Dodgers need to ride this offensive wave to a new confidence

So one theory is they’re a team full of Joe Boyds who've sold their souls to the devil, turned into a bunch of Joe Hardys and are now crushing every baseball alive on the way to winning the pennant by 21 games.

"Damn Yankees" redux.

Another theory is with the return of Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal, the Dodgers are finally starting to get healthy, and throw in the seeming return to form of Andre Ethier and James Loney, just starting to resemble the team they were designed to be.

And then finally, there is the too-high, too-low theory, which dictates a team is never as good as it looks when it is simply kicking butt or never as bad as it appears when rolling into a ball and hiding.

Me, I’m going with theory No. 3. At least I think I’m safe in saying the Dodgers won’t be averaging 7.5 runs per game the rest of the way, as they have during their current three-game winning streak.

The 23 runs in their last three games exceeds the 18 runs they’d scored in the previous seven.

The Dodgers, however, are lining up behind the door of Theory No. 2.

"When everybody is going, we’re a dangerous team," said Matt Kemp.

"We’ve pitched good all year long," said Manager Don Mattingly. "If we can do this (offensively), we’re going to be tough."

"This is not just a hitting streak. This is what we’re capable of," said Ted Lilly. "I think we’re that good."
 
Easy there, cowboys. Certainly after a miserable May, the past three games are encouraging. And the Dodgers should feel good about them.

The stagnant National League West is still hovering out there, waiting for someone to act interested. Despite everything, they’re only 4½ games out.

All teams go on good and bad runs. Know losing skids and winning streaks. The really good teams minimize the poor stretches and play more consistently to their potential.

The Dodgers are on a roll, or a least a mini-roll, and have to hope a new confidence is borne from it. Then maybe they can become a more consistent offensive threat.

When everything has seemed borderline depressing, you take your victories where you can, and then build on them. Although, just to play it safe, I’d be on the lookout for anyone named Lola.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Comments

[Tom Daniels]

Expect the to be at or a little above .500. Which may be enough in the NL West.

[A-Man]

The ol' timers Blake and Raffy definitely brought some life back in this line-up. The NL West is up for grabs again this year, hopefully the Dodgers can stay in this thing till the end

[Tom Thompson]

Hey.. don't forget... at the end of the day Lola and all... Joe Boyd still made the catch and the Yankees got beaten. Personally, I don't care how many souls Mr. & Mrs. McCourt have to sell to Vladimer Sphunt (or something like that) to turn this team around. Especially if they are their own. O.K. that "their own" thing is highly unlikely given the fact that they probably signed their own souls over in order to buy the parking lots they gave up to begin with. So... I'm getting old and maybe I'm just a little stupid... but I can't believe that "Big Dodger in the Sky" (as Lasorda calls him) would let Vinnie ride off into the sunset on anything less than a horse named "World Champion". No championship this year just means that he wants to listen to Vinnie call the games next year. Nonetheless... even the Big Dodger will have to give in to Mrs. Vinnie sooner or later. I think THIS IS THEIR YEAR. Laugh away!!!

[alanw19]

donnie must not be watching the same wusspen I've seen...and the starters, though not bad, have had some every-other-outing performances as well.

But the recent three games are encouraging in a season when such is badly needed.

Think I'll fall in line with Dilbeck, going for Theory No. 3. For various reasons (age-injuries, strength of schedule, and more), I still don't see a team that can win more than 78 games. Hope they do, but don't feel confident.

june 22. go away frank. just go away.

[Labeldude]

This team was designed to be something?

[Tom Thompson]

I grew up watching Dodger pitching bail out Dodger hitting. Of course that was in the days when the Dodgers actually won pennants.

[Joe the Plumber]

I understand what you mean. No one would be more please than me if this team exceeded the low expectations I and others have. Its not that I root for a loss. Show me something on the next road trip!

[HI Dodger Fan]

i hope they have turned a corner. i think they go out on the road to cincinnati and philadelphia after this, then colorado before coming back home to face the reds again. with the angels later on, this will be a challenging month for sure.

[16blows]

The dudgers rallying crys: "then", "if", "we're capable of"... yeah buts, only's & woulda, coulda, shoulda's by any other.

"Despite everything, they’re only 4½ games out."

- that half-full glass also be half-empty: despite winning four of their last five games, the dudgers are still but 1 1/2 games out of last place & closer to ruin than redemption.

"The Dodgers, however, are lining up behind the door of Theory No. 2."

- this is Hollywood where serendipitous success encourages betting on it to continue... mcfrank, ned, mr. baseball, kemp & lilly et al are but plaid sport-coated variations of Monte Hall, and in the end what's behind door 1, 2 or 3 will merely reflect that the dudgers lost/are losers - they just don't have the horses; there is no prize waiting for them - nothing but a live cow dressed in sunglasses and feather boa...

[too funny]

all of the naysayers are all of a sudden back on the wagon. Next thing you know they will be showing up at the stadium.

[OldBrooklynFan]

Whatever it is it's good to see some offense the last a few days coming from our bums. Who knows? It could be the end of a very long slump. If we can have a good month things will really be looking up.
The worse that could happen is the pitching takes a dive, which wouldn't be unusual for this team. Well anyway it's good to be only 4 games under the .500 mark.

[Tomas]

Bad teams tend to be streaky.Hope springs eternal,go Dodgers.

[K]

It's the old story in baseball: a winning streak makes you look better than you really are just like a losing streak makes you look worse than you really are.

I'm sure we'll all enjoy this while it lasts, but I also think we all know that these Dodgers aren't as good as this streak makes them look.

[Lets cut to the chase]

hahahahaha!!

Measuring these Dodgers against these Rockies = FAIL

because both teams are simply pathetic