Dodgers Diaries

The Dodgers played Monday’s matinee against the Pirates like they were trying to lose. They made three outs on the basepaths in the first two innings alone, and Mark Loretta compounded his mistake by throwing away an easy ground ball to start the bottom of the second. That allowed five unearned runs to cross the plate, and the game was effectively over, the champagne put on ice for at least another day, and the Dodgers flying all the way across the country with their tails between their legs.

I have to question why Loretta was even there in the first place. I understand that Joe Torre’s first two options at third base, Ronnie Belliard and Casey Blake, were both injured. But why Loretta? He’s not an everyday player. Who does Blake DeWitt have to please to get into the lineup? How much would he have enjoyed being on the field as the team clinched its second straight division? If he’s the second baseman of the future, he needs to be a part of this team now, even if he’s not in the playoff plans.

Ordinarily, I might question Hiroki Kuroda’s performance, but the unearned runs played a big part in the game, and the entire team played so poorly that I have to chalk this one up to the fact that baseball has a long season, and sometimes you get murdered by the worst team in the league.

The Dodgers are now in a position where they may clinch the division some time around the third inning of Tuesday’s game against San Diego. If the Rockies lose to Milwaukee, the Dodgers will back into the playoffs win or lose. Will they celebrate on the road after a loss? Winning a division is always cause for celebration, no matter how the final straw falls. But the way they’ve been playing lately, perhaps they should save the bubbly for a more opportune time. Like after the NLDS.

The nice thing about the long season, though, is that two games of good baseball can erase a horrendous 3-4 road trip. Hopefully, they turn it around and are able to nurse injuries to Blake, Belliard, and Manny in time for the playoffs.

--- JOHN ROSENTHAL