Isn't pitching supposedly a Dodger strength?

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At least, that's what all the hype seemed to be about before the All-Star break, if memory serves.  But ever since coming out of the vakay, the Blue haven't witnessed a starter put forth a strong outing, the latest example coming during yesterday afternoon's 5-3 loss to the Rockies.  Carrying strong a tradition now six nervous days long, Hiroki Kuroda was met with early trouble in the mountains, his first three frames serving up nine hits and five runs.  But hey, at least Kuroda lasted six innings, a title only he carries among his fellow starters since last Friday.  Despite the unpleasant trend in the works, however, the panic buttons in Rick Honeycutt's office will remain unpressed, in part because the Dodgers didn't lose on Wednesday simply because of their new mound struggles. 

On the plus side, Andruw Jones got an RBI

I realize this shouldn't amount to thunderous news, but considering it's only his second since the All-Star break (and fifth in all of July), the event does boast at least a minor ability to stop the presses.  Unfortunately, the Haley's Comet-like rarity of said achievement won't convince the league offices to count that ribbie as three's worth, meaning the Dodgers still came up on the short end of a 5-3 result against the Rockies.  Hiroki Kuroda eventually found his groove, his final trio of innings consisting of four strikeouts and just one hit.  Unfortunately, the opening trio were anything but smooth, with eight hits converging to equal five runs and a deficit the Blue found too high for scaling.  James Loney's history of batting well in Colorado, his three hits helping swole the Dodger total to eleven.  Unfortunately, the knocks didn't translate often enough into runs, creating a box score that allowed Team Hurdle to take the series.

More to come later,

AK

Welcome back, kiddo

(PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Join us at 11 am for Purple, Gold, and Blue.   Our guest today is 710 ESPN Radio "insider" Beto Duran.  We'll talk Juan Pierre's return, Clayton Kershaw's bumpy return and other hot topics.  Click the show widget on the side of the blog, or go straight to our show page by clicking here.)

Now go get your arse handed to you.

Such was the case with young Clayton Kershaw, newly recalled from Double-A Jacksonville in place of Eric Stults and given the Coors Field hill, often about as pleasant for a pitcher as being given the guillotine.   After his part in a 10-1 loss, Kershaw likely felt like his neck had been placed on the block.  So much for not sweating a Colorado venue.  The lefty's first inning amounted to little damage, but from there, the floodgates were slowly opened, then blown off the hinges.  Kershaw never felt out of control during the game, leading one to believe he was putting poorly thrown pitches exactly where he wanted them.  Whatever the explanation for the difficulties, the end result saw him last just three plus innings to the tune of five earned runs and ten hits.  Fellow newbie Ramon Troncoso was given no more hospitable a greeting, his ninth inning stint racking another four runs for the host.  Their mutual struggles might have provided mutual comfort, had both hurlers not watched Ubaldo Jimenez prove this particular field need not equal glorified batting practice.  Save a solo long ball given to up Matt Kemp in the ninth, Jimenez was quite the untouchable force in a place not known for touching up box score. 

Kershaw, part dos

Under most circumstances, today's storyline would be how the Dodgers would attempt topping last night's offensive juggernaut amounting to a 16-10 win over the Colorado Rockies.  Would James Loney double his pleasure and rack ten ribbies (remember, his career high is nine and came in the Sunshine State)?  Would a challenge be issued between Loney, Jeff Kent or Russell Martin to become today's four hit guy, since the three sat on a trio of knocks?  Would today end up the Bizarro-World version game and ALL of the scores would come courtesy of Andruw Jones, the only member of the starting nine (including pitcher Eric Stults) not to send a teammate across the plate (and how much longer the Dodgers can- and will- suffer through AJ's lack of production, since Juan Pierre is currently en route for an ahead of schedule Vegas rehab assignment).

Stick THAT in your humidor!

For most of the 2008 season, if we told you the Dodgers posted 16 runs in one game, most of you would have asked, "On what gaming system?"  For this offensively challenged bunch, 16 runs in a week was more their M.O.  The Blue, though, are showing signs of turning things around.  They pounded the Marlins for nine runs in the last game before the break, hit the ball well in Arizona (including a five run ninth to win on Sunday), and on Monday turned all that momentum into an eight run first inning off the almost implausibly ineffective Rockies starter Kip Wells and 16 runs in the first five frames en route to a 16-10 win in Denver.

James Loney led the the way for LA with five RBIs on run scoring singles in the first and second, then a bases loaded triple in the fifth.  He's always been a productive hitter at Coors, and Monday night was certainly no exception.  Loney had plenty of company, though, as the box shows 18 Dodger hits, eight different players with an RBI, nine with at least one run scored.  The only negative?  Another poor post-break outing for a starter. Eric Stults, spotted to a huge lead, was still unable to escape the fourth.  The bullpen was also beaten around the park.   But perhaps they were owed a game like this, given how the staff has carried the team this year.   

Football season arrives early

Dodgers win in Colorado, 16-10.  Yep, I said 16, including eight in the first inning alone.  They done gone and blew up Rockies starter Kip Wells, who recorded one out while allowing seven earned.  Entering the game, he had a 2.29 ERA.  Leaving it, the figure was nearly doubled, to 5.40. That ain't healthy.  The Blue, however, were incredibly robust.  A smattering of positive numbers:

• Two doubles in the same inning for Matt Kemp. 
• Three hits, including a triple, and five RBIs for James Loney.
• Jeff Kent: 3-3, two RBIs, three runs scored.
• Two RBIs for Angel Berroa.
• Three hits for Russell Martin, two RBIs for Andre Ethier.  Andy LaRoche had a hit and two walks, Eric Stults scored twice, and even Andruw Jones managed to score a run (big night!).

Yes, Stults didn't do the squad any favors by finding nothing but trouble in his 3.2 innings of work- really, once you're spotted 11 runs, a five or six inning effort is expected- and the Dodger pen was shelled like a stack of peanuts, but whatever, the offense put up three field goals and a touchdown. 

With the win, the Blue stay in their tie with Arizona, who managed to squeak out a 2-0 win against the Cubs.  Both teams are 49-50, and really ticking off the Yankees, Twins, A's, Rangers, Phillies, Marlins, Brewers, and Cardinals.

BK

Kershaw to start Tuesday

Those of you who rushed out to add Jason Johnson to your fantasy team on the premise he'd be in the Dodgers starting rotation? Well don't you look foolish.  Clayton Kershaw has been recalled, will start Tuesday night in Colorado, and by all indications every fifth day until the end of the season (or he hits his innings limit). 

Johnson becomes the long man in the pen, as Chan Ho Park is now a setup guy. 

BK

Question of the Day: Advantage Dodgers?

As you know by now, every so often we like to hold our finger up to the wind and measure in what direction the Dodger Nation is blowing.  After taking two of three from Arizona, in Phoenix no less!, the Dodgers have a chance to capture first place in the NL West all by themselves with a win tonight in Colorado.  The D-Backs series featured two solid comebacks, and almost had a third, as the Dodgers played some gritty, gutty (call it "grutty") baseball. 

Now, some are starting to call the Dodgers the team to beat in the West, a) because the Blue, albeit in fits and starts, have been playing better baseball over the last few weeks, and b) because after a red hot start, the Diamondbacks have been genuinely bad, weighed down an offense that at this point most people wouldn't swap out for LA's... which is scary.  Arizona has been trying for weeks to give the West away.  Only now are the Dodgers finally trying to take it.

So that leads to today's Question of the Day: Do you now see LA as the team to beat in the division?     

No word yet if they used the "inside out," or the "shark"

Whatever it was, the Dodgers found (and more importantly, wore) their rally caps on Sunday afternoon against the Diamondbacks, turning what would have been a disappointing loss into one of the seasons biggest wins.  If not the biggest.  A five run ninth propelled the Dodgers to what would eventually become a 6-5 victory, meaning they take the critical three game set in Arizona, and leave the desert tied with the Snakes for first place in the NL West. 

One big inning, and now even the most cynical among us look at the Dodgers as favorites over the reeling D-Backs.  The big blow was delivered by Matt Kemp, who, unlike a similar situation on Saturday night against a similarly shaky Brandon Lyon came to the plate Sunday with much more patience, working his at bat before drilling a double into the gap to score pinch runner Pablo Ozuna (call him the new guy- the really fast new guy, if you ask Russell Martin).  But it certainly wasn't the only big hit of the inning. Nomar Garciaparra and James Loney got the ball rolling, Andy LaRoche kept the game alive with a pinch hit single, Andre Ethier gave the Dodgers the lead with a triple to score Kemp, Russell Martin provided what would be much-needed insurance with a single to score Ethier. 

It was a brutal end for an Arizona bullpen that has been, well, pretty brutal.  They are not happy on the D-Backs blogs. 

Sharing space at the top

Heading into the ninth inning of Sunday afternoon's contest against the Diamondbacks, it appeared the gap between the Dodgers and the NL West's current crown would stretch out another game.  After all, three runs may not be impossible to overcome in just a frame, but it's nonetheless not a given that a 4-1 deficit will eventually be converted into a 6-5 win before a third visiting out is recorded.  But a surge attempt began swimmingly enough with Nomar Garciaparra's double to deep center, good fortune that quickly became Mr. Mia Hamm on third when James Loney followed up with a single.  Then came a big time break for the Dodgers.  Andruw Jones hit one to Stephen Drew that should have resulted in a double play, but J.D.'s sib muffed the grounder and left himself with just a play at first. 

One run scores, and the window of opportunity is considerably more ajar (especially considering Blake DeWitt's ensuing ground out, which could have been a game ender).  A respective double, triple and single in back-to-back-to-back dish appearances from Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Russell Martin eventually put the Dodgers up by a pair, enough of a cushion for Jon Broxton to take the hill, allow a score and still save a NL West tying, come from behind box score for the Dodgers. 

Two of three in Arizona.  Not a bad way to come out of the break.

AK