Dodgers left stranded in need of firepower
The Los Angeles Dodgers departed from a roaring AT&T Park crowd last night, trudging their way to the visiting clubhouse very much aware that their chances of a playoff spot are starting to wear thin.
To begin the rubber match of the series in San Francisco there was no Kemp, no Kershaw – who was scratched before the game due to a sore hip but is expected to start on Tuesday in Arizona – and by the final pitch the Dodgers had lost their fifth game in six to their rivals, more importantly facing what is now a 5 ½ game deficit in the division.
What is most worrying, and baffling too, is the Dodgers inability to drive in runners and put an offensive stamp on any game since the acquisition of big hitters such as Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez.
On Friday night in the series opener, the Dodgers went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and yesterday followed that up with an 0-for-8 performance. Los Angeles started as they meant to go on with Mark Ellis doubling in the first at-bat of the game before being stranded at second.
Manager Don Mattingly continues to stress that his talented team are capable of hitting and will hit, but it all depends on when they will start to do so. It is a line that many Dodger fans are starting to get impatient with and after the trades the team have made over the last few months, it isn’t acceptable that runs have to be prayed for.
The Dodgers were shut out in last night’s game with Joe Blanton filling in for the injured Kershaw, which wasn’t the best news the travelling team could have hoped for prior to a must-win encounter.
In the end it didn’t matter who was on the mound because the Dodgers produced a measly five hits against south-paw Barry Zito, who has a 4.33 ERA on the season.
What must be removed from all conversation is the comparison with the St. Louis Cardinals who this time last season had the exact same record as the Dodgers but faced a daunting 10 ½ game deficit to the Atlanta Braves on September 5. We all know what happened next; the Redbirds went on a tear, qualifying for the postseason through the wild card and going on to win the World Series.
Let’s get one thing straight, the 2012 Dodgers and the 2011 Cardinals are two very different ballclubs.
The Cardinals didn’t go through a major overhaul midway through the season and although they possessed star players in Albert Pujols and Matt Halladay, the Dodgers have assembled a team that was then supposed to be a lock for the postseason.
Instead they have a sub-.500 record since the blockbuster trade with the Red Sox, and despite consistent pitching from the rotation, the Dodgers lineup just hasn’t supported its starters and when it has done the bullpen has been able to blow the unfamiliar world that is a lead.
The Dodgers trail this year’s Cardinals by 1 ½ games in the wild card race and that now seems to be Los Angeles’ best route into October baseball. This week they play the Cards four times at Dodger Stadium and must win the series to grab some initiative before tough trips to division leading Cincinnati and Washington.
The division title is a long shot, especially considering the Giants have a much lighter schedule than the Dodgers. In fact, the only team San Francisco faces who are over .500 before now and the end of the season are, you guessed it, the Dodgers.
That series takes place October 1-3 in Los Angeles, but after the latest set between the two teams, hopes of a showdown series are becoming more and more unlikely.
Photo courtesy of film_fatale
