Suddenly, the Dodgers can't buy a win. Sans Manny, the team dropped to 1-4, but still have a nice record of 22-12 overall. They no longer have the best record in the league, and they're playing like they're the worst team in the league. Case in point:
The Blue started a six-game trip yesterday in Philly, and jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. They led 2-1 when the wheels fell off and Philly took a 4-2 lead of a struggling Clayton Kershaw, who, once again, threw far too many pitches in the early innings. Then, the strange happened. In the seventh inning, with one out, former Dodger Jayson Werth singled and stole second. An out later, Jimmy Rollins was intentionally walked and the two pulled off a double-steal, with Werth taking third. After a quick pitching change, a rare feat occured when, after a Ronald Belisario pitch to Pedro Feliz, as Russell Martin was tossing the ball back to Belisario, Werth broke for home and stole home under the return throw from Belisario and tag by Martin.
The Dodgers would eventually make it interesting in the ninth off Philly closer Brad Lidge, getting three straight hits for a run, and then almost tying it when a Juan Pierre fly ball to deep center almost carried over Shane Victorino's head but was instead caught as Victorino made on acrobatic running catch. But its situations like the one in the seventh inning that are troubling. You just simply can not take a nap as a pitcher, or a catcher, when you have runners on base like that, especially in a close game with a runner as smart as Werth (who already had three stolen bases in the game, let alone the two in the inning) standing at third base.
Obviously, Manny can't help in those situations, and the offense, while its cooled off just a tad, could certainly use Manny's bat in the lineup again. Andre Ethier hasn't done a thing really, since the suspension. Fortuantely, Orlando Hudson has been red-hot, and Juan Pierre has been tearing the cover off the ball as if his job depended on it again, but then again, he's no Manny.
As for Manny, still no sign of him. He was apparently in L.A. last week, but according to a couple of the players who have spoken to him briefly by phone, he's been too distraught to talk right now. The Dodgers are in Florida this weekend, where Manny usually makes his off-season home. Manny is back in Miami now, and it's still very hopeful that Manny will will make an appearance and address his teammates in some way, shape or form.
But there's still two more games to be played in Philly. Randy Wolf goes for the Blue tonight against his former team, and will oppose the old man Jamie Moyer. The Thursday, in an afternoon matinee, the marquee match-up of the series, Chad Billingsley takes on Cole Hamels.
On a couple of other notes, Hiroki Kuroda and Jason Schmidt are both on their road back from injuries, Kuroda much sooner than Schmidt, obviously. But after some bullpen sessions, batting practices, simulated games and rehab starts, all is looking good and promising for both pitchers.
The Blue started a six-game trip yesterday in Philly, and jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. They led 2-1 when the wheels fell off and Philly took a 4-2 lead of a struggling Clayton Kershaw, who, once again, threw far too many pitches in the early innings. Then, the strange happened. In the seventh inning, with one out, former Dodger Jayson Werth singled and stole second. An out later, Jimmy Rollins was intentionally walked and the two pulled off a double-steal, with Werth taking third. After a quick pitching change, a rare feat occured when, after a Ronald Belisario pitch to Pedro Feliz, as Russell Martin was tossing the ball back to Belisario, Werth broke for home and stole home under the return throw from Belisario and tag by Martin.
The Dodgers would eventually make it interesting in the ninth off Philly closer Brad Lidge, getting three straight hits for a run, and then almost tying it when a Juan Pierre fly ball to deep center almost carried over Shane Victorino's head but was instead caught as Victorino made on acrobatic running catch. But its situations like the one in the seventh inning that are troubling. You just simply can not take a nap as a pitcher, or a catcher, when you have runners on base like that, especially in a close game with a runner as smart as Werth (who already had three stolen bases in the game, let alone the two in the inning) standing at third base.
Obviously, Manny can't help in those situations, and the offense, while its cooled off just a tad, could certainly use Manny's bat in the lineup again. Andre Ethier hasn't done a thing really, since the suspension. Fortuantely, Orlando Hudson has been red-hot, and Juan Pierre has been tearing the cover off the ball as if his job depended on it again, but then again, he's no Manny.
As for Manny, still no sign of him. He was apparently in L.A. last week, but according to a couple of the players who have spoken to him briefly by phone, he's been too distraught to talk right now. The Dodgers are in Florida this weekend, where Manny usually makes his off-season home. Manny is back in Miami now, and it's still very hopeful that Manny will will make an appearance and address his teammates in some way, shape or form.
But there's still two more games to be played in Philly. Randy Wolf goes for the Blue tonight against his former team, and will oppose the old man Jamie Moyer. The Thursday, in an afternoon matinee, the marquee match-up of the series, Chad Billingsley takes on Cole Hamels.
On a couple of other notes, Hiroki Kuroda and Jason Schmidt are both on their road back from injuries, Kuroda much sooner than Schmidt, obviously. But after some bullpen sessions, batting practices, simulated games and rehab starts, all is looking good and promising for both pitchers.
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