Hello,
This is one in my continuing series of writing a blog about the Dodgers nearly every game day. This has become a very frustrating experience as they've been so bad this season. Their inability to score runs is probably the most frustrating part about being a Dodgers fan. Over the years I've also started cheering for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves.
San Diego welcomed the Dodgers to their home stadium and won the first game in the four game series 6-3. San Diego had been one of the hottest teams in MLB until a couple of days ago, then they lost two straight. It's nothing like welcoming the low scoring Dodgers to solve many of your woes. I predict the Padres will win 3 of 4 games of this series. Last night when the Padres scored 3 runs, I thought the game was over. The anemic Dodgers offense has been so pathetic all season, however the Dodgers were able to score at least 3 runs in Friday's game.
Even though the Dodgers have played 3 games in the last two days, they are still in 29th place in runs scored. That's 29 of 30 MLB teams. Who's fault is this that the Dodgers can't score runs? Part of the blame goes to injuries and part of that blame goes to the man who traded for injured players. Dodgers GM Ned Colleti traded for both Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett, even though both have injury filled pasts. (Yes, I realize this is incredibly simplistic. Dodgers owners probably had as much to do with this trade as Colleti, if not more.)
Not surprisingly both players have been on the DL this season. At least Crawford is effective when he's in the lineup. Even when Beckett was playing, he was terrible. Even when those two players come back, it's only a matter of time until they visit the DL again. Crawford and Beckett are being paid a total of $37,000,000 this season. Matt Kemp is also injured more than average, but overall that has been a good signing. I just hope that he recovers his form as a great player.
LA's 2012 trade with the Red Sox continues to look worse and worse for LA. Adrian Gonzalez has been a good player this season, although I wish he would show a bit more passion. He'll never be the same player he was a few years ago in San Diego, at the age of 31 his power numbers are expected to go down hill. Gonzalez averaged 31.33 home runs a season from 2006 to 2011. Last season he hit a total of 18 home runs. He might hit 15-18 home runs this season, right now he's at 8. He does remain incredibly consistent in his RBIs, about 100 a year. He's on pace to have another 100 RBI season. Nick Punto has been a nice surprise as part of that 2012 trade. This trade will look worse for the Dodgers if Rubby De La Rosa turns into an outstanding pitcher. If Boston wins a World Series this season, I think that Ned Colleti deserves a ring.
All I know is I'm tired of writing the same blog following nearly every Dodgers game.
I haven't written a Cubs update lately. To be frank that's because they're terrible. St. Louis continues to tear through the rest of MLB, today's victims were the Cubs 6-1. St. Louis moves to 47-26 and now has a .644 winning percentage. Not only do the Cardinals have MLB's best record, they are the only team that has a better than .600 winning percentage. St. Louis has a 98.2% chance of making the playoffs. They lead the second place Reds by 3.5 games. One of my teams, the Pirates, are in third place in the NL Central. Pittsburgh is 43-30 and has a 53.5% chance of making the playoffs, they trail the Cardinals by 4 games.
Meanwhile the Cubs are 29-42, a .408 winning percentage and last place in the NL Central. They trail St. Louis by 17 games. The Cubs have lost 2 in a row and only won 4 of their last 10 game. Chicago has a 2.3% chance of making the playoffs. I started cheering for the Cubs because I watched them on WGN back in the summer in the 80s. I wonder what would have happened if I had been able to see the local broadcasts of the Cardinals.
themusicaddict
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