Dodgers Losing Streak Hits Eight, Where Do We Go From Here?
It was supposed to be the series that would turn things around. The Miami Marlins have scored the least amount of runs in baseball and Placido Polanco is their number three hitter as the Dodgers faced a must-win proposition Friday night.
Well, the bullpen blew yet another game and the Dodgers pounded 10 hits while leaving seven runners on base. It hasn’t been a problem getting on-base as the team ranks 7th in baseball in on-base percentage and 13th in batting average.
So, what’s the problem besides the obvious: injuries. Well, Matt Kemp has as many home runs as Clayton Kershaw and Andre Ethier hasn’t hit a home run since April 27th. The left side of the infield has as many RBI’s as me and you and they can’t even lay down a successful sac-bunt.
It’s hard to blame manager Don Mattingly as it seems like everyone in Los Angeles outside of Dodgers management wants him fired. It’s one thing if Kemp and Ethier were producing and the team is losing, but it’s hard to find a silver lining.
Think about it this way, last year the Dodgers were winning games with Elian Herrera, Jerry Hairston and other utility players filling in, but obviously the magic isn’t here right now.
After last night’s game, Mattingly is trying to stay positive:
“I think negative breeds negative, that’s for sure,” Mattingly said. “When things aren’t going good, it seems like we talk about momentum in this game and us trying to get it turned around. You got to get that turned somehow. We have to fight.”
One win tonight might go a long way in turning the season around as the Dodgers find themselves in last place in the NL West and seven games behind first place. Yes, it’s May 11, but a team with $220 million tied up in contracts isn’t supposed to flop like the Dodgers are.
A sweep was pretty much necessary this weekend and without that, the Dodgers must-win these next two games before facing the Nationals next week.