Advertisement

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

Share

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

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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

Advertisement