LOS ANGELES - Entering the 2011 season, there are very few individuals who would have believed that with the gift the Dodgers have on their roster they would be sitting last in their division. Even more surprises have included the Cleveland Indians pushing for a playoff berth as good as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas maintaining a chair in the AL West without Cliff Lee.
In addition, the Washington Nationals are not bringing up the rise in the NL East as they take a bulk of days since becoming the franchise they are today. Today though, Washington finds themselves but a halt under .500 after their triumph ended the Dodgers Friday night.
Los Angeles continues to be a secret to flesh out. The Dodgers have talent but only are not using it consistently. Similar to live year, the Dodgers seem to be on their way to underachieving yet again and probably to end under .500 in back-to-back seasons. Before the season even began, I said the solitary way the Dodgers could make any adventure of staying up with the San Francisco Giants, was, for the squad as a solid to let numbers similar to the 2009 season in which they held the National Leagues best record.
The Dodgers lack luster offense once again displayed itself in presence of a squad that used to be the laughing stock of the Majors. The only Dodger playing his eye out is Matt Kemp who is also the only Dodger with double-digit homeruns (24) and but one with 50 RBIs (72). The Dodgers managed to put up two-runs in the fourth-inning as Nationals pitchers threw a three-hitter.
Kemp got the offensive rolling by being issued a pass to get the fourth. After Juan Riveras double advanced Kemp to third, a fielding error by Nationals shortstop, Ian Desmond, allowed both Kemp and Rivera to make the Dodgers lone two-runs.
Washington struck first, as Ryan Zimmerman kept the inning alive with a 1 in the 1st and stole second before being scoring the inaugural run on Michael Morses RBI-double. In the second, John Lannan hit his first homerun of the season, a two-run blast, that gave the Nats a 3-0 lead.
But still with Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda stopping the bleeding after the second, the Dodgers could not defeat the one-run deficit and would afterwards have no luck at a triumph as Matt Guerrier surrendered a grand-slam to Jerry Hairston Jr. in the 9th that gave Washington a 7-2 lead.
Both starters lasted through 6 1/3 innings, but Lannan only allowed three-hits while striking out six. Kuroda struck out seven, but his seven-hits led to three-runs to leave Los Angeles no chance. Washingtons bullpen then held off the Dodgers for the following 2 2/3 innings, no-hitting them during that short span.
I look as though I am breaking some blogging law by using my Chicago roots to hate on Dodger-blue more, but it has become something I see in Michigan and so learn about with the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox are the same team, just in opposite leagues. Both teams have talented lefty starters in Clayton Kershaw and Mark Buehrle. Each team also has offenses that are more gifted than the box score displays each night. You face at both teams prior to the season, and both should be in rivalry of a division title, but the offense shows up for little spurts, then goes out for long periods of time. Jake Peavy of the White Sox is right, the sole way he and his range of starters (I bequeath also admit the Dodgers staff) can earn a win, is, if they go out each game and have a complete game.
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