Weeks/Months In Review
Dodgers Division Series In Review
by Eric Stephen on Oct 11, 2009 4:06 PM PDT
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It was a series pitting two closely matched teams against one another. In a close and short series, taking advantage of opportunities is usually the key, and the Dodgers were able to do that, sweeping away the Cardinals in three games.
The Dodgers faced the tall task of facing Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, who will both likely finish in the top three in NL Cy Young voting, in the first two games, but the Dodgers won them both, the second in improbable fashion with an unlikely ninth-inning comeback.
The Dodgers capitalized on nearly every opportunity, but the Cardinals did not, finishing with four hits in 30 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the series. The Dodger bullpen was an asset, as expected, and the Dodger starters got progressively better in each game.
The Dodgers who lost playoff series to the Cardinals in both 1985 and 2004, plus a regular-season playoff in 1946, were able to exact some measure of revenge with a 3-0 sweep. That the team with the best record in the league and best run differential in baseball won this series was not surprising, but the sweep was an unexpected and sweet result.
Dodger Batter of the Series: Andre Ethier managed to hit just one single in three games, yet still hit .500 for the series. He slammed two home runs, a pair of doubles, and a triple, and fell just a single shy of the cycle in the clinching victory Saturday.
Dodger Pitcher of the Series: This one was an easy call, as Vicente Padilla made his mark in Dodger history with seven scoreless innings in the closeout win in Game 3. Padilla's game was just the eighth in Dodger postseason history with seven or more scoreless innings allowing four hits or fewer.
11 comments | 1 recs |
Dodgers September In Review: Saving The Best For Last
by Eric Stephen on Oct 5, 2009 10:12 PM PDT
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The Dodgers had another solid month, not letting a slide in the final week prevent them from accomplishing their goals. By finishing with a pair of wins, the Dodgers ended up 17-13 for the month, winning the National League West and securing home field advantage in the NL playoffs with the best record in the league.
For the second straight month, the Dodgers wrestled with Pythagoras, posting a winning percentage well under their expected win-loss record based on their runs scored and allowed. In August, they posted a .630 pythagorean win percentage while finishing 14-15. During the September/October period, they were 17-13, despite a .624 expected winning percentage. Over their last two months, the Dodgers had an expected record of 37-22, and an actual record of 31-28.
For the first time all season, the Dodgers didn't get much production from their outfield. Manny was ordinary, if not a tad unlucky, with a .218/.384/.449 line for the month, while Andre Ethier (.729 OPS) and Matt Kemp (.637 OPS) produced well below their seasonal norms.
Dodger Batter of the Month: Rafael Furcal got the job done, hitting .300/.400/.491 with 21 runs scored for the "month." A healthy and productive Furcal at the top of the lineup could do wonders in the playoffs.
Dodger Pitcher of the Month: Clayton Kershaw sat out a lot of the month, nursing a right shoulder injury, but when he pitched he made it count. Kershaw threw 18 innings, had a 1.50 ERA, and struck out 21 batters for the month. In game 161, he threw six superb innings, striking out 10 batters without allowing a run, keeping the Dodgers in the game in what beame their division clinching game.
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Dodgers Week 26 In Review: Sweet, Sweet Victory
by Eric Stephen on Oct 4, 2009 9:10 PM PDT
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"Good things come to those who wait. The wait is over!"
-Charley Steiner, after the final division-clinching out Saturday night on KABC
The Dodgers struggled for most of the week, especially the offense, but as they have all year, they found a way to get the job done in the end. They ended last week with a chance to clinch the division, but didn't finish the job until late this week, in game 161. However, a pair of wins over the final weekend was more than enough to lock the Dodgers in as the top seed in the National League playoffs.
All those wins banked earlier in the season proved to be enough savings for a rainy week, helping the club withstand their worst stretch of the year. But remember, how you finish the season doesn't really matter in the playoffs, as the odometer for every team gets reset beginning Wednesday.
Dodger Batter of the Week: This award should really be vacant for the week, but we'll give it to Rafael Furcal for being the least horrible offensive player. Furcal actually wasn't bad, hitting .357/.471/.357 for the week, but it really was a putrid week for the offense.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Clayton Kershaw came up huge in the division clincher on Saturday, striking out the first five Rockies on his way to a 10-strikeout performance over six shutout innings. He didn't get the win in that game, but he can take solace in winning the TBLA pitcher of the week!
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Dodgers Week 25 In Review: Ohhh So Close
by Eric Stephen on Sep 27, 2009 10:47 PM PDT
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The Dodgers had everything in place to clinch the division on Sunday, with a three-run lead in Pittsburgh in the ninth inning, but couldn't hold on, losing and putting the champagne on ice for at least one more day. However, rather than focus on what didn't happen this week, let's review what was accomplished.
The Dodgers clinched a playoff spot by winning on Saturday, for their third playoff appearance in four seasons. It is Joe Torre's 14th straight postseason, tying a major league record.
Clayton Kershaw is back, healthy and pitching again. He'll have one more tuneup start this week to get ready for the playoffs.
The Dodgers enter the season's final week on the verge of the division title, and in good shape to clinch home field in the National League playoffs, holding a 2½-game lead over Philadelphia and a 3-game lead over St. Louis.
Dodger Batter of the Week: If the top of the lineup needs a spark, Rafael Furcal provided a blowtorch this week, pounding out 13 hits while hitting .464/.483/.679 for the week. He scored five runs and had a team-leading seven runs batted in, and hit the game-winning home run on Thursday night in Washington.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Hiroki Kuroda was stellar this week, as he has been since his return from injury. He beat the Nationals on Tuesday, allowing just two unearned runs in six innings. Kuroda will get the chance to clinch the division as he gets the start on Monday morning in the finale in Pittsburgh.
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Dodgers Week 24 In Review: Finish Line In Sight
by Eric Stephen on Sep 21, 2009 8:00 AM PDT
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The Dodgers dropped the hammer at home this week, winning five of six against the Pirates and Giants, bringing them to the precipice of a second-straight division championship. The Dodgers really put it all together this week, combining a hot offense with stellar pitching, and outscored their opponents 36 to 18. This was just the second week of the season that the Dodgers scored at least double the runs of their foes. Way back in their undefeated week two, the Dodgers outscored the Giants and Rockies 50-17, also at home.
Seven of the eight regulars, plus the top two subs, had an OPS of .841 or higher during the week, as the offense scored six runs per game for the second straight week. To become just the third Los Angeles Dodger team ever to score 800 runs, the Dodgers have an uphill climb, needing 74 runs over their final 12 games, an average of 6.17 per contest.
The pitching was also great, as the starters put up an earned run average under three and the relievers put up an ERA under two. Seven of the nine relievers who pitched this week didn't allow a run.
The Dodgers have a five-game division lead over the Rockies with 12 games to play, as the inevitable truth of their 11th National League West division title is getting closer and closer. The last time the Dodgers won back-to-back division titles was 1977-1978.
Dodger Batter of the Week: Ronnie Belliard had another great week as a super-sub, but this award goes to the man Belliard tied for the club RBI lead during the week, Andre Ethier. Ethier hit three home runs during the week, all of which gave the Dodgers the lead, none more memorable than Tuesday night's game-ender against Pittsburgh, his sixth walk-off hit of the season. Honorable mention goes to Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal, each of whom put up an OPS over 1.000.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Jon Garland gets this award, his second in three weeks as a Dodger. He won both starts, pitching 14 innings with a 1.29 ERA and 1.143 WHIP. There were a lot of candidates this week, including Hiroki Kuroda and his one run allowed in six innings, or any of the back end of the bullpen, who didn't allow a thing all week.
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Dodgers Week 23 In Review: Getting It Done
by Eric Stephen on Sep 14, 2009 9:28 AM PDT
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The Dodgers had a productive week, winning a pair of series on the road, as they inched closer to a playoff berth. The Dodgers won two of three games in Arizona, then did the same in San Francisco, effectively ending any Bay Area playoff dreams.
The offense came alive this week, scoring six runs per game. In an odd twist, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp took a back seat while their supporting class, and Manny, did the heavy lifting.
Dodger Batter of the Week: James Loney had his best week of the season, hitting three home runs, hitting .381/.462/.857 while driving in eight runs. Manny Ramirez also had a great week, hitting .400/.526/.933, as did Casey Blake, who returned from his hamstring injury to hit .500/.615/.800 in the three game series in San Francisco.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Another late-season acquisition came through this week, as Vicente Padilla took the award. Padilla won both starts, with a 1.50 ERA, improving to 3-0 as a Dodger. Honorable mention goes to James McDonald, who struck out five of the six batters he faced.
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Dodgers Week 22 In Review: Running To Stand Still
by Eric Stephen on Sep 7, 2009 1:11 AM PDT
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The Dodgers had a tough time this week against the bottom two teams in the NL West, splitting with Arizona and losing the series with San Diego. While the Dodgers, especially on offense, appeared to be Running to Stand Still, perhaps another U2 song would be a better descriptor for the Dodgers at the plate right now: Bad.
The Dodger pitching staff continued to excel, with both the starters and relievers posting earned run averages under 3.00 for the week. However, what was So Cruel about the week was that the Dodgers still had a losing record to show for it.
Dodger Batter of the Week: There was really nobody that stood out for the Dodgers on offense this week, so I'm giving this award to Ronnie Belliard. Acquired last weekend from the Nationals, Belliard spelled Orlando Hudson for a few games, then filled in for Casey Blake over the weekend. Belliard ended up with six starts, and hit .304/.333/.478 for the week. He won me over with his first impression, a home run in his first at-bat as a Dodger, on Monday against Arizona.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: The pitching has been so great of late that this award is a tough choice every week. I'm giving this one to another Dodger newcomer, Jon Garland, who excelled in his first start with the club. Garland threw seven innings against his old mates, retiring 14 straight Diamondbacks at one point.
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Dodgers August In Review: The Ethier, Kemp, And Wolf Show
by Eric Stephen on Sep 1, 2009 9:01 AM PDT
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The Dodgers had their first losing month of the season, going 14-15 in August, but all is not as bad at it appears. The division lead got as small as two games over the Rockies, but a late surge allowed the Dodgers to expand back to a 5½-game lead entering the final month (plus four days) of the season.
The Dodgers outscored their opponents by 33 runs in month, the third best run differential in baseball for August, behind the Yankees (+52) and Braves (+43).
Dodger Batter of the Month: The award for August is shared by Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. Ethier led the club in hits (38), doubles (11), batting average (.333), on base percentage (.411), OPS (1.034) and wOBA (.438). Kemp led the club in runs (22), home runs (9), runs batted in (27), stolen bases (6), and slugging percentage (.634). The two have been the club's two best hitters all season, and August was no exception.
Dodger Pitcher of the Month: Randy Wolf had a spectacular month, averaging seven innings in his seven starts, and had a 2.76 ERA and 3.01 FIP for the month. Wolf had a personal four-game winning streak in the middle of the month that was snapped on Monday night.
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