Advertisement

Ramon Ortiz can’t get it done, again, as Dodgers’ winning streak ends at nine in 10-5 loss to Padres

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Can we now all agree the Ramon Ortiz experiment has been a failure?

Please.

I guess the only person who was shocked that Ortiz got knocked around Wednesday by the offensively challenged Padres is Manager Joe Torre.

Anyway, he has to feign surprise. He does, of course, have to write someone’s name into that fifth spot in the rotation until Vicente Padilla comes back in a couple weeks.

And if there is no clear choice who should be the fifth starter, it should be abundantly clear by now it sure ain’t Ortiz.

Ortiz was rocked for five runs on six hits and three walks in just 3 1/3 innings. His earned-run average climbed to 6.30, his record fell to 1-2, the confidence level in him slipped to zero.

Advertisement

The Dodgers ultimately fell, 10-5, to the Padres, snapping their nine-game winning streak and dropping them two games behind San Diego in the National League West standings.

Until last week, Ortiz hadn’t started a major-league game since 2007. There’s just a small possibility there was good reason for the nearly three-year drought.

I’d say I don’t understand the fascination with Ortiz, but it’s more about a lack of viable alternatives.

There is no one at triple-A Albuquerque who is making a case for promotion -- Josh Lindbom (2-1, 6.05 ERA), Josh Towers (2-5, 8.05), James McDonald (2-1, 5.77), Scott Elbert (1-1, 5.85).

There’s really nobody on the staff, either, though at this point Carlos Monasterios looks like a gamble worth taking over another Ortiz outing. Monasterios threw three scoreless innings Wednesday in his first appearance in eight days.

It’s not like Ortiz is suddenly going to make some jump in ability or experience. He’s 36. He is what he is, and it’s not good enough.

--Steve Dilbeck

Advertisement