Call the FBI. Use radar. Round up a search party. Dodgers' offense has disappeared
Brother, can you spare a run?
At least when the Dodgers were hitting the snot out of the ball they were a .500 team.
Now their offense is off somewhere with Amelia Earhart. One of the great disappearances in sports history. At least in the last week.
The Dodgers have lost five consecutive games, getting shut out three times. Their offense is so meek, they think they’re going to inherit the Earth.
"It’s frustrating," said manager Joe Torre. "We’re just in a slump right now."
You think? The five-game losing streak already matches their longest skid of 2009.
They’ve only played 21 games and are already six games back of the Padres.
The Padres? The we-have-one-great-player-and-a-bunch-of-guys Padres? The Dodgers should beat down the Padres the way the SEC should beat down Goldman Sachs. The Padres shouldn’t even be in the same conversation with the Dodgers.
That would, of course, require that the Dodgers rediscover an offense.
"It’s no secret that we’re scuffling," said left-hander Clayton Kershaw. "I don’t think the team has lost confidence. We have to just keep grinding it out."
Kershaw was the victim of the Dodgers’ latest lack of support. He allowed only three hits in his 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven.
He opened the game with a costly bout of wildness, walking the first two Pirates. He struck out the next two, but then Ryan Doumit hit a sinking liner to Matt Kemp in center.
Do I really have to tell you what happened next?
At first Kemp thought he could catch the ball. At the last moment he realized he couldn’t get to it in time, but failed to keep the ball in front of him. It skirted past him, played it into a two-run triple.
"I just missed the ball," Kemp said.
One run would have likely scored anyway, which these days is about all the opposition needs.
"We’re not scoring, we’re not hitting, we’re putting a lot of pressure on our pitchers," Torre said.
The Dodgers have lost seven of their last eight games. Their offense is so invisible, only H.G. Wells could love it.
"We’re good," Kemp said before the game "I don’t know why people are panicking, we got like 140 games left."
And at this rate, will be shut out in 25 of them.
-- Steve Dilbeck
At least when the Dodgers were hitting the snot out of the ball they were a .500 team.
Now their offense is off somewhere with Amelia Earhart. One of the great disappearances in sports history. At least in the last week.
The Dodgers have lost five consecutive games, getting shut out three times. Their offense is so meek, they think they’re going to inherit the Earth.
"It’s frustrating," said manager Joe Torre. "We’re just in a slump right now."
You think? The five-game losing streak already matches their longest skid of 2009.
They’ve only played 21 games and are already six games back of the Padres.
The Padres? The we-have-one-great-player-and-a-bunch-of-guys Padres? The Dodgers should beat down the Padres the way the SEC should beat down Goldman Sachs. The Padres shouldn’t even be in the same conversation with the Dodgers.
That would, of course, require that the Dodgers rediscover an offense.
"It’s no secret that we’re scuffling," said left-hander Clayton Kershaw. "I don’t think the team has lost confidence. We have to just keep grinding it out."
Kershaw was the victim of the Dodgers’ latest lack of support. He allowed only three hits in his 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven.
He opened the game with a costly bout of wildness, walking the first two Pirates. He struck out the next two, but then Ryan Doumit hit a sinking liner to Matt Kemp in center.
Do I really have to tell you what happened next?
At first Kemp thought he could catch the ball. At the last moment he realized he couldn’t get to it in time, but failed to keep the ball in front of him. It skirted past him, played it into a two-run triple.
"I just missed the ball," Kemp said.
One run would have likely scored anyway, which these days is about all the opposition needs.
"We’re not scoring, we’re not hitting, we’re putting a lot of pressure on our pitchers," Torre said.
The Dodgers have lost seven of their last eight games. Their offense is so invisible, only H.G. Wells could love it.
"We’re good," Kemp said before the game "I don’t know why people are panicking, we got like 140 games left."
And at this rate, will be shut out in 25 of them.
-- Steve Dilbeck
Why did Torre bat Garrett Anderson second?
Posted by: jimishelter | 04/30/2010 at 07:10 AM
Kemp = Klown!!!!..........ahhh, makes me long for the good old "daze" when FAJ (a.k.a. Fatso Andrew Jones) roamed & rolled along out there in CF (LMAO!)........
seriously, they had better move kemp to a corner outfield spot, & fast, b4 he hurts someone, namely himself!!!!
(a very shrewd move by kemp would be to hire a good lawyer, & sue the dodgers for workplace endangerment, as mgt. forcing him to risk injury to himself by making him perform job duties that he's simply incapable of doing)
Posted by: bigunit | 04/30/2010 at 08:38 AM
Baseball just began, and it already feels like a very long season! And our team is in a tailspin with no improvement in sight. . .
I urge all Dodger fans to boycott this year. That will be the only way the McCourts will consider to improve our team.
In order to be heard, ALL the fans must unite. The McCourts only view Dodger Fans as a revenue source, and believe it or not, together as a group, we can control how much $$$ they can pocket. If we avoid purchasing anything to do with the Dodgers, they will either sell the team, or try to win us back by finally opening their pocket books to address the team's needs to win a championship.
Yes, we will sacrifice this year, but after that, the future will be bright. If we don't, the McCourts will continue to increase ticket & parking prices, lower the Dodgers' payroll, and the Dodgers won't be contenders for many years to come. The Dodgers franchise and its loyal fans deserve better, and it looks like it is up to us to do something about it. It will hurt, but if you believe it is for the better, we can be heard! We can help our team.
As of now, the team morale is at an all-time low, the fans are frustrated, and management is handcuffed; all the while the owners are spending $1million+ per month living larger than kings (financed by us). Disgusting!
Posted by: dodgerfan since '78 | 04/30/2010 at 08:57 AM
What is the reward for finding the Dodger offense? I think I might of seen it on a double decker bus taking a tour in Washignton DC.
Posted by: Jorge Cordova | 04/30/2010 at 10:24 AM
Although it may not be Kemp's fat wallet that is causing his lousy fielding, something is surely wrong. Dave Stewart shut your pie hole you traning loving dope. Your client doesn't need you piping off in his defense, he's a big boy he can handle a little tiff himself.
Posted by: West Coast Ram | 04/30/2010 at 10:32 AM
"The padres shouldn't even be in the same conversation with the dodgers" do you honestly believe that?! The padres have some really really good young pitchers. The dodgers opened up the season with vicente padilla. That should be enough said. Who in the world thought "the dodgers are going to the world series...with Vicente padilla as the opening day starter!"
Pleease. Don't knock other teams when your best starter is some inconsistent 22 year old kid. The offense will be fine. Your bullpen and starters are what are horrible.....those happen to be the padres strengths numbnut!
Posted by: Rob.lobster | 04/30/2010 at 10:58 AM
I am tired of news agencies bashing the padres success. When are you guys going to recognize that the padres are for real this year? Stop the hate and realize we are in the hunt for the top spot this year!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: randy webb | 04/30/2010 at 11:13 AM
"The Padres? The we-have-one-great-player-and-a-bunch-of-guys Padres? The Dodgers should beat down the Padres the way the SEC should beat down Goldman Sachs. The Padres shouldn't even be in the same conversation with the Dodgers."
Ah, yes, the typical Dodger fan arrogance and crybaby attitude that goes with being a Dodger fan. That never changes, regardless of ownership.
The Padres should always be part of the conversation, since they are in the same division as the Dodgers, regardless of where they are in the standings at any time during the season.
The fact that the Dodgers are presently looking up at a six-game difference in the standings between them and the Padres is just too hard for Dodger fans such as you, Dilbeck, to swallow. Yeah, blame it on the "conversation" that shouldn't even be considered.
So glad the McCourt divorce isn't going to affect the Dodger team at all this season, as stated by Colletti. Enjoy. Couldn't happen to a more arrogant, "it's-our-divine-right-to-be-in-first-place" team...and fans.
Posted by: manxlady | 04/30/2010 at 11:40 AM
The only thing that McCourt thinks about is money. In order to improve this team We collectively have got to get him to sell the team. The only way is to reduce the amount of fans in the ballpark. Get the attendance down around 20k per night and see how fast he sells. If he don`t sell, he`ll improve the team a little at a time until he thinks we`re dumb enough to come back. Then he`ll take it right back down again. To drive him out we must keepout. DRIVE HIM OUT BY KEEPING OUT.L.A. deserves a better owner than this charlatan. There are other things to do with your time than go to see this team play and make this guy richer.He is a CANCER THAT MUST BE EXTRACTED.
CANCER
Posted by: Jim McVeigh | 04/30/2010 at 02:18 PM
Sorry Pad fans but he is right the Dodgers have no business what so ever looking up in the standings to the Padres!!! The talent level between the two teams isn't even close. At some point the Padres will come back to earth, and be who we thought they were. Yes, it's embarrassing to Dodger fans to be behind the FRICKING PADRES!!!!!!
Posted by: Kevin | 04/30/2010 at 03:12 PM
TDS ! TDS !
* for more clues, look to my name *
Posted by: These Dodgers Suck | 04/30/2010 at 06:11 PM