Can’t Get No Relief
Last season the NL West Champion Dodgers relied heavily on their bullpen to give them relief, but after leading the NL in runs allowed in 2009, the Dodger bullpen just can’t seem to put it together this year. What gives? (more…)
Dodgers Drop Series to Marlins
The Dodgers bullpen collapsed again this weekend as L.A. dropped another three-game series to the Florida Marlins falling to 2-4.
Traditionally, the Dodgers have owned the Marlins on the road, but this weekend Jorge Cantu torched our bullpen and sparked a Marlin comeback in back-to-back games to take the series.
After hitting the game-winning sacrifice fly Saturday night, Cantu hit a three-run homer in the fourth yesterday to pull the Marlins within a run, and then he added a two-run go-ahead double in the seventh to help Florida pull away. When the weekend was over, Cantu racked up seven RBI in the series and again the Dodgers bullpen (that was so stellar last year) folded.
Saturday night’s game winning sacrifice fly came off Dodger reliever George Sherill whose late-inning struggles have become perplexing–perhaps more perplexing than Torre’s decision to go with Sherill in the first place. Meanwhile, closer Jonathan Broxton watched in the bullpen as Sherill gave up three runs in the ninth Saturday (two of them earned) and lost the ballgame.
For a reliever that was so good down the stretch last season, Sherill was equally as bad in the playoffs and his struggles have continued into spring training and the regular season. So far Sherill has retired only one of the five batters he’s faced with an E.R.A of 22.50. Ouch.
Jonathan Broxton has only allowed one hit in one-and-two-thirds innings of work. He also has three strikeouts. Note to Torre: stick with what works.
Dodger slugger Andre Ethier missed most of the series with a sore left ankle, but he managed to come off the bench and hit a two-run pinch-hit single in the eighth Saturday night. However, Ethier ended a potential Dodger comeback in Sunday’s contest when he grounded out with runners at the corners. Kemp and Loney also also couldn’t come through in the ninth after L.A. led off the inning with a walk and a single. All in all, the Dodgers ended the game with 16 men left on base.
For the most part, Charlie Haeger was very impressive Sunday in his first start of the season throwing a career-high 12 strikeouts. Catcher A.J. Ellis (who was just called up Sunday) did have a tough time catching the knuckleballer allowing three-wild pitches, two of them coming on third strikes allowing runners to reach base. Ellis was brought up after an injury to placed veteran catcher Brad Ausms on the DL.
The Dodgers hope to rebound with their home-opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks late Tuesday afternoon which will kick off the first of six straight games at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw has the task of slowing down one of the hottest teams in baseball right now (Arizona almost broke a MLB record with 13 runs in the fourth inning yesterday), and also avoiding L.A.’s first 2-5 start since 1998.
The Dodgers should feel more comfortable at home. They are 98-64 at Chavez Ravine since the beginning of the 2008 season. The Chicago Cubs are the only NL team with more home victories over that time span.
