Friday, April 22, 2011

Dodgers clock the Cubs in Wrigley

Maybe the Dodgers shouldn't take batting practice the rest of the season.

After waiting out a rain delay of just over an hour and having batting practice canceled, the Dodgers went out and collected 14 hits in a 12-2 rout over the Cubs. The win makes three straight and five of the last six.

As Chad Billingsley was holding the Cubs in check, the offense went to work with six runs in the third. It all started with a one-out double by leadoff hitter Jamey Carroll. Casey Blake followed with a single, and Andre Ethier hit another for a run and a 1-0 lead. Matt Kemp struck out, but Juan Uribe picked him up with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

From there, Cubs' starter Casey Coleman was his own worst enemy, as he walked James Loney to load the bases, then walked Jerry Sands to force in a run. A two-run single by A.J. Ellis and RBI single by Billingsley ran the score to 6-0.

In the fourth, Uribe continued his hot streak with a two-run homer to make it 8-0. After starting the season about as slow as you can possibly expect, he has picked it up big time in the last five games. He has nine hits over that span, including two homers and nine RBIs, to raise his average from .154 to .236. As the guy hitting behind Ethier and Kemp, he's getting plenty of RBI chances, and he's cashing in.

The Dodgers added another run in sixth when Uribe hit a sac-fly RBI to score Blake and go up 9-1. In the ninth, a two-run bomb by pinch-hitter Marcus Thames and RBI single by Tony Gwynn made it 12-2.

Billingsley got the win to improve to 2-1 and continue the recent string of great starts by the rotation. He let runners reach base, but did a good job in not letting much of anything come of it. Overall, he finished at 6 1/3 innings for seven hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and three strikeouts.

Kenley Jansen got a much-needed boost of confidence with 1 2/3 innings of relief, with four strikeouts. He basically just blew everyone away with fastballs. After getting just lit up against the Braves on Tuesday, it was good to see him pitch with confidence.

The Dodgers did a great job of making Coleman throw plenty of pitches early, as he just unraveled in the third. Check this out: he lasted only 2 2/3 innings and threw 90 pitches. 90! I can't recall the last time I saw a stat like that. And that includes the second inning in which the Dodgers went down in order. That's pretty crazy.

Maybe the shellacking at the hands of the Cardinals helped wake this team up. Ever since getting crushed again on Saturday, they've played with a whole new focus and intensity. It's not a surprise at all that it's started with the guys on the mound. Once they settled in, everything else fell into place. Guys like Blake and Uribe have contributed in a big way, and for the Dodgers to win, everyone in the lineup needs to chip in.

Also, it's nice to see that all of the CRAP going on with MLB taking over the Dodgers hasn't affected the players on the field. Heck, maybe it's motivated them. If that's the case, then thank you, Bud Selig!

The Dodgers will be right back in action with more afternoon baseball on Saturday. Ted Lilly will take on his former team as he looks to even his record at 2-2. The Cubs counter with Ryan Dempster, who's a solid pitcher, but currently has a 6.84 ERA. Let's hope he doesn't find his groove in time for this one.

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