Saturday, June 18, 2011

0-fer homestand continues

As if getting swept in the first three games of the homestand wasn't bad enough, now the Dodgers were completely shut down by a guy with a 5.03 ERA coming in.

Brett Myers threw a complete game, the first of the season for the Astros, as the Dodgers dropped their fourth straight, 7-3. The 12-game homestand is quickly turning into a nightmare with an 0-4 record.

Ted Lilly was put in charge of trying to erase the bad memories of the Reds series, and he got a little offensive help in the first. Dee Gordon walked leading off and went to second on Aaron Miles's single. After Gordon went to third on a grounder by Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp's sac-fly RBI made it 1-0.

Apparently one run was just way too overwhelming for the Dodgers, as they wouldn't score again until garbage time in the ninth. In fact, over these last four games, they've put up 11 runs, good for 2.8 a game. That's just pathetic even by their lowly standards.

Lilly would be fine until the Astros tied the game in the fourth. Carlos Lee singled with one out and stole second. The next batter, Chris Johnson, doubled to left to score Lee and tie the game at 1-1.

All signs pointed towards a pitcher's duel through five innings. But that totally came apart in the sixth when the Astros just pounded on Lilly to the tune of five runs on five hits. Jeff Keppinger started it all off with a ground rule double. An out later, Lee's RBI single gave the Astros the lead for good at 2-1.

It was on from there, as the next four hitters reached to send Lilly to the showers. Johnson singled for two on, and Brett Wallace walked to load the bases. Clint Barmes and his .219 average scored two with a double for the 5-1 lead. The last run came on an error by Miles to score Barmes and make it 6-1.

Even with someone as crappy as Myers on the mound, a five-run deficit late in the game meant the Dodgers may as well have just gone home. In the sixth they went down in order. In the seventh Loney singled and was erased on a double play ball from Juan Uribe. In the eighth they again went down in order.

The ninth was the only other time they got anything going, but that was due in large part to an error by Wallace to allow Gordon to reach. Gordon then stole second and scored on Ethier's two-run homer. Kemp struck out and Loney grounded out to end the game.

With the win, the Astros are now 26-45. They're far and away the worst team in baseball, as every other team has at least a .400 winning %. Yet after watching this game, it was the Dodgers who looked like they were the ones ready take over that title. There's just nothing about this team that would make anyone think they can turn things around.

The problems are many, but I'll start with a guy like Ethier. Tonight he was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer. His average is a solid .312. Yet when you dig deeper, you start to see some truths. He only has six homers, and this was his first since May 27. He has 17 doubles and no triples. So when you round it all up, out of his 79 hits, 23 of them have been for extra-bases.

I'm in no way trying to say it's all Ethier's fault, but for a guy hitting third in the order, hitting mostly singles just won't get it done. Not when you're surrounded by a bunch of guys who don't hit well, save for Matt Kemp of course. If Ethier continues the power outage, the offense won't be turning much around anytime soon.

Uribe is a much bigger part of the problem. Simply put, he's been a disaster this year. If he's not hurt, then he's not hitting when he is playing. He's hitting .215 with three homers and 22 RBIs. In 10 games this month, he's 7-for-36.

Lilly has pitched better lately, but he was hit around in this one, giving up six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings. His ERA shot back up to 4.26 after being at 3.98 coming in. Then there's Chad Billingsley, who's been getting creamed lately. Jon Garland went from inning-eater to DL member twice.

Don't even let me get into the bullpen's problems. We'd be here all day.

Add it all up, and there's not a whole lot to be excited about as Dodger fans. And I haven't even mentioned the organizational drama with the idiot McCourt family. Simply put, it's ugly both on and off the field.

If the Dodgers want to save any sort of face whatsoever, they have to win the next two games against the worst in baseball. If not, then maybe the Dodgers deserve that moniker. I don't care who's hurt and who's not - they have to get these next two wins. That's all there is to it.

Wouldn't you know it, the Astros send their best pitcher to the mound today in Wandy Rodriguez. After a rough start to the season, he's really put it all together lately, not that anyone notices. The Dodgers counter with Rubby De La Rosa, who's filled in nicely no matter which role he's been assigned to.

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