Astros 7, Dodgers 1
This simply isn't the same team without Furcal -- a fact Frank McCourt and Ned Colletti might want to keep in mind heading into the winter, when the shortstop will be a free agent. He might return to the lineup tomorrow, he might not. That will be determined during batting practice. But one that is clear: this lineup misses his presence at the top. The boys went 0 for 9 w/RISP tonight, failing to hit the ball out of the infield in eight of those ABs. D-Lowe was ineffective, giving up six earned runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. And Lance Berkman blew through Dodger Stadium like a hurricane, going 3 for 4 with a double, a two-run homer, two runs scored and a walk. He has now reached safely in 21 of his past 25 plate appearances, and he is batting .625 (20 for 32) through the first five games of the Astros' seven-game trip. ... Dodgers fall to 19-16 and remain 2 1/2 behind the Snakes.
I believe that's 3.5 behind the Snakes.
Certainly they miss Furcal, but I doubt if that's the whole answer. It certainly hasn't helped in the last two games that the starting pitchers dug a deep hole for the Dodgers early. Would have been nice to see more of fight, but it's a bit too early to label this any kind of trend.
One thing is certain. Ethier deserves a lot better than he's getting. It's been quite a while since he last started.
Hate to say it, but Yhency Brazoban makes Andruw look thin. Seems to me that the year he spent rehabbing his arm should have included a program designed to address his overall conditioning. If Brazoban lost 10 pounds as advertised, it certainly doesn't show. And while I'm on the subject of conditioning, somebody needs to get hold of Broxton before he eats himself out of baseball.