Dodgers can’t get their West thing to translate, fall to Marlins 6-5
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Meanwhile, back out of their comfort zone -- the National League West -- the Dodgers again struggled.
The Florida Marlins dropped into Dodger Stadium Monday five games under .500, with an interim manager, a struggling starter and very excited to be playing the Boys in Blue.
After the Marlins had knocked off the Dodgers, 6-5, the numbers were of the revealing type.
Against teams from the N.L. West, the Dodgers are a robust 23-6.
Against teams from the N.L. East, the Dodgers are 4-10.
And they’ve yet to play the Phillies.
Certainly, not enough went right for the Dodgers Monday against the Marlins.
John Ely, looking a little too much like yesterday’s wunderkind, suffered through the worst start of his rookie season.
He lasted just 2 2/3 innings, easily the shortest start of his career. In his 12 previous starts, he’d gone less than five innings only once.
But none of those other starts looked much like Monday’s. The first two hitters he faced both scored. He gave up an unearned run in the second.
And then his complete undoing unfolded in the third, although he might have fared better if shortstop Rafael Furcal was taller than 5 feet 8.
Ely gave up a leadoff single to Hanley Ramirez, then an infield hit to Dan Uggla that Furcal dove and made an excellent stop on but couldn’t get the ball out of his glove for a play on second, a single just over the head of Furcal to load the bases and then a two-run single by Wes Helms just by a diving Furcal that scored two.
When pitcher Nate Robinson singled to score one more, Manager Joe Torre had seen enough.
Ely (4-6) allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk in under three innings.
Meanwhile, Robinson (6-6) kept the Dodgers in check well enough. Robinson, who had won only one game since May 15 (eight starts), went six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.
-- Steve Dilbeck