Dodgers make it official: They are eliminated from postseason on night they're shut out for the 17th time

They were so full of hope, and had reason to be.

The Dodgers were coming off consecutive trips to the National League Championship Series. The team's young core was coming into its own. They seemed to have an ideal blend of youth and experience.

Only it never really happened for the Dodgers in 2010. They started slowly, hinted at a rebound and then succumbed to a miserable second half.

Their season came to its inevitable conclusion on a cool Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, when the Dodgers were officially eliminated from the postseason.

The Dodgers fell, 6-0, to the Padres, almost fittingly shut out for a baseball-high 17th time this season.

With the Giants winning earlier in the evening, the Dodgers were actually eliminated before the final out was recorded at Chavez Ravine.

One-hundred and seven days and 151 games from when the season began so full of promise in Pittsburgh, it ended Tuesday with barely a whimper.

Chad Billingsley was hardly at his best, but for his third consecutive start the Dodgers offense was a no-show. In his last three starts, the Dodgers have scored a total of one run.

The Padres got to Billingsley (11-11) with two runs in the third and three more in the fifth.

In the third inning, a walk and Adrian Gonzalez double proceeded a two-run single by Ryan Ludwick.

A bout of wildness by Billingsley was his undoing in the fifth. He gave up a single to Wil Venable and hit little David Eckstein with a pitch. When both runners advanced on a groundout, Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Billingsley hit Ludwick with a pitch to score one run, gave up a sacrifice fly to Yorvit Torrealba for the second and a single to Chase Headley for the third.

The Padres scored a final run in the ninth off Ramon Troncoso.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, could do nothing with Padres starter Clayton Richard.

Richard (13-8) threw the first shutout of his three-year career, holding the Dodgers to eight hits. He struck out six and walked two.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Dodgers_Are_Not_Good]

Never, ever have I seen a team lay down with such utter conviction as the Dodgers have the last week or so. The team everybody says has no heart has proven it yet again. A joke.

[GiantsFan]

I love it!!!!

[Done AsAFanUntilMcCourtCollettiTorreRussellMartinAreGone]

The season from hell. These idiots should just pack it in and cancel the rest of the season. They did it without announcing it anyway-back in June. And now the real nightmare kicks in....the future of this franchise is amazingly bleak. Thanks for nothing, Dodgers...you've made me (and countless others) absolutely ashamed to be fans.

[alanw19]

And Richard had not won in something like five starts. The Dodgers were just what he needed. King of like San Diego's 10-game skid recently.

How appropos - shutout and eliminated.

Judging from yesterday's testimony by Silverstein, the owners of the Dodgers are not only idiots but they also employed an idiot lawyer. How he could make such a change and still be allowed to practice law, or for that matter, that anyone would want him to practice for them, is beyond me. Looks like the guy was obviously in cahoots with Frank on this thing, and Jamie likely will sue the pants off him when this is over.

With any luck, the hard-headed owners will remain stale-mated, the judge will believe Jamie never intended to not have a share of the Dodgers, thus declaring the team joint property. And then, force the sale we're all begging for. With any luck.

But we'll have to be a lot luckier in court than we were on the field this year for all that to happen. And who knows if appeals will simply delay things. I hope not. Even if the team is not sold, I hope for the sake of the team the issue is resolved as quickly as possible.

And on another sad thought, if Frank is up to his eyeballs in debt, can't get loans, and might somehow still be the owner or co-owner, is the name of our stadium - and please, God, don't let this happen, I'll not like it at all - about to be changed to something with a corporate sponsorship tie-in? Its been great still having Dodger Stadium, no corporate name other than our franchise. But there are few of them left, and I fear the McCheaps' financials make it only a matter of time.

[Stan]

Tim Wallachs' name has been mentioned a lot recently in a choice for a major league manager. Wallach has been successful in the minors so he should be given a chance for a ML job. The question is, does he want to become a ML manager just for the sake of making it? In other words, would he take on the job of perennial losers like KC, Cleveland, Oakland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh or Washington just to get the job or will he pick his spot?
I believe that Wallach was fortunate to not get the Dodgers job. I don't know what kind of leader as manager he is but the Dodgers have been a leaderless club this year on the field and in the dugout. It wasn't Joe Torres' leadership that made the Yankees successful, it was Derek Jeter.
Numerous times this year, I have watched Torre walk out to the umpire, on a wrong call against the Dodgers, and nod his head yes and walk back to the dugout and sit down. If my guy won't stick up for me, why should I care? Recently, using the ploy of being thrown out in the first inning over a called third strike so that Mattingley can get some experience, doesn't wash. If the umpire was consistantly doing it over innings, I could understand.

[whamo]

The Boston carpetbagger has let the Dodgers swirl down the drain this season.

[WorstHire]

another shutout & Doyas (so-called) "hitting" coach has already been handsomely rewarded, as it turns out, even b4 this pitiful season began......
so grand 2see cronyism alive & well, as this once-proud franchise dies a highly sufferable death!

[N17317]

Wrong, the Dodgers were already eliminated on Sunday night. Didn't matter what happened, because of the various combinations of Colorado, San Diego, and San Francisco playing each other, there was no way the Dodgers could've caught up. You're thinking "Oh if the Dodgers had won the rest of their games and the Giants lost the rest of theirs, and the Padres lost the rest of theirs, they could've tied..." etc. But it was always impossible for both the Giants and Padres to lose the rest of their games because they still play each other thrice.

Not that it matters now but basic mathematical illiteracy annoys me.

[BMeador]

If I'm Tim Wallach I'd be glad Donnie Baseball got the job. The McCheap Dodgers won't win 80 games next year or the year after. Wallach will have a better shot to win games managing elsewhere.

I've read more articles about the McCheaps and their lavish lifestyle than I have on the team itself. They have poached Dodger fans for every penny they're worth for that lavish lifestyle and I curse them for it. I hope the team is rewarded to the both of them and they have no choice but to sell. You know you haven't taken an honest path when Saint O'Malley calls you out.

Sell the team McCheaps! LA and Dodger fans deserve better.

[Ross]

I believe, until Tuesday's games, the NL West could still have ended up in a 4-way tie at the top:

Giants 84-66 --- 1-11, win 1 of 3 vs Padres; finish 85-77
Padres 83-66 --- 2-11, win 2 of 3 vs Giants; finish 85-77
Rockies 82-67 --- 3-10, win 3 vs Giants; finish 85-77
Dodgers 73-77 --- 12-0; finish 85-77

[16blows]

7 times with 7 men the dudgers tried replacing Juan Pierre in LF 2010... 7 & 7 they failed.

Congratulations to the 2010 MLB stolen base champion and former lost angeles dudger...

Juan Pi-erre!

P-I-E-R-R-E!

[BlueTillDeath]

"another shutout & Doyas (so-called) "hitting" coach has already been handsomely rewarded"

I'm really sick of hearing this. This season's failure lays squarely upon the shoulders of the offense and the relief staff. THIS was the time for Kemp and Ethier to step up while Manny was gone. It was the time for them to shoulder what could have been an easy task between them. They failed...miserably. Furcal and Manny...we were hurting in their absence. But out bats went beyond just doing bad, they went LIMP. This is a case of bad, bad things going on in the heads of our players, NOT something a batting coach could fix.

Matt Kemp? Someone slap him and order his behind in bed by 11 om each night. Andre? Someone needs to throw him around for acting like such a princess. Disgusting. The relief? Someone please buy these people some man parts!

[Since '58]

Fortunately, I had plans last night and missed the game. Actually, this team was eliminated last winter when no attempt was made to improve it. The Joe Torre made his comment about having only Vicente Padilla as the opening day starter. If anything inspired confidence, that sure did. Add to that the McCourts divorce and revelations of Frank's underhanded and allegedly fraudulent dealings, and top it off with James Loney's comments in today's Times abouut other teams playing harder than his, and you have a perfect recipe for the Dodgers' season going down the drain............... or up in flames.
I could go on, but I am sick about beating this finally dead, dead horse.

I do believe Don Mattingly fully knows what he's in for next season. He's not the total idiot many of you claim him to be. He's had plenty of experience as a coach, and was the peoples' choice in NY to succeed Torre. He's also been heavily recruited by other ball clubs. As for previous managing experience at any level, let me remind you that Bob Brenly came down from the broadcasting booth in 2001 and guided the D-Backs to a World Series championship and the playoffs the following year. Ozzie Guillan took over the Chi Sox without any managerial experience and took his team to a World Series championship in '05. Let's try to give Mattingly a chance.

[Terry]

To paraphrase the Three Stooges, they could name Los Doyers Stadium "We Cheathem and Howell Stadium" and dedicate it to the lawyer who changed the agreement after it was signed, but I think that name also speaks of Doyers ownership attitude to the fans.

[Since '58]

It's Dewey, Cheatham and Howe, Terry. Those idiot Car Guys on NPR stole it too.
One more thing folks: Tim Wallach can't be compared to Mike Scioscia, a life-long Dodger. Not taking anything away from Wallach, but he was, for most of his career, a Montreal Expo; a player who came up through the Expo system. He was the Dodger hitting coach in '04 and '05 for Jim Tracy. I don't remember him making any huge impact on Dodger hitters during those seasons. I'm not saying he was a bad hitting coach, I'm just saying there's too much emphasis on the impact of one on hitters. I am sure Wallach will find a job somewhere and will attempt to do a good job. If he takes a job with a lousy team, we'll see how good he can be. I truly wish him only the best. He's a good baseball man and has paid his dues, just like Don Mattingly.

[Steve Dilbeck]

Ross have you met N17317? Think we can agree on this: They're done.

[Ross]

Yes, Steve, they're done, and I was trying to show that they were mathematically eliminated yesterday, as this article stated, when the Giants won their game against the Cubs.

I also agree with the first line of the article, "They [The Dodgers] were so full of hope, and had reason to be." Whether they improved the team over the winter or not, they had made it to the NLCS two years straight. A lot of the players were at a point in their successful careers where it was time to step it up another notch. Instead, most of them went backwards and, in some cases, had truly disappointing seasons. The starting pitching was better than expected, but the offense, defense, and bullpen were worse. I doubt anyone in April expected the Dodger lineups would become this anemic.

Can't blame it all on money. We had an expensive manager and veteran coaching staff. Player payroll was near the top of the division and far more than the Padres. I think it comes down to our players. They just were not as good or tough as we hoped for.