Dodgers vs Rangers coverage
Dodgers vs Rangers boxscore
The Dodgers may have the best record in baseball but they accumulated that record while playing the NL. Already in 2009 they now have a 1 - 3 record against the AL league and continue to look as futile in interleague play in 2009 as they have since Interleague play begin in 1997. With an overall mark of 36-62 and a mark of 5-28 since 2005 the Dodgers just seem unable to compete against the AL.
While Steve Lyons was in awe of the lightning firing across the Texas sky, the Dodger bats appeared to be the ones short circuited. The Ranger's were in first place because of their offense and defense not because of their pitching but it was the pitching that proved the difference in this game.
Padilla gave the offense plenty of chances but no one could deliver a hit with runners on base. The best chance came with Pierre on 3rd and one out but a vicious line drive by Andre was speared by Chris Davis and that was the end of the Dodgers best chance to score all night. Just two weeks after being put on waivers Padilla shut out the Dodgers over five innings and reclamation project Jason Jennings provided three more shutout innings. They had one last chance in the eighth to break the shutout, with two on and two out the Dodger DH was up in the form of Mark Loretta. He then tried to bunt which says all you want to know about the quality of slugger the Dodgers are using as a DH this day. To his credit he then whacked a shot to 3rd but it was right at Michael Young who made a nice play to finish off the inning.
Kuroda started off great, striking out 4 of the first seven batters he faced. His final line of five earned runs in 5 plus innings was not real indicative of his outing. Mota came in and allowed two inherited runners to score and a Loney error was very responsible for keeping the inning going in the 3rd when the Rangers scored their first two runs on the way to a 6 - 0 whitewash.
Loney was the goat of the game, leaving five runners on base in his first two at bats including the bases loaded in the top of the third. He followed that by letting a ground ball go right through his legs helping the Rangers to the first of their five runs on the day.
Other then Andre is anyone hitting the ball with any authority on the team? Juan Pierre is now basically what he's always been, still spraying a hit now and again but the patience he displayed over the first month of replacing Manny has disappeared with only one walk in his last 12 games. Orlando Hudson has an OPS of .645 over his last 28 days. Casey Blake hasn't hit a home run since May 19th, a period of 19 games. His OPS over his last 14 games is .550. Martin of course is Martin, not only a slugging % night mare but he has as .216 batting average over his last 28 days and a .574 OPS. Furcal continues to be the worse hitting SS in the NL but has shown some signs of life in June so maybe we have seen the worse of Rafy in 2009 with good things possibly a head. Mark Loretta was the DH today so I guess Joe Torre failed to notice that Loretta was hitless in June. Not that he had alot of options with DeWitt, Castro, Ausmus, and Jamie Hoffman being the other candidates.
Even with the loss the Dodgers still have the best record in the NL, but at some point it would be nice if they could win an interleague road game.