And if you're the Dodgers, your record says you're the sixth worst team in baseball. But I'll take it one step further - I think they are THE worst team in baseball. So take that, Bill!
Friday night once again showed just how horrible this season has been. They got up 3-0 on a three-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez in the first. They went on to lose 5-4. It was so Dodger-like it was scary. You can call it being pessimistic, but I call it being realistic. That's life as a Dodger fan.
This game featured all the ingredients for another loss: little to no clutch hitting, mediocre starting pitching, atrocious bullpen work, bad baserunning, and another questionable decision by the manager. It's a sight we've all grown very accustomed to already.
The first inning was the only positive one. Matt Magill was able to get the Marlins in order. Carl Crawford then led off with a single and Nick Punto walked. Gonzalez, and thankfully not Matt Kemp, got the start in the three hole and smacked a three-run shot to center. That was just like his three-run homer last year against the Marlins in his first game as a Dodger. He won that game. This one? Uh, no.
The score stayed 3-0 until the fourth, when Magill flushed it all down the toilet, and all because of a couple of damn walks to a horrible team missing their best offensive player in Giancarlo Stanton. 97-year-old Placido Polanco walked leading off, and two outs later, no-namer Marcell Ozuna also walked.
No big deal, right? Afterall, there were two outs and 23-year-old Derek Dietrich was up playing in his second career game. So of course that meant he lined a three-run homer out to right to tie the score at 3-3.
Even though it was only in the fourth and the score was tied, the Dodgers were done. Again, you can call it pessimistic, but that's how the Dodgers are right now. They have no offense to keep scoring runs, and their bullpen is a joke, so it's a big advantage for the other team. Those are the facts, and that's exactly what happened.
With Ronald Belisuckio in to start the seventh, the Marlins jumped all over him. Rob Brantly singled to start, and Chris Coghlan came within inches of a two-run homer, settling for a double instead. Juan Pierre singled home a run, and a double play ball by Adeiny Hechavarria still scored another, making it 5-3.
The Dodgers actually scored another, and even more shocking was that it was mostly because of Kemp. He singled leading off in the eighth and then stole second. An RBI single up the middle by AJ Ellis made it 5-4. Andre Ethier had a chance before Ellis, but he flew out. He is absolutely terrible and needs to be traded. But I think I've said that before.
Steve Cisheck plowed through the Dodgers in order in the ninth for his fifth save.
I've already brought up the bad pitching and lack of clutch hitting, so let's discuss the other two reasons for the loss: baserunning and managing. The baserunning part came in the fifth. Juan Uribe pinch-hit and singled.
OK, now that you've recovered from falling out of your chair, just know that he soon erased that good feeling with an idiotic move on the bases. After going to second on a single by Crawford, Uribe was caught wandering too far off of second when Punto missed a bunt. A throw behind easily nailed him, and nothing came of that inning. Uribe just continues to further and further embarrass himself each game he takes the field in Dodger blue. Yet, there he still is playing. I continue to be amazed by that.
The managing part came in the sixth. The bases were loaded with two outs on a single by Ellis, a double by Skip Schumaker, and an intentional walk by Dee Gordon. Rather than calling upon Scott Van Slyke, who was killing the ball at Triple-A Albuquerque, Don Mattingly went with Tim Federowicz and his zero power. You'll be shocked to know that he easily flew out to center.
Again I ask, Why not go with Van Slyke in this spot? He was recalled to give a boost from the bench because of his power. But you would rather watch Federowicz fail to get a hit again? It's not rocket science! Play the guy you said would be used in spots like this. I just don't understand the (lack of) logic at all. Another terrible move late in the game.
Magill had some good moments, but more bad ones. He lasted five innings for three hits, three runs, four walks, and two strikeouts. Maybe he'll be a good starter one day, but I have to be honest - he just doesn't look that good to me. He's just OK. I know it's easy to pile on him after another loss, but I don't get the feeling that he'll ever be anything special. Like I said, he's just OK.
The two weekend games are huge for the Dodgers. Can you imagine if the Marlins sweep them? That could equal the end of Mattingly's time in LA. I don't know that for sure and it's purely a guess on my part, but we're at the point where we have to start thinking about it. Hyun-Jin Ryu will pitch on Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment