Cherish it Dodger fans, the boys in blue have the best record in all of Major League Baseball. I'll be the first one to admit that this seems like a silly thing to celebrate or even talk about, but hey, last season was ROUGH. We'll take what we can get.
Thoughts from Wednesday's game- Is Chad Billingsley going to make a return to his 2008 form? 2nd start of the year and it sure looks good so far. Granted he has only faced the Padres and Pirates, but hey, a little confidence boosting may be exactly what he needs. It seemed in the past few season, Bills always had one inning that doomed him. So far this year, aside from one pitch to Clint Barmes tonight, he's looked untouchable. If he can keep this up, he and Kershaw could very well be the best 1-2 combo in all of baseball. My only real gripe about tonight was the decision to have Loney pinch hit for him. I agree that it was right to pinch hit for Bills, but why Loney? It's well known that Loney doesn't hit left-handed pitching well at all, that's why he didn't start tonight. But Mattingly sends him up to pinch hit versus a lefty. I guess Mattingly is trying to get James some confidence, but it wasn't the smartest of moves in my opinion. Whichever way you slice it, Loney is still hitless on the year, but the team got the win. So I guess, no harm, no foul.
In other shocking news, Uribe still sucks, Kemp and Ethier are still making great contact, and Dee Gordon is still lightning quick. I know I'm not alone on this one but it bears repeating, Dee Gordon is fast. It's seriously ridiculous. Any weakly hit ground ball the left side of the infield is going to be a really close play at first. Nearly anything that makes it to the outfield is guaranteed to be extra bases. If he walks, he'll be standing at 2nd base within a matter of 1-2 pitches. He's a total game changer. I would like to see him attempt some steals of third though. At least once a game, just to see what the opposition does. Andre Ethier is about as locked in as he could be right now. His swing is so pure. As I've said in the past, he always rakes in April, but for some reason, I have a good feeling he'll be able to sustain his stroke throughout the season. By now you're probably familiar with my feelings on Uribe. He swings so hard it's amazing he doesn't throw out his back or pull a hamstring every time he steps in the box. Matt Kemp is still Matt Kemp. After going 0-4 yesterday, he bounces back by going 3-4 with a double and a run scored tonight. He looks so relaxed right now, and it sure seems like the rest of the team (minus Uribe and Loney) are feeding off his energy.
Back to the whole best record in baseball, it sure would be nice if they could face the Padres and Pirates for the next 156 games, but that's not the case. However, starting the season on a winning streak can't hurt. Hopefully it will also bring the fans back. Wednesday night's crowd looked a bit thin, and was being referred to as a McCourt Crowd. I'm sure the fans will start to return with the new ownership, the crazy amount of giveaways this year, and a team that looks promising. They're going for the sweep tomorrow, so if you're heading about to Chavez Ravine, make sure you take your broom.
Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports
No comments:
Post a Comment