Dodger Bullpen ‘Seeing Red Again’
Chad Billingsley struggled in his third outing of the season giving up seven runs in just three innings, and the Dodgers (6-7) failed to capitalize on a late rally dropping the first of the series to the Cincinnati Reds (6-8), 9-11.
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How does a baseball team still manage to stay below .500 despite having one of the most explosive offenses in the league? Pitching, or a lack thereof.
This time the Dodgers tried but couldn’t quite rebound from Billingsley’s latest meltdown. After giving up seven hits and four earned, most of which came in a six-run second inning, Los Angeles erased a six-run Reds’ lead late in the ballgame, but the struggling Dodger bullpen couldn’t come through in the clutch…again. (more…)
Ronald Belisario to the Rescue
It’s been a long and tedious off-season for relief pitcher Ronald Belisario, but the Dodgers are willing to put it all behind them if Belisario can help out their inefficient bullpen.
The Dodgers activated the Venezuelan pitcher just one day after sending veteran Russ Ortiz back to Triple-A Albuquerque. The move makes Belisario elligible to pitch in tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, and they may choose to go with him after last night’s latest bullpen meltdown when Ramon Troncoso walked two and gave up a two-run, go-ahead single to the Reds in the eighth.
As one writer so eloquently put it: “Cincinnati had the Dodgers bullpen seeing red…again.”
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Belisario could help stop the bleeding; he is coming back from a bright rookie season where he hurled an ERA of 2.04 in 70 2-3 innings and helped the Blue down the stretch when the starting rotation couldn’t get past the sixth inning.
But the pitcher does come with some baggage. He was arrested last year in California for suspicion of driving under the influence, and supposedly the ensuing court case created visa problems in his native Venezuela, which caused him to miss most of spring training. As a result, he’s been on the Dodgers restricted list prior to his activation this week.
Belisario may not be the only missing link to Los Angeles’ bullpen. The Dodgers also brought up Jon Link for his major league debut last night against the Cincinnati Reds. Link came in the sixth inning after the Reds jumped out to a 9-3 lead. The right-hander threw two scoreless innings allowing no hits and only one walk.
Pitcher Russ Ortiz Goes Back to Minors
Somebody is making some moves in the Dodgers bullpen, and I’m not talking about the pitching. Los Angeles finally chose to send reliever Russ Ortiz back to the minor leagues Sunday, a move that was probably long overdue.
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Arizona Outlasts Dodgers in 11th, 9-7
The Dodgers bullpen hung in against the resilient Diamondbacks last night but eventually faltered to in the 11th inning, 9-7.
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The Dodger bullpen had it’s work cut out for them last night. Los Angeles used seven relief pitchers in the battle including last Sunday’s starter Charlie Haeger who pitched a scoreless ninth. But the Diamondbacks (5-3) came out on top after the 11-inning affair went late into the Los Angeles night.
The ‘Backs went ahead for good in the 11th when Chris Young (4-8, two RBI on the series) hit a bases-loaded single off Russ Ortiz (0-1) to bring in Stephen Drew. Second baseman Augie Ojeda added an insurance run plating Adam LaRoche with a sac fly to center, but Arizona really only needed one run to win the ball game. (more…)
Best Outfield in Baseball? Vote Here
[picappgallerysingle id="6281474"]Dodger outfielders Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, and Matt kemp all homered in the Dodgers 9-5 win over the Diamondbacks yesterday, which according to ESPN is the first time a trio of starting outfielders have done this in a home opener since the 1987 Padres.
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The terrific trifecta have combined for four of the Dodger eight home runs this season (combined for 76 hrs and 270 RBI in 2009), and each of them are hitting at an average of atleast .300 (.316, .300, and .321) with a slugging percentage of atleast .400 (.421, .417, .536). Both Kemp and Ethier won Silver Slugging awards last season, and Manny has won nine in his 17-year career. (more…)
