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Dodgers Web musings: Quest for the elusive clutch hit

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They happened. It says so right there in Major League Baseball’s stat package.

This season the Dodgers have 39 hits with two outs and a runner in scoring position. ESPN/LA’s Tony Jackson looked at that number, and then looked again.

‘I can honestly tell you that off the top of my head, I can’t remember a single one of them,’’ Jackson wrote.

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That would require a clutch hit, which the Dodgers have been woefully in short supply of all season long. They’ve been woefully short of a lot of offensive elements this season, but lack of the timely big hit has been a killer.

‘That has kind of been our struggle, not being able to get that hit when we needed it,’’ Manager Don Mattingly told Jackson. ‘We got our chances. The opportunities are showing up, but we just haven’t been able to get that hit when we needed it to give us a little bit of a cushion and put some pressure on the other club.’’

Even with those rumored 39 hits, the Dodgers are batting just .192 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Overall, the Dodgers are hitting just .211 with runners in scoring position.

In the clutch, the Dodgers go quietly.

Also on the Web:

-- The L.A. Times’ Ben Bolch chronicles the Dodgers’ latest offensive ineptitude in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Astros.

-- The Orange County Register’s Howard Cole remains skeptical that Frank McCourt will make payroll.

-- Barry Bonds has offered to pay for the college educations of beating victim Bryan Stow’s two children.

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-- The Times’ Andrew Blankstein and Joel Rubin said the Los Angeles Police Department is satisfied after placing its beating suspect in a lineup.

-- CBS Sports’ Ray Ratto said the suit brought against McCourt by the Stow family places it in an odd partnership with MLB over McCourt’s financial foibles.

-- ESPN’s Jim Caple presents his rankings of MLB owners, and wild guess where the McCourts landed. Hint: There are only 30 teams.

-- And for those watching with interest how the Mets have handled their financial troubles, here is the news from MLB.com’s Bobbie Dittmeier on the selling of a $200-million ownership stake to David Einhorn.

-- Vin Scully Is My Homeboy’s Roberto Baly is upset with the way Scully’s star on Hollywood Boulevard is being treated by Vogue, a supper club.

-- Dodger Dugout’s Robert Timm likes the Dodgers’ sudden youth movement and thinks they shouldn’t stop now.

-- True Blue LA’s Eric Stephen journeys to Lancaster to take in the Dodgers’ Class A team, the Quakes, in what he called a classic Cal League game.

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-- Mike Scioscia’s Tragic Illness’ Mike Petriello has some alarming numbers for the Dodgers’ bullpen in the ninth inning.

-- Jay Gibbons tells Dodgers.com’s Ken Gurnick he is enjoying increased playing time in the twilight of his career.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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