Dodgers again can’t generate any offense in 2-1 loss to Brewers

Considering that every other game played by the Dodgers seems destined to end in the same exact way, why not create a template for describing their losses?

Something such as this, perhaps:

(Insert name) pitched (insert number) solid innings, but the Dodgers failed to provide him with any run support, resulting in a (score) defeat to the (insert team name) on (day of the week) at (venue). The Dodgers were held to (insert number) hits and were (insert numbers) with men in scoring position.

The tired story was played out again in the Dodgers’ most recent game. These were the particulars to fill into the blanks in the paragraph above, in order:

Jon Garland.

Six.

2-1.

Milwaukee Brewers.

Monday.

Dodger Stadium.

Five.

0 for 8.

The defeat was the third in as many days for the Dodgers, who have scored two runs in that span. They fell to 19-23 and remained four games back of the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

“It kind of seems we’re in that zone right now,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “I think our confidence is down right now offensively. I don’t know what else to say other than that.”

Garland did what he could to keep the game close on a night he wasn’t his best, but the way the Dodgers are hitting, he might as well have given up 10 runs.

Despite giving up seven hits and four walks, Garland held the Brewers to two runs over six innings. The Brewers left men on base in every inning he pitched.

The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, when Garland hit Carlos Gomez on the wrist. Gomez stole second and scored on a hard-hit grounder by Prince Fielder that skipped past shortstop Jamey Carroll for a hit.

The visitors reclaimed the lead at 2-1 when Rickie Weeks singled to left to drive in Corey Hart, who led off the sixth inning with a double. Weeks’ single was preceded by a two-out walk to pitcher Shaun Marcum.

“I ended up walking him to lose the game,” Garland said of Marcum.

There was a bad omen for the Dodgers early, when slumping Juan Uribe’s would-be home run was caught by Gomez before it cleared the center-field wall.

The Dodgers got their run in the fourth inning, which Carroll and Aaron Miles led off with back-to-back singles.

Carroll reached third on a groundout by Andre Ethier and scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp.

James Loney came up to hit later in the inning with two on and two out, but popped up to center field.

The Dodgers had a couple of other chances.

Jay Gibbons, who made his second start of the season, led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double.

But Rod Barajas flied out to center, Garland grounded out to short and Carroll popped up to second.

Something similar happened in the bottom of the seventh inning, which Uribe and Loney started with successive hits.

With the equalizing run a base hit away, Gibbons struck out, Barajas flied out to left and pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro popped up to short.

“At some point, we’re going to have to get that hit to get us going in the other direction,” Mattingly said.

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