No, really, the sky is falling: Matt Kemp scratched from Dodgers lineup with tight hamstring
And ain’t that special?
Matt Kemp, who at times has seemed a lone beacon in the Dodgers’ offensive darkness, was scratched from the starting lineup Friday with a tight left hamstring.
When a team is on a roll …
Kemp is enjoying a career year, leading the National League in home runs (18), while second in RBIs (53) and fifth in batting average (.329). That’s sniffin’ at triple-crown territory.
All this for a team (29-35) that entered Friday tied for last in the National League West.
Kemp, who has played in 268 consecutive games, was originally in the lineup. He was removed about an hour before the Dodgers’ game in Colorado, with Tony Gwynn Jr. moving to center and rookie Trent Oeltjen starting in left and batting second.
Casey Blake moved into Kemp’s cleanup spot.
-- Steve Dilbeck
Photo: Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp follows through on a two-run triple against the Rockies on Thursday night in Colorado. Credit: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images
This can't be good.
Not good at all.
Posted by: alanw19 | 06/10/2011 at 05:55 PM
oh man.....if this is serious, this team is done. absolutely cooked. there is no recovery from this. the horrible thing about this, other than Matt going down, is that Ned the idiot will get a pass on the horrendous job he did this year.
Posted by: HI Dodger Fan | 06/10/2011 at 06:49 PM
Dodgers should keep Billingsley, Kershaw, Kemp, Gordon, and Ethier. Unload the rest of them.
Posted by: Milo | 06/10/2011 at 07:02 PM
McKarma.
Posted by: Since '58 | 06/10/2011 at 07:10 PM
Relax. Kemp will be fine.
Posted by: vtadave | 06/10/2011 at 07:25 PM
Bummed to see Kemp out, but glad that it wasn't Mattingly who kept him out. Is it me, but are others disappointed with how Mattingly is managing? First the line-up: why bat Blake 2nd? Why not put Carroll in that spot and put Blake behind Kemp? Second the pitching: leaving pitchers too long, pulling them at the wrong time (i.e. Billingsley today versus Chacin). Third, bad strategy: men on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. 3-1 count with Billingsley facing a lefty. Walk the guy - why on earth pitch to him? Sure enough, a single brought in two. . . . Ditch Donnie and let Wallach take over before he leaves.
Posted by: Hong Kong Dodgers | 06/10/2011 at 07:29 PM
frank, ned, donnie.. . . the three stooges of baseball.
Posted by: HI Dodger Fan | 06/10/2011 at 07:57 PM
donna donna 'k'emp the prima donna...
There went hat size 12 AGAIN, as always - chest thumpin' & sky pointin' aft another 'so what' home run. I noticed that when he was sitting on the bench (aft a brief dudger rally his teammates inspired 9th inning), saw/heard nary a whimper out of him... not a half-hearted thump nor even a semi-point.
How 'bout a few more choreographed chest-thumps & a sky-points', c'mon now. Do it for . . . 'the children'.
Oh snap, that's right: SCOREBOARD: dudgers done got whupped - AGAIN.
Posted by: 16blows | 06/10/2011 at 08:48 PM
And another fine game from Uribe and Navarro. Not that one would expect greatness from either, but even career norms would be nice, though even those appear to be unattainable pipedreams.
.
Midas had the golden touch. A single tough could turn anything to gold. Ned has the Bandini touch. No matter what he touches it turns to, well you know.
Posted by: Labeldude | 06/10/2011 at 09:09 PM