Loney Ejected, Dodgers Swept in Doubleheader
[picappgallerysingle id="4935843"]
James Loney was ejected for arguing balls and strikes, and the Dodgers felt a little dejected after getting swept by the New York Mets in today’s doubleheader at Citi Field, 0-4 and 5-10.
After a frustrating first game, Loney was tossed in the fourth of game-two when a disagreement sparked over umpire Angel Campos’ questionable third-strike call, one that subsequently ended a Dodger-rally with bases-loaded. Loney had been swinging a hot bat coming into the series, hitting around .310, but unfortunately he let his hot head get the better of him. (more…)
Slumping Dodgers Shoutout in Game One, 4-0
[picappgallerysingle id="8483461"]
The Dodgers were shutout in game-one of today’s doubleheader courtesy of two-time Cy Young winner Johan Santana and the New York Mets, 4-0.
The shutout marks the third time this season Los Angeles has failed to post a run (they had a total of nine shutouts last year). The Manny-less Dodgers managed just five hits, one of which came from Manny’s replacement Reed Johnson who hit a one-out triple in the top of the third. Ethier and Kemp failed to pick him up, though, as the Dodgers left 17 runners on base en route to losing their seventh-of-the-last-nine road games. (more…)
Et tu, Vicente?
[picappgallerysingle id="6740379"]
First he shot himself in the leg, literally. Then he struggled in spring training, still earning the starting spot on Opening Day, and then continued to struggle in the regular season. And now he’s been placed on the 15-day DL with an injury to his right forearm. Arguably not the greatest couple of months for Dodger pitcher Vicente Padilla.
The Dodger righty was originally placed on the DL this week when he complained that his upper right forearm muscle was bothering him. The injury later turned out to be a rather serious one, an irritated radial nerve in his forearm, which you can find more information about by clicking on the link.
According to manager Joe Torre, the injury was something he sustained in spring training and then flared up again in last Thursday night’s 8-5 loss to Cincinnati. Padilla is 1-1 with a 7.06 ERA in four starts this season.
Not only are the Dodgers losing games, they are also losing some of the players that helped them down the stretch last season. Manny was also placed on the DL with a strained calf this weekend along with relief pitcher Jeff Weaver, who was a workhorse out of the Dodger pen early on.
In the meantime, Los Angeles has called up right-hander Jon Link from Triple-A Albuquerque. In his Dodger-debut Link threw two scoreless innings of relief against the Reds last Tuesday.
Dodgers Need Double-Dip Over Mets
[picappgallerysingle id="8635805"]
April showers might bring May flowers, but they probably washed away any chance the Dodgers had of finishing April with a winning record.
If you told me about a month ago that the Los Angeles Dodgers would drop three of the opening five series to the Pirates, Marlins and Nationals, I would have called you a bold-faced liar. But as it turns out, the cards have been stacked high against the Dodgers all season as they’ve struggled to win a series on the road and still have yet to get above .500.
Unfortunately for L.A., the road doesn’t get any easier tomorrow. Since tonight’s game was postponed due to rain, the Dodgers find themselves playing a doubleheader against the surging New York Mets, who’ve won seven out of their last ten. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lost six-of-nine on the road.
Oh yeah, and Johan Santana is pitching the first game.
But with Vicente Padilla on the DL and a blank-spot in Wednesday’s rotation against John Maine, a sweep tomorrow may be the only chance the Dodgers have to finish April with a winning record. To do so they’ll need to win four out of five games this week.
There is a silver lining for the Dodgers waiting over the rain-soaked grass of Citi Field. Nothing washes the rain away like a good, old-fashioned sweep on the road, and kicking off the series with a double-dip over the Mets would be a great start.
Tomorrow’s first game is scheduled to start at 4:10 EDT with Hiroki Kuroda going against Santana. On a positive note, Kuroda has thrived away from home as of late, going 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his last seven starts; however, he’s 0-2 with a 12.86 ERA in two road meetings versus the Mets and has never competed more than five innings.
Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger will take the hill in game two against tonight’s scheduled starter Olivier Perez despite getting shelled in his last three outings. Haeger is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA.
Matt Kemp, who’s leading the Blue Crew with seven homers and 20 RBI, is hitting a whomping .436 with six RBIs in the last ten road trips to New York. Casey Blake is 5-for-his-last-9 with two homers and 3 RBI.
Dodgers Enduring Long and Winding Road
[picappgallerysingle id="6859900"]
Unlike something out of a Willy Nelson song, the Los Angeles Dodgers (7-9) have found no comfort on the road; in fact it’s more like the Highway to Hell.
Adam Dunn homered twice and opposing pitcher Luis Atilano won in his major league debut as the Dodgers dropped another road game tonight to the lowly Washington Nationals (9-8), 1-5, making it the seventh time in ten games the Blue have lost an away game this season. (more…)
