Dodgers can’t overcome Juan Uribe, Braves in ugly 7-5 loss

Juan Uribe, remember him? Barrel-chested, outlandish wardrobe, constant grin, friend to all in the clubhouse and able to come up with a key hit?

He toils for the Braves these days, after the Dodgers traded him in May. Doing pretty well, too, to which the Dodgers can attest after their frustrating 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Monday at Turner Field.

After the Dodgers had rallied back from a 4-0 deficit in the top of the fifth to tie the score, Uribe came back in the bottom of the inning with a go-ahead RBI.

The Braves received help with some questionable decisions by the Dodgers – in the field and running the bases – but Uribe’s single in the bottom of the fifth gave Atlanta back the lead for good.

The Dodgers started right-hander Brandon Beachy for the second time in his effort to return from a second Tommy John operation, and this start looked remarkably similar to his first. He again went only four innings, allowing four runs, five hits and three walks.

Two starts are hardly enough to make a decision on someone trying to attempt Beachy’s comeback, but it’s safe to say his first two starts have not been encouraging. The Dodgers can’t keep throwing Beachy out there every five days if he’s only going to go four innings.

He fell behind 2-0 in the first inning when he gave up Nick Markakis’ first home run of the season. He settled down for a bit, but then gave up a two-run double to Jace Peterson in the fourth.

The Dodgers rallied to tie the score with a two-run double by Howie Kendrick and a two-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez in the fifth. That set the stage for Uribe in the bottom of the inning.

Markakis doubled off Adam Liberatore before Uribe singled in the go-ahead run with one out. Uribe has seven home runs and 16 RBIs with the Braves. Infielder Alberto Callaspo, the main player the Dodgers received from Atlanta in the trade, has no homers and four RBIs with the Dodgers.

The Braves added two more runs in the sixth, thanks partially to a defensive lapse by Yasiel Puig. The right fielder has been playing smarter defensively this season, but with runners on the corners, Peterson singled to right and Puig overthrew first baseman Gonzalez, his cutoff man, allowing another run to score. Catcher Austin Barnes fired to second to nail Peterson, but shortstop Jimmy Rollins lost his balance when applying the tag, allowing Pedro Ciriaco time to score from third.

The Dodgers missed a good scoring opportunity in the eighth. After leadoff singles by Gonzalez and Justin Turner, pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke singled under Uribe’s glove into left and for some reason third-base coach Lorenzo Bundy waived Gonzalez home.

Left fielder Eury Perez threw out the less-than-fleet Gonzalez at the plate and the Dodgers missed out on a potential bases-loaded-no-outs situation, and never did score in the inning. They did learn, however, loading the bases on three hits to open the ninth, but could only score one run on a ground out.