their first off day in nearly two weeks. They will then host those same Dbacks for a brief two-game series, followed by a four-game set against the suddenly hot (ok, lukewarm) Cincinnati Reds, who are currently 5-20 (.200) on the young season.

Needless to say, it’s going to be an interesting – and rough – couple of weeks for the 11-12 Dodgers, who current find themselves in third place in the NL West a game and a half behind the second place Colorado Rockies and 5.5 games behind the division-leading Dbacks.

Stay tuned…