The Dodgers close out a rough road trip tonight as they face the Braves on ESPN. With a win, the road trip could become a much more palatable 3-4, especially since it started with three straight losses.
The Dodger starters have a string of four straight quality starts:
| Date |
Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| 7/29 | Kershaw | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 7/30 | Kuroda | 6.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 7/31 | Schmidt | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 8/1 | Wolf | 6.0 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
Will Chad Billingsley continue that streak today? I sure hope so. Let's hope he can pitch more like the first five innings last Tuesday in St. Louis than he did during the sixth.
Pitching for the Braves will be 23-year old Jair Jurrjens, who is coming off an excellent July (4-1, 2.09 ERA).
Manny Ramirez is in a post-Bobbleslam funk, hitting .152/.263/.212 (5 for 33) in the eight games since his electrifying pinch-hit.
The last time the Dodgers were on the ESPN Sunday night game (June 21 in Anaheim), Steve Phillips -- who has been in the Dodger clubhouse less than Phil or I have this year -- speculated that the Dodger players wouldn't stand for Juan Pierre being benched, once Manny returned, in favor of Andre Ethier. Here are the numbers for those two players since that day:
| Player |
BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| Ethier | .273 | .353 | .591 | .944 |
| Pierre | .253 | .309 | .293 | .602 |
I can't wait to hear what "insight" spews out of Steve Phillips tonight.
Ethier has homered in each of the last two games. He had the last Dodger streak of three straight games with a home run, in July 2008.
Get your guesses in for "Just A Bit Outside" here.
Game Time: 5:15pm
TV: ESPN