Time Is Running Out

Time is running out for the Dodgers in the 2012 season. 4 1/2 games behind with 30 to play. The Dodgers are only 2-4 since the trade that brought Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. They still are not scoring runs. The margin can be made up but the Dodgers bullpen has let them down in the past several games and there is no help on the horizon. Internet rumor has the Dodgers trying to trade for another starting pitcher but I don't see that happening. The Dodgers can expand the roster tomorrow and it has been reported that the Dodgers are only going to bring up reliever Javy Guerra and Catcher Tim Fedorowicz. I would like to see Fedorowicz get some at bats and Javy Guerra is not the bullpen savior that they need. When the Dodgers made this trade my first thought was that this trade will help the Dodgers more in 2013 than it will this year provided that Carl Crawford is over his injury problems.

Losing A Pitcher's Duel

That was a tough loss last night. In retrospect, I should have gone with my Voodoo Doll. Joe Blanton versus Tim Lincecum is not exactly the matchup in game two that maximizes the Dodgers chance to win. I am hoping Joe Blanton picks tonight to pitch the game of his brief Dodger career. The Dodgers also activated Rubby De La Rosa tonight from the 60-day Disabled List and vanquished Javy Geurra down to the minors. I am sure Guerra will be recalled September 1st when the Dodgers can expand their roster to 40. Activating Rubby is a rather strange move considering it is so close to September 1st. I wonder if it is too early to have Rubby take Joe Blanton's place in the starting rotation?

A Waste Of Good Piching

The Dodgers have wasted some excellent starting pitching the past couple of games and they were lucky to come out of it with at least one win. They are only 2-4 since the All-Star break and the Giants hot start in the second half have left the Dodgers 2 1/2 games out of first in the National League West. Stephen Fife (no relation to Barney) pitched an excellent game in his major league debut giving up a lone run to the Philadelphia Phillies in 6 innings and left with a 2-1 lead that the Los Angeles bullpen could not protect. That game ended in a 3-2 loss. As a reward, Stephen Fife got sent back to AAA Albuquerque when Javy Guerra came off the Bereavement List. In the series finale The Dodgers scored 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie it at 3 before Matt Kemp won it with a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th. Starter Clayton Kershaw only gave up one run in 8 innings but once again, did not get the win. Matt Kemp drove in three runs and it was his first homer and first RBI's since coming off the Disabled List. We need a lot more of that if they are going to pull this out.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Take The Opener

The Los Angeles Dodgers took the opener from the San Diego Padres last night 5-3. Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw had the flu and pitched three scoreless innings before being taken out of the game. He also had the first Dodgers hit of the season.

I hope the Dodgers offense was not in midseason form. They scored their first two runs on bases loaded walks in the top of the fourth inning. Leadoff man Dee Gordon struck out three times but hit a deep drive that Padres centerfielder Cameron Maybin misplayed into a three base error and later scored the Dodgers third run. Matt Kemp hit a homerun in the top of the eighth to seal the deal for the Dodgers.

Dee Gordon's defense was impressive. He displayed a strong arm on two different occasions. The first was on Cameron Maybin's slow bouncer to the left of short in the bottom of the first. The second was on a deflection off the hip of pitcher Josh Lindblom that went up the middle. Gordon made a diving stop and then made a strong throw to nail the runner by half a step.

The Dodgers pitching was average. Clayton kershaw gutted it out through three innings, giving way to Josh Lindblom who threw two scoreless innings and picked up the win. Shaky innings by Mike MacDougal and Kenley Jansen let the Padres hang around. Jansen gave up Maybin's bomb in the eighth that drove in two. Javy Guerra came in to close it out and get his first save of the season.

Javy Guerra

Javy Guerra, the 25-year-old 2004 4th Round Draft Pick, has essentially come from out of nowhere to emerge as the Dodgers closer this season. I would have to say he was originally placed into that position by default thru injuries and blown saves but he has taken it and ran with it. Thru last nights game, he has converted 15 out of 16 save opportunities with an ERA in the lower 2.00 range.

Before the 2011 season, Guerra had pitched no higher than AA, and only 51 games of AA ball in 7 seasons in the minors. He only served as the closer for one of those seasons, at Great Lakes of the Midwest League in 2009 where he had 16. From all I have read, he had mechanical flaws that had to be corrected and then he had to fight thru some minor injuries. Whatever the problems were it seems that he got them worked out and he has helped spur the Dodgers late season run. He has also worked himself into a position to be considered as the closer for next season.

Where Are The Bats?

The Dodgers broke a five game losing streak against the Houston Astros, giving them a good sound thrashing by the score of 1-0. I hope the sarcasm was noted.

Huroki Kuroda had another solid outing (he has had 3 or 4 in a row) only to have nothing to show for it with a no decision. Matt Guerrier go the win in relief and Javy Guerra racked up his second save. I would say it is bullpen by committee but the Dodgers have not had the lead enough in the last inning to even worry about it. Guerra hasn't been knocked around here lately so they gave him the opportunity.

The Dodgers banged out three hits, two of which were by Catcher Dioner Navarro including a solo homerun (his second) that provided all of the scoring. A couple of weeks ago Manager Don Mattingly said that he wanted to get Dioner Navarro more at bats and when that statement was made he was batting in the .220's. With the increased at bats his average has fallen to .175 making the Mendoza Line look like Hall Of Fame caliber numbers.

This has not been the homestand I had in mind after pulling off a .500 road trip. More Interleague play is up next with the Detroit Tigers coming to town. Interleague play may be the worst thing major league baseball has ever done to the Dodgers, outside of approving Frank McCourt to buy the team.

A Comeback Win For The Ages

The Dodgers came from five runs down in the 8th inning yesterday to tie the game against the Cincinnati Reds and nailed down the win with a four run 11th inning. The final score was 11-8. That was the first time since 1994 that the Dodgers had come back from being down five runs or more after the 7th inning and win the game.

Matt Kemp was the star as he hit his 14th and 15th homeruns of the season, his last one being a grand slam that tied it up in the top of the 8th inning, 7-7. He had six RBI's for the game on three hits. Matt Kemp has so much athletic ability but he is not a natural baseball player. His best sport in high school was basketball. I hope he is still playing with the Dodgers when he puts the athletic ability together with a natural feel for the game.

One account I read of the game made the statement that in the 11th inning the Dodgers "singles" hitters went to work and drove in the clinching runs. For the Dodgers offense to start clicking the "singles" hitters need to do this on a more consistent basis. The only player on the team that has shown any consistent power is Matt Kemp. Barajas has 7 homeruns, Ethier has 5, Loney has 3, Blake has spent almost the majority of the season on the DL, and highly touted rookie Jerry Sands power has disappeared against major league pitching.

The stat line on starter Clayton Kershaw for this game looks pretty rough (6 2/3 IP, 6 runs) but it is very misleading. The Dodgers bullpen came in and held down the fort for 4 + innings, only giving up one run in the bottom of the 11th by eventual winning pitcher Javy Guerra. That was Guerra's first major league win.

There are more Dodgers injuries to report. It might be bigger news if there were no injuries to report. Jon Garland and Rafael Furcal are headed back to the Disabled list and John Ely and Ivan DeJesus were brought back up to replace them on the roster. I don't know why the Dodgers just don't pencil Furcal on to the DL about once a month whether he's hurt or not. It would save themselves some time and aggravation. I would rather see the Dodgers start Rubby De La Rosa now and bring Ely in in middle relief out of the pen.

The Beginning Of The Rubby De La Rosa Era

The Rubby De La Rosa Era has begun for the Los Angeles Dodgers as he pitched an inning in the 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros last night. He struck out two and walked none.

I did not believe he would be called up until September but the cast of rag arms the Dodgers call a bullpen necessitated the move. I was able to see him pitch in a couple of games in Spring Training this year and what I saw I was very impressed with. Several writers have made the comparison to a young Pedro Martinez when he started out with the Dodgers and I just hope Ned Colletti doesn't trade him for a has been who will only be with the Dodgers for a season or less.

Another rookie, longtime Dodger farmhand Javy Guerra, got the save in last nights game. He is the seventh different Dodger to get a save this year and I don't know if that is a record or not but it is bound to be getting close.

De La Rosa has been projected as a starter and I believe that is where he will end up but right now, none of the Dodgers starters are pitching bad enough to be benched. However, three of the five starting pitchers are in their mid-30's, and this could be an audition for next season.