Fellow Bloggers and Dodger fans,
On ESPN, 41% of America believes the Dodgers will make a playoff run. The Rockies were 35% most likely to make a run. I know that we are now in August, but last time I checked the calendar has hit "dog days" and not October. For you Dodger fans who are feeling skeptical and downright bullish on the Dodgers let's consider a few possibilities.
1. The Dodgers have a difficult home stand against First Place San Diego and Last place Washington. In addition, they play the Rockies somewhere.
2. The Giants have their toughest road and home series left:
2 with the Rockies in Denver, 4 with Atlanta, 4 with the Cubs at home, and then 3 with San Diego. Even worse? Followed by 3 with the Phillies on the road and 3 with St. Louis on the road....If they win each series, they will be fine. I predict, they can't and it will come down to having to face the toughest hitters and pitchers they have faced all season. It spells disaster and I can picture Bochy walking back and forth from the dugout to the mound so much so that he'll need a motorized vehicle to get to and fro.
3. San Diego has an incredible record at home and on the road, but they cannot hit. Sure, since the All Star break, they have been on fire, but they just lost a series to the Marlins. San Diego has the Dodgers for 4, Arizona for 3, 4 in Chicago, 3 in Milwaukee. The Dodgers series is the most interesting.
4. Dodgers play well at home and it's time to have a positive home stand and beat Philly and Atlanta on the Road.
Where am I going with this? I really don't think we should count our Boys in Blue out.
I am upset about managerial moves before and during games. Some have and prove questionable? Why not put Theriot batting Eight? Martin bats better earlier in the lineup and pitching to Renteria in the 7th? I know you don't load the bases with two outs, but if Matt Cain is 0-24 against the Dodgers at the plate- you pitch to him and load the bases by walking Renteria. Matt Cain has a chance to ground out, flyout, or strike out! Yeesh!
So, the Dodgers have played a little too loose for my liking and gone is the care- free we can spot a couple of runs because when it's over we'll win by 6. The only thing necessary is to hear "I love LA" at least 5 times this week as the Dodgers play and win.
Schedule information: Based on ESPN.GO.COM/MLB
Agreed that the Giants have a tough schedule in August, but they've played the East and Central really well lately. Particularly Philly, St. Louis and Atlanta: taking two out of three so far in '10 and winning the season series in '09. I'm more worried about how they do vs the West this month.
ReplyDeleteBut still tough and it's a lot of road games so we're really going to see what they're made of. For sure the most important stretch of the season. Go Giants!
Jeez, could the Padres schedule get any easier?
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