Dodgers' offense continues to roar in sweep of Brewers, 7-1
So like everyone was saying, the Dodgers are a regular offensive juggernaut.
Opposing pitchers best run for cover. They are eaten like snacks. Taken advantage of like the elderly.
Before the Dodgers step into the batter’s box these days, they drop their bats, pound their chests, look to the heavens and let out their best Tarzan cry.
OK, maybe not, but it must have felt that way to the Brewers after the Dodgers swept the three-game series in Milwaukee with a 7-1 victory Thursday afternoon.
The Dodgers, whose offense has sputtered since the All-Star break, collected double-digits hits in all three games. It was their first sweep of a road series since they took three from the Giants June 28-30.
Casey Blake hit a two-run homer, Scott Podsednik went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Brad Ausmus had three hits and Ryan Theriot a pair to lead the resurgent offense.
And they managed it Thursday without Manny Ramirez, who was rested. And still a Dodger.
With Carlos Monasterios going 4 1/3 innings and four relievers shutting the Brewers down the rest of the way, it was more than enough offense to beat Milwaukee ace Yovani Gallardo (11-6).
They suddenly have some very late-season momentum, moving into a key three-game series this weekend in Colorado. The Rockies are one of four teams ahead of the Dodgers in the National League wild-card race.
The Dodgers collected 32 hits in the three games in Milwaukee, including nine doubles and four home runs.
The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and fifth innings, before putting the game away with Blake’s two-run homer in the sixth and adding three more in the seventh.
Six of the runs were charged against Gallardo. That matched his season high, though it was the second time in three starts.
Monasterios allowed only two hits, one a Prince Fielder solo home run -- does he hit any other kind? -- but left the game in fifth after loading the bases with one out on two hit batters and a walk.
Despite it being only the fifth, manager Joe Torre went to the same matchups he had successfully used the previous night, getting right-hander Ronald Belisario to strike out Ryan Braun and left-hander George Sherrill to induce Fielder to bounce out.
Opposing pitchers best run for cover. They are eaten like snacks. Taken advantage of like the elderly.
Before the Dodgers step into the batter’s box these days, they drop their bats, pound their chests, look to the heavens and let out their best Tarzan cry.
OK, maybe not, but it must have felt that way to the Brewers after the Dodgers swept the three-game series in Milwaukee with a 7-1 victory Thursday afternoon.
The Dodgers, whose offense has sputtered since the All-Star break, collected double-digits hits in all three games. It was their first sweep of a road series since they took three from the Giants June 28-30.
Casey Blake hit a two-run homer, Scott Podsednik went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, Brad Ausmus had three hits and Ryan Theriot a pair to lead the resurgent offense.
And they managed it Thursday without Manny Ramirez, who was rested. And still a Dodger.
With Carlos Monasterios going 4 1/3 innings and four relievers shutting the Brewers down the rest of the way, it was more than enough offense to beat Milwaukee ace Yovani Gallardo (11-6).
They suddenly have some very late-season momentum, moving into a key three-game series this weekend in Colorado. The Rockies are one of four teams ahead of the Dodgers in the National League wild-card race.
The Dodgers collected 32 hits in the three games in Milwaukee, including nine doubles and four home runs.
The Dodgers scored single runs in the first and fifth innings, before putting the game away with Blake’s two-run homer in the sixth and adding three more in the seventh.
Six of the runs were charged against Gallardo. That matched his season high, though it was the second time in three starts.
Monasterios allowed only two hits, one a Prince Fielder solo home run -- does he hit any other kind? -- but left the game in fifth after loading the bases with one out on two hit batters and a walk.
Despite it being only the fifth, manager Joe Torre went to the same matchups he had successfully used the previous night, getting right-hander Ronald Belisario to strike out Ryan Braun and left-hander George Sherrill to induce Fielder to bounce out.
Rookie Kenley Jansen threw two scoreless innings, Octavio Dotel one, and Jeff Weaver the ninth to complete the Dodgers' first sweep of the Brewers in four years.
The six Dodgers pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter.
-- Steve Dilbeck
I don't know about "roar," but at least a nice purr. ; )
I like Colletti's recent moves. They're smart. Both for this season, and into next year.
Podsednik and Thierot both get on base and are reasonably fast; Kemp, Loney, and Ethier just need to bring them in more consistently. Furcal cannot be depended upon as a full-time leadoff hitter anymore; Ramirez, of course, is gone, whether this year or next.
Martin is finished. Even before he ended his career with that ludicrous non-slide, he wasn't hitting for beans and had grown lazy behind the plate. Barajas is a perfectly serviceable substitute; probably an upgrade.
Dotel is a decent arm for the bullpen. He is not a closer, but then neither is Jonathan Broxton.
Lilly is a good pitcher, and says he'd like to stick around. The Dodgers should try to retain him. They should also try to re-sign Padilla. He's a very good pitcher, when not bedeviled by injuries and his own demons. He's pitched some good games, and his behavior has remained within the bounds of reason. He also taught Kershaw how to hit people. Good for him. Maybe if Padilla comes back next year, Billingsley will learn the same lesson. At long last.
Posted by: kjp | 08/26/2010 at 03:00 PM
I have to give Joe deserved credit. His micro-managing of the bullpen seems to have taken root and created roles for the guys in the pen.Who knows...maybe we just may have meaningful baseball in Sept?!?
Posted by: blakedewitt'seyeblack | 08/26/2010 at 04:25 PM
"I like Colletti's recent moves. They're smart. Both for this season, and into next year."
Like trading two young players (including the Dodgers best hitting prospect) for a washed up 36 year old reliever?
"Martin is finished. Even before he ended his career with that ludicrous non-slide, he wasn't hitting for beans and had grown lazy behind the plate. Barajas is a perfectly serviceable substitute; probably an upgrade."
Rod Barajas has a career OBP of .283. Barajas is a good backup because he's a decent defender and has some pop, but he's not the type of guy you want as your starting catcher. For all of Martin's faults, he does have outstanding plate discipline. Even in the worst year of his career (this year), he has still managed to put up a .347 OBP.
"Dotel is a decent arm for the bullpen. He is not a closer, but then neither is Jonathan Broxton."
Despite all of Broxton's struggles, he's still a far better pitcher than Dotel. Dotel tends to give up a lot of home runs, while Broxton usually keeps the ball in the yard.
I do agree that Lily is a solid pitcher and should be retained. With the McCourt's financial situation, I wouldn't count on Lily being re-signed though.
Posted by: Mike | 08/26/2010 at 05:26 PM
Martin had God-awful plate discipline. See the Times pieces on how the coaches urged him to have a plan when facing Lincecum, and he brushed them off, saying he was going to go out and "kick his a**." Of course, he did no such thing.
Blinkered fixation on OBP is a relic of the era of The Fountainhead—a.k.a. Paul He-Done-Messed-Up—which made a laughingstock of this franchise.
Let's see how that "best hitting prospect" does.
I didn't say Dotel was a better pitcher than Broxton. I said Broxton is not a closer. Which he is not. And he didn't do too good a job of "keeping the ball in the yard" against the Giants, did he?
Posted by: kjp | 08/26/2010 at 08:16 PM
KJP: I truly enjoy that first post of yours. I think "Mike" is out of his mind. The Dodgers are set up very well, even if they do not make it to the playoffs this year.
Here's my one complaint, and it's a big one: Bills has looked much better - and honestly... I have to credit Torre for that accomplishment...Bills I think got pounded on by the LADodger bandwagon fans that beat up on a young promising starter because they expect everyone to be a Valenzuela, ever since '81. I credit Torre only because he has such an amazing pedigree for raising outstanding young talent that struggles early - only to eventually come out as first ballot HOF's - in a very large market. NY.
Billingsley is a very, very outstanding young pitcher. His demeanor, his grace through adversity. Can anyone in LA please give him some kind of CREDIT here?? He has taken such a beating through all this, and has come out to be the ONE guy that requests (DEMANDS) limited rest to help his team try to climb out of a terrible slump.
In other news:
Monasterios was a STEAL as a rule5 pick.
Kershaw is so much more impressive than that young has-been-always-injured firethrower for the Wash Nats - at the SAME age.
Let's not forget about Jon Ely.
How amazing does K Jansen look, one year removed from being a catcher in the minors??
How about signing that un-signable first round pick?
There are far too many Dodgers fans that do not give credit where it is due.
These young Dodgers are set.
GO BLUE
Posted by: DodgerInSFog | 08/26/2010 at 10:36 PM
don't care if anyone here takes offense to this...but this team has done NOTHING at this point in time...great they had a fair week...who cares? I have bee folloing this team for almost 5-decades and lemme tell you, this team is a bunch of touchy-feely crybabies, Kemp comes across as the worst and is also something I never thought was possible, more of a coward and candy arse than the Ko-Baby on the Laker roster. Dude is not a man. And his agent is the same, and it's why he was traded from the Dodgers oh so long ago...he simply was thooo-thenthitive....now he is acting to get "even" for the Dodgers moving him, he does not have the interests of his client in mind, it's all about Her Highness Dave Stewart.
When these guys win something that means a darn thing, then we can look at their perfromances and claim them good players...but they have never collectively or individually won a darn thing....ever. So far they have shown zero heart...it's all about guys like Stewart whispering in the ear of players like Kemp he would be better off to force a trade, you know like everyone gets on Manny about...Kemp is playing the SAME GAME. He moped when Jones was brought in, and I mean before Jones went all Shamu on the Dodgers, then when given the every day job w/o pressure he decided he deserved to play somewhere else to make $90M rather that "settle" for the $60M he can if he signs now...and don't tell me $30M over a couple seasons matters because less than 1% of the people reading this will earn $1M in their LIFETIMES...
Yeah, I am so done with MLB and all sports it's not funny. It's corrupt and evil to it's core...probably always has been but before they at least did not run arounds acting like the Prom Queens they are while over 20% of Americans are out of work and gawds only know are on the verge of living under a bridge.
Let them learn about life for a change...and utlimately, MLB and the Dodgers can all go pound sand.
Posted by: grumpy3b | 08/27/2010 at 12:13 AM
Our offense is roaring cause it faced Brewer pitching................
Against Giant and Padre pitching it crawls into a shell................
Hopefully the players are ready to adjust to in division pitching..........
The bullpen however is roaring, could signal more leads held late..........
More one run victories......................
A few comebacks..................................
Playoffs a definite possibility with the pitching performing well..............
Along with offensive plate adjustments..................
Need the bullpen to maintain current status.................
Those blown leads to Yanx, Phils, Braves could roar at end of year...............
Posted by: aaron | 08/27/2010 at 08:36 AM
Haven't we come to a pretty pass here. Arguing over the relative merits of a back up catcher. That's the kind of season this has been.
Posted by: Since '58 | 08/27/2010 at 09:32 AM