While Dodger fans ponder the latest inability of the Dodgers to find a way to score via the basehit it should be very familiar to everyone concerned. It was only a year ago when the same problem manifested itself leaving everyone groping for an explanation.
108 Thu, Aug 2 box LAD SFG L 2-4 58-50 2 1.0 3:18 B Zito B Tomko 56,000 -
109 Fri, Aug 3 box LAD ARI L 0-1 58-51 3 2.0 2:32 D Davis C Billingsle 51,582 --
110 Sat, Aug 4 box LAD ARI L 7-8 58-52 3 3.0 2:55 L Hernandez D Lowe 52,921 ---
111 Sun, Aug 5 box LAD ARI L 0-3 58-53 3 4.0 2:19 B Webb B Penny 48,803 ----
112 Tue, Aug 7 box LAD @CIN L 0-4 58-54 3 4.0 2:40 B Arroyo M Hendrickso 22,057 -----
113 Wed, Aug 8 box LAD @CIN L 0-1 58-55 4 5.0 2:28 A Harang C Billingsle 20,462 ------
114 Thu, Aug 9 box LAD @CIN W 5-4 (11) 59-55 3 5.0 3:35 S Proctor V Santos 25,965 +
115 Fri, Aug 10 box LAD @STL W 2-1 60-55 3 5.0 2:41 J Beimel A Wainwright 44,595 ++
116 Sat, Aug 11 box LAD @STL L 1-6 60-56 3 6.0 2:27 B Looper D Lowe 44,260 -
117 Sun, Aug 12 box LAD @STL L 2-12 60-57 4 6.0 2:54 A Reyes M Hendrickso 45,379 --
118 Mon, Aug 13 box LAD HOU L 1-4 60-58 4 6.5 3:02 R Oswalt C Billingsle 49,511 ---
119 Tue, Aug 14 box LAD HOU L 4-7 60-59 4 6.5 3:01 M Albers B Tomko 49,399 ----
So in a 12 game stretch last year we scored less then 3 runs 8 times thus resulting in an 2 - 10 record.
This year
Gm Date Team Opp Score W-L Rank GB Time Winner Loser Attend Streak (+win -loss)
125 Tue, Aug 19 box LAD COL L 3-8 64-61 2 1.0 3:20 U Jimenez H Kuroda 46,687 -
126 Wed, Aug 20 box LAD COL L 3-4 64-62 2 2.0 3:04 T Buchholz J Broxton 48,183 --
127 Thu, Aug 21 box LAD COL W 3-1 65-62 2 2.0 2:36 D Lowe J de la Rosa 44,885 +
128 Fri, Aug 22 box LAD @PHI L 1-8 65-63 2 2.0 2:28 K Kendrick G Maddux 42,620 -
129 Sat, Aug 23 box LAD @PHI L 2-9 65-64 2 3.0 2:41 C Hamels C Kershaw 45,019 --
130 Sun, Aug 24 box LAD @PHI L 2-5 (11) 65-65 2 3.0 4:11 C Durbin J Beimel 43,039 ---
131 Mon, Aug 25 box LAD @PHI L 0-5 65-66 2 3.0 3:00 B Myers C Billingsle 40,873 ----
132 Tue, Aug 26 box LAD @WSN L 1-2 65-67 2 3.0 2:36 C Balester D Lowe 26,110 -----
You would think having Manny instead of Hillenbrand would have helped but alas it has not. What is wrong with the makeup of this team that they are unable to deliver a simple single with a runner in scoring position? Are we to old and they get worn out(Kent, Nomar, Blake), to young and they are not yet used to playing in August(Kemp, Etheir, Loney, Martin)? I can't buy that.
Sample size applies to this whole shindig, but I just found it strange that we are replicating early August of 2007 in exactly the same way in late August this year. It certainly is not the quaility of the pitching. Not with the stiffs being thrown at us. No matter what the reason, if they don't turn it around on a dime this team is destined to look more like Jon Weisman's 2005 Dodgers then the team I felt so optimistic about two weeks ago.
The optimism was based not on the past record of the Dodgers but on the fact I had hoped we had closed two offensive black holes at SS and 3rd base while greatly improving our offensive capabilities by playing the best outfielders we had. On paper it still looks good to me, but the execution is certainly lacking. Why teams go into offensive slumps is mystifying but it is becoming quite irritating that we do it in August.
I'm not sure what is more irritating. That the Diamondbacks can't put us a way and leave us with a glimmer of hope or that we can't catch such a flawed team. It doesn't help that our bench has reeked for most of the season but right now the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the starters who are just not doing the job.