Raffy powers Dodgers to 7 straight

Whatever has gotten into the Dodgers' bats, whether that be cork or not, I hope it stays there for a long time.

Down 3-0 entering the 7th inning and largely doing nothing on offense, the Dodgers EXPLODED for 7 runs and and tacked on 4 more in the 8th to take the victory and 7 in a row, 11-6. The win puts the Dodgers 4 games behind 1st place Arizona.

Brad Penny got his 5th win in 7 appearances, going 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K. He can thank his offense for the win, since he didn't exactly set the world on fire last night. But I guess at Coors Field, giving up 3 runs in 5 might not be too shabby after all. He is now 1 behind Brandon Webb for the most wins in the NL, and is tied with (you'll never believe this one)... MARK HENDRICKSON. Wow.

Rafael Furcal was once again the main event as he finished at 3-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI. During the 6th with 2 outs, he powered a 3-run shot to left to give the Dodgers some more breathing room. It was his 4th homer of the year. We're only 1 month into the season, but he's definitely the All-Star starter at shortstop and an early MVP candidate. Where would they be without him? Resign him now!

Someone else who is locked in right now is Matt Kemp. He's had at least 1 hit for each of the past 7 wins, and 5 of those games have been multi-hit. He got the Dodgers on the board with a double to plate Juan Pierre to start the 6th. His big hit came when Colorado cut the game to 7-6 after 7. In the top of the 8th, he hit a bases clearing double to put the game away. He's now up to .316 with 21 RBI on the season. That's why he's an everyday player.

Pierre got the start in place of Andre Ethier and delivered another solid game. He may not like his life on the bench, but when he's played lately, he's been great. It's no secret, but when he does get on base, he's a huge threat. It's that whole "getting on base" thing that has plagued him, especially in the Spring when he lost his job. With Andruw Jones continuing to be a miserable failure that couldn't even get a hit in my slow pitch softball league, Pierre could see much more PT soon.

With the Majors longest winning streak, Esteban Loaiza gets another start tonight against Jorge De La Rosa. The game was originally scheduled for 9, but I guess the cold weather moved it up to 8. Either way, it'll be cold. Really cold. So bring a blanket. Or just don't go and watch from home. That's the ticket.