The offensive snoozefest continues

Yaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnn!

That's the exact feeling I get whenever the Dodgers are at the plate. You may as well go to the bathroom, get something to eat, run around the house... hell, anything else would be more exciting than watching these guys try to hit.

You can probably make an educated guess that the Dodgers lost again. And you would be right. The Reds used clutch two-out hitting against Carlos Monasterios to edge the Dodgers, 3-1. Well, a two-run advantage is small to most teams, but not against the Dodgers. So it was basically a blowout.

Monasterios had an interesting night. It seemed like he was either striking people out or giving up singles. Take the first inning for example. Brandon Phillips and Lance Nix singled to lead off the game. The next three guys struck out swinging.

Phillips had a good night at the plate, and it continued in the second. Ryan Hanigan singled leading off. Two outs later, Homer Bailey kept the inning alive with a sharp single up the middle. Phillips then hit an RBI single to make it 1-0.

The Dodgers have zero power (like I needed to remind you of that...), so they have to definitely manufacture runs. That happened in the third. Jamey Carroll walked leading off, and Brad Ausmus singled. Yes, a Dodger catcher actually got a hit. I didn't think I'd ever see the day. Monasterios laid down a great bunt with two strikes to get both runners over.

Scott Podsednik lined out to short for two down. Ryan Theriot then got creative, as he laid down a perfect bunt for an RBI single. There were still two on, so that gave Andre Ethier a chance to strike out to end the inning. And, naturally, he did.

With the game tied at 1-1, Monasterios was his own worst enemy in giving the Reds back the lead. In the fourth, Hanigan singled again to start. Drew Stubbs bunted, but Monaterios threw wide of first for the error. It came back to haunt him, as Phillips hit a two-run single with two outs for the 3-1 lead.

That's all the support Bailey would need, as he kept the Dodgers off-balance the rest of the night. About the only threat was in the fifth. Ausmus again singled and Jay Gibbons pinch-hit and drew a walk with one down. Podsednik and Theriot both couldn't reach.

Actually, the seventh could be considered a threat as well. Casey Blake hit a leadoff double. Carroll's groundout got him to third with one out. But, Ausmus and Ronnie Belliard struck out.

Is it me, or does Belliard pinch-hit and strike out just about every game now? Here's an idea - quit having him pinch-hit! Geez, it's not rocket science here.

The end of the game was symbolic to just how far the Dodgers have fallen the second half of the season. Matt Kemp singled with one out. It was a bloop single, but good enough for a guy that spends 95% of the time looking totally lost at the plate. Blake promptly hit into the game-ending double play.

With Vicente Padilla on the DL with a bad neck, Monasterios once again got a spot start. He wasn't too bad, but not exactly good either. He lasted 4 1/3 innings for eight hits, three runs (one earned, though it was his own fault), one walk, and six strikeouts. The strikeouts were good, but like I said before, he gave up a lot of singles.

The bullpen of Ronald Belisario, Kenley Jansen, and Octavio Dotel held the Reds hitless over the final 4 2/3, so they did a good job. But when the offense was so helpless once again, it didn't really matter.

Think about this: When's the last time anyone on the Dodgers hit a big home run? I honestly can't remember. I know Reed Johnson hit one last game, but I'm talking about one late in the game to really make a difference. Ethier? Kemp? Blake? James Loney? Anyone?

Besides losing nearly every game now, the problem with the Dodgers is that they're just not fun to watch. You have to really appreciate low scoring, well-pitched games to stay tuned in for three hours. But even that can only go so far. Eventually, people grow tired of the pitching doing all the work and the bats in hibernation.

I understand that any team that loses Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez would feel the effects. But man, the rest of the Dodgers sure make them look like all-time greats. They don't have anybody to fill their void, and their young core of Ethier, Kemp, and Loney do practically nothing to carry the team. It's just sad.

Chad Billingsley will get the start on Saturday. I'm not so much concerned how he'll do on the mound. Rather, I just hope he goes 4-for-4 with three homers and a double. Then maybe they'll actually put some runs on the board.