Tweets Of The Night: Ricky Nolasco Falters, Dodgers Lose 6-4

Two monster solo shots from Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig were all the Dodgers needed to beat the Giants in the first game of the final road series against the Giants. Hyun-Jin Ryu was impressive in seven innings, picking up his 14th win of the year and strengthened his case for the third spot in the playoff rotation.

Tonight, Ricky Nolasco is on the mound as he tries to get back on track after two poor starts against the Giants and Diamondbacks. In his first 14 appearances with the Dodgers, Nolasco was impressive with a 8-2 record and an ERA under 2.50 with his hometown team.

On the mound for the Giants was Barry Zito and this might be the last start for the 35 year old left hander in a Giant uniform. Much like his career with the Giants, this season has been a letdown for  Zito as he’s 4-11 with a 5.91 ERA coming into tonight’s game.

Adrian Gonzalez, Mark Ellis, Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe got some well deserved rest as the Dodgers continue their march towards home field advantage.

Let’s get to the tweets of the night.

#Dodgers fall to the #SFGiants, 6-4.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Adrian Gonzalez doubles off the bricks in right field and Hanley Ramirez steps in as a pinch-hitter. #Dodgers #Giants

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Gonzo smoked that ball

— LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Adrian Gonzalez will pinch hit with two outs in the 9th inning. #Dodgers down 6-4.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Crawford doubles, and Kemp’s flare single scores Crawman, Dodgers down 6-4 now.

— LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

JP Howell retires the side — all by way of the K. Yasiel Puig to lead off the 8th with the #Dodgers down 6-3.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Ricky Nolasco’s first 12 starts as a Dodger: 17 ER (21 runs) in 74 IP; last 3 starts: 17 ER (19 runs) in 12 IP

— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 26, 2013

At the end of 6 innings, #Dodgers trail 6-3.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Here comes the white flag, aka Brandon League

— LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Jerry Hairston is 2 for 26 in September. That’s an avg of .077

— LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Another Giants error, another Dodgers run. Sac fly by A.J. Ellis scores Matt Kemp. #Giants 5 #Dodgers 3. — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Ricky Nolasco gets Buster Posey to ground out to end the 5th inning. #Dodgers trail 5-2. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Camera shows Andre Ethier is back with the team and in the dugout.

— Steve Dilbeck (@stevedilbeck) September 26, 2013

Barry Zito’s 7 years with #Giants likely done after 5 IP tonight. For $126m they got 63-80 record (if W tonight), 4.62 ERA over 1,139 IP

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) September 26, 2013

Nick Punto reaches base on an infield hit — and doesn’t slide headfirst.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 26, 2013

Pablo Sandoval floats a two-run home run over the left-field wall. #SFGiants lead 5-2 heading into the 5th inning. #Dodgers — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Pablo Sandoval homers. #Giants 5, #Dodgers 2. — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

It just doesn’t bode well for Ricky Nolasco as a post-season pitcher that he’s being out-pitched by Barry Zito

— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) September 26, 2013

Rare fielding error by Brandon Crawford allows Carl Crawford to score. #Giants 3, #Dodgers 2.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Funny thing is that second and third nobody out is exactly the spot MY would be useful in. Sigh. — Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) September 26, 2013

Ok that was not a good AB — LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

The Bison is back! Run scoring double from Kemp, gets the Dodgers on the board #Beastmode #GoBlue — LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Matt Kemp drives in Yasiel Puig. RBI double. #Giants 3, #Dodgers 1. — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Good hit!!! — LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Yasiel Puig singles to lead off the fourth inning. First hit allowed by Barry Zito tonight. #Giants #Dodgers

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

I dont know why Nolasco doesnt just stick with his off-speed stuff. His fastball isnt very good, but his off-speed pitches are quality

— LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

9 #Dodgers up, 9 Dodgers down for Barry Zito in what is almost certainly his final appearance for #Giants in that 7-yr, $126m contract — Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) September 26, 2013

Perfect game alert: Barry Zito has retired all 7 #Dodgers he has faced tonight. 20 batters go to. — Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) September 26, 2013

Batters are hitting .310 off Nolasco’s changeup this year (FanGraphs). He planted a fat one just above Abreu’s knees on 2-1 for the triple. — J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Barry Zito grounds out to Ricky Nolasco to end the 2nd inning. #Dodgers trail 3-0 with Skip Schumaker set to lead off the 3rd. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013

Now THAT’s the Tony Abreu I remember — Eric Stephen (@truebluela) September 26, 2013

Geez Nolasco mix up your pitches. Stop throwing fastballs right down the pipe. Theyre going to hit those — LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Tony Abreu strikes again

— Ryan Walton (@RyanWaltonMLB) September 26, 2013

Bases-clearing triple by Tony Abreu. #Giants 3, #Dodgers 0.

— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) September 26, 2013

Nice easy inning for Nolasco — LasordasLair (@LasordasLair) September 26, 2013

Past 100 games — #Dodgers starting pitchers have 2.76 ERA. Team is 66-34. SPs allowed 2 Rs or less in 39 of past 54 games, 0 ER 16 of those — Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) September 26, 2013

It’s time for Dodger baseball! #ITFDB

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 26, 2013