The Dodgers didn't need late heroics on Monday, as they scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cruise past the Cardinals, 12-4. The Padres also won, so the Dodgers still trail them in the loss column by a game.
After Carlos Monasterios got the Cardinals in order to begin the game, the offense went right to work. Rafael Furcal singled to lead off and then stole second. Matt Kemp hit second and drove him in with a single to make it 1-0. Following a wild pitch to put Kemp at second, Andre Ethier got lucky by blooping a hit into left for two on. Manny Ramirez then hit into a double play, but at least the Kemp scored, and it was 2-0.
The Cardinals cut the lead in half to start the second on Ryan Ludwick's long solo homer to left. Fortunately for the Dodgers, that was as close as the Cards would get on this night.
Manny began the fourth with a double. After a groundout by James Loney put him to third, Ronnie Belliard walked. Blake DeWitt hit his first RBI of the game with a single to score Manny. Next was a great suicide squeeze bunt from A.J. Ellis, who was Sunday's hero. Everyone was safe as Belliard scored, making it 4-1.
The bats weren't done yet, as Monasterios sacrificed both men into scoring position with two down. Raffy then lifted a high fly ball that bounced into the stands in right for a two-run double, and the Dodgers were starting to run away at 6-1.
Ethier came up in the fifth and walked to lead off. A walk to Loney and a passed ball put runners at the corners. Belliard hit an RBI single to score Ethier. DeWitt finally connected on his first tater of the season, a three-run shot that emphatically put the Dodgers ahead at 10-1.
The Cardinals tried to muster some runs in the seventh. Ludwick hit his second solo shot of the night, and Felipe Lopez hit a two-run single. But, it was too little, too late.
The scoring was rounded up in the seventh for the Dodgers. DeWitt hit a sac-fly RBI to cap his five RBI night. Garret Anderson pinch-hit and doubled in Loney to make it 12-4.
It was good to see DeWitt have such a big game, as he's been very quiet lately. Coming into this game, he was hitting .273 with 15 RBIs. Not terrible numbers, but not that great either. Jamey Carroll is hitting .293, and after looking so good in filling in for Raffy and Casey Blake because of injuries, I'm sure people began chirping that he should play second base full-time, not DeWitt.
The other star was Monasterios, who continues to post one solid start after another. Considering he only pitched above Single-A level twice before this season, it's just amazing how the Dodgers find these guys to plug in and do so well. After going six innings for four hits and three runs, he's now 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA.
The Dodgers haven't scored in double digits since May 11 when they beat the Diamondbacks 13-3. Scoring that many runs is hard to do anyway, but it was refreshing to see them look so alive after scratching and clawing their way for any runs the last handful of games. When Blake gets back in there, that will only help as well.
For the offense, the next two games will present a much bigger challenge as Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright take the mound. Then again, all the "experts" (wink, wink... ESPN) claimed the Dodgers stood no chance against them in the playoffs last year, and how did that turn out? Exactly.
But, they're both really good pitchers, so it'll be a nice test. Hiroki Kuroda is looking for his first good start in a few games, as he's lost three straight.
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