Wednesday, September 08, 2004 |
Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 5
That's the cardinal (pardon the expression) rule for clubs hoping to make the playoffs, and for the most part, the Dodgers have obliged. The Cubs, however, have not, with the Expos whupping Greg Maddux for five runs, only two of them earned; the rest were due to errors from catcher Paul Bako and 1B Derrick Lee. Scott Downs threw his first career complete game shutout on 110 pitches, collecting four K's along the way. Final score, 6-0, but this particular game meant the Astros, who beat the injury-ravaged Reds 5-2, also pulled into first place for the NL Wild Card. Subsequent to Joe Sheehan's August 18 obituary, the Astros have gone 18-3, and are on a 12-game winning streak. I must say I'm glad the Dodgers got to them back when they stank, i.e., when Jimy Williams was running things. Nonetheless, they still see the Cards six times this month, and of the contenders, have the toughest schedule, a point Dayn Perry makes today.
So it may indeed be the Cubs slinking home this year without a postseason berth; I daresay they haven't earned one, and Baseball Prospectus agrees, noting, "The Cubs have overachieved in the past; now they're underachieving." Injuries to the starting rotation and key hitters, another weak bullpen, extended slumps, chronic defensive miscues, and the continued lack of a legit leadoff hitter have all combined to dash the Cubs' early season optimism. Cubs Nation begins the slow realization that all but one team (and their fans) will acquire, namely, that this isn't the year they win it all. And Another Thing throws in the towel (try this link if the other one doesn't work), almost:
This feels like the end, everyone. Tonight's 6-0 shutout loss to the Expos was about the worst performance I have ever seen out of a Cubs team, and that includes the 1980 version that lost 98 games, the 1997 version that lost 14 in a row, the 1999 club that up and quit on Jim Riggleman and cost him his job, and the 2002 club that pretty much did the same number on Don Baylor (though you can make a good argument that he deserved it!).Well: the season's not over yet, and the Cubbies have some cottontailed opponents coming up. But then, that was what the Expos were supposed to be, too.
Back to the boys in Dodger blue. No, it wasn't an offensive crushing, but it counts in the W column at the end of the year. With the Giants and Padres both winning their respective games (and the Pads taking two of three from the Cards, a hopefully good sign for the Dodgers), nobody gained ground, but we didn't lose any, either.
In Jon's gameday thread, intrepid reader Bob Timmerman observed that OP's no decisions have ended thusly for the Dodgers:
| Date | Team | WP |
|---|---|---|
| 4/6 | vs SD | Gagne win |
| 4/23 | vs SF | Dreifort win |
| 5/4 | at FLA | Sanchez win |
| 5/9 | at PIT | Falkenborg win |
| 5/26 | at MIL | Sanchez loss |
| 5/31 | vs MIL | Gagne win |
| 6/11 | at BOS | Martin loss |
| 6/21 | at SF | Mota loss |
| 6/26 | vs ANA | Mota loss |
| 7/17 | at ARI | Mota win |
| 7/22 | vs COL | Mota win |
| 8/1 | at SD | Gagne win |
| 8/18 | vs FLA | Gagne loss |
| 8/23 | at MTL | Carrara loss |
| 8/28 | at NYM | Carrara win |
| 9/2 | at ARI | Brazoban win |
| 9/8 | vs ARI | Gagne win |
OP's 6-4 on his own, but 11-6 when he gets a no decision, or 17-10 overall. Frustrating if you're OP, but there's always things he can't control.
Ross: stop swinging at first pitches. Jesus.
To the guest color guy du jour, Eric Karros: marginally better than Davis, white, dull, and bitchy (what was that crack about Bradley's at bat being bad?). Again, Monday did a good job keeping things moving. C+ overall.
Newer› ‹Older
 |
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.