Marlins 5, Dodgers 4
Yes, Brian Falkenborg gave up a home run to Hanley Ramirez in the 11th, but it shouldn't have come to that. And besides, Ramirez is one of the hottest hitters in baseball -- his winning blast capped his first career five-hit game. On a night when the Dodgers battled back from 3-0 to tie, then battled back from 4-3 to tie but somehow never led, they left what would have been the winning run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and 10th innings. After going 3 for 3 with RISP, all in the third inning, they went 0 for 5 thereafter. And that is why they missed yet another chance to reach .500 for what would have been the first time in six weeks and again fell out of their tie for first place. They are now 45-47.
I was at the game tonight, and it was unbearable at times. The Dodgers failures in clutch situations was painfully predictable, and their impatience at the plate just another reversion to old habits. The LA two step, I like to call it: one step forward, one step back, etc.
In addition, when Ramirez stepped up to the plate in the top of the eleventh, I looked to my friend and said that Torre is going to walk him a no brainer, right? Well, Joe decided to have Falkenborg pitch to him, and Falkenborg went Tom Neidenfeur and threw an 89 mph meatball right into his wheelhouse. I absolutely couldn't believe that is what Torre had ordered, no friggin way, not after he had just gone 4 for 4. Puleeze.
But, of course, I do not blame the "Borg" for the opposite field mash tater. The chronic lack of situational hitting, plus bringing an atrophic Laroche off the bench to pinch hit late, it just got worse and worse. All the excitement of the early comeback, Kuo's amazing work (along with our supersonic bullpen), it just came crashing down as the "team" choked.
Oy Vey.
Yup... Guess the rarefied air of .500 would be too much for them. ;-)
Chan Ho giving up an RBI single in the fourth to the pitcher was pretty instrumental too.
"atrophic LaRoche" is right. It's time to play LaRoche full-time and see if helps or not.
DeWitt since May 23 (that's 46 games for LA):
.206 .273 .257
From the Dodger Thoughts blog comments:
2008-07-11 10:46:52
596. Eric Stephen
Since LaRoche was called up (June 11):
DeWitt: .179/.241/.233 in 79 PA
LaRoche: .179/.289/.359 in 45 PA
"Yes, Brian Falkenborg gave up a home run to Hanley Ramirez in the 11th, but it shouldn't have come to that."
Right, but the reality of the situation is that it was a tie game in the bottom of the 11th and better options in Beimel and Wade were sitting on their hands in the bullpen. Has anyone in the media questioned Torre's strange fixation with Falkenborg?
Torre must think Falkenborg is Proctor, because as I did in the game where he blew it against the Gnats, I was cursing the TV when I saw him running out to pitch. Granted Falkenborg made up for it the next day, but I agree, Beimel or Wade would have been my first options.
BTW Tony, Why no more lineups? I heard a rumor on the Dodger boards that someone didn't like you saying that McCourt put a halt to the Fatassia trade and now your being punished. I don't know if that is true or not but if so that is pretty weak of the Dodgers Front Office.