The Dodgers had it all going on Saturday night, getting homers by their big guns and great starting pitching.
That, my friends, is why they're the best team in baseball right now at 8-1. And hopefully just getting started.
Lilly only allowed one run, and that was by no fault of his own. Leading off the game, Cameron "Tiki" Maybin grounded one to Dee Gordon at short, who promptly threw it away, moving Maybin up to second. Chris Denorfia sacrificed him over to third, but Chase Headley fouled out for two down. Jesus Guzman came through with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
No worries, as the offense didn't waste any time emphatically taking the lead back. Gordon drew a walk and went to second on Tony Gwynn's sacrifice. Matt Kemp stepped in and launched a two-run homer to make it 2-1. Andre Ethier liked the sound of that, as his solo shot, his third of the season, put the advantage at two.
James Loney kept it going with a double and Jerry Hairston a single for two on. Adam Kennedy's sac-fly RBI closed the inning at 4-1.
The next inning, Kemp got greedy again, as he crushed his second straight two-run shot, and it was 6-1. He ended up 3-for-4 on the night with two runs, a double, two homers, and four RBIs. Last year ended with a Triple Crown run, and this year he leads those categories with a .457 average, 5 homers, and 15 RBIs.
With all of the run support, Lilly cruised from there. The only other runners he let reach were by a walk to Nick Hundley in the fifth and a single by Headley leading off the seventh. Overall, he tossed seven innings for two hits, one run (unearned), one walk, and four strikeouts. He only made 79 pitches, which showed how efficient he was. Not a bad way to start the season.
Mike MacDougal and Jamey Wright each tossed scoreless frames to finish it off. MacDougal is usually good for a baserunner or two, but actually went in order this time. Wright is still trying to find his role in the bullpen, but outings like this will only help him get in there more.
As great as Lilly and the 'pen were, the true story, once again, was the combination of Kemp and Ethier. In the nine games the Dodgers have played, Kemp has failed to reach base in only one of them, and even in that he still had an RBI. Ethier has also reached base in every game but one, and still scored a run in the one he didn't. In other words, they're doing just about everything you can ask of them.
I already discussed Kemp's Triple Crown stats, but Ethier isn't far behind with 3 homers and 14 RBIs (good for second to Kemp). He's a notorious quick starter in April, as in 127 career games this month, he's hitting .323 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs. If you can recall, he was doing even better in 2010 when he was the one leading the TC categories before a broken pinkie derailed his season.
Throw in the fact that they're both Gold Glove outfielders, and it's easy to see why they're one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. There's not a whole lot they can't do, especially since Ethier is now hitting .333 against lefties this year, something that has plagued him his whole career. Assuming the maturity issues are a thing of the past, and that Ethier gets his extension, these two can carry the Dodgers for many years to come.
The Dodgers will again look to sweep the Padres as the did last week. After taking the first three games of the season, the Padres pounded the Dodgers last Sunday. This time around it's that Clayton Kershaw guy on the mound, so I'm liking the chances for a sweep. Edinson Volquez will go for the Padres.
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