It's the reason why this "Team" is falling apart.
[h1]Dodgers are swept by Phillies[/h1]
Tom Mihalek / Associated Press
Although Phillies starting pitcher Brett Myers gave up nine hits and three walks in seven innings, the Dodgers failed to score a run off him. Myers struck out eight and lowered his earned-run average to 4.49.
Larry Bowa criticizes team after Dodgers lose all four games of the series.
By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 26, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- The play did not determine the outcome of the game, but it did provide the perfect snapshot of an imperfect team when Jayson Werth scored from second base, on a ground ball to second base.
It would be tempting to say Werth and the Philadelphia Phillies ran circles around the Dodgers, completing a four-game sweep with a 5-0 victory Monday at Citizens Bank Park. It would be more accurate to say the Dodgers appeared a step slow, a bit tired.
And it would be an understatement to say that Larry Bowa, the Dodgers' third base coach, was furious at the way his team has conducted itself in a pennant race.
After the Dodgers lost on a 13-hit shutout by Brett Myers and two relievers -- no major league team has been shut out on more hits in a nine-inning game since 1928 -- Bowa spoke up, in anger.
"If you can't get up emotionally and mentally when you're two or three games out of first place, you need to find another job, another occupation," Bowa said. "That's what I see. I've seen teams play like this when they're 30 games out. There's no excuse for it.
"It's not one person. It's all of us. It's everybody that puts on a Dodger uniform. We should all be embarrassed by the way we played the last four days."
The Dodgers were outscored in the series 27-5 -- five runs, in four days, in a bandbox. They're still three games out of first place in the National League West, but they have fallen below .500 for the first time since July 26 and lost four consecutive games for the first time since June 12-15.
The Dodgers have scored three runs or fewer in seven consecutive games, the margin of error so thin that starter Chad Billingsley actually apologized to Manager Joe Torre after he pitched six innings and gave up three runs.
On Sunday, the Dodgers were two for 10 with runners in scoring position, including Casey Blake's grounding into a 5-2 double play with the bases loaded and none out.
On Monday, they were one for 17 with runners in scoring position, including Jeff Kent's going 0 for 4 in that situation and striking out twice when even a fly ball would have driven in a run.
Nomar Garciaparra, 35, did not start after starting 11 of 12 games since the Dodgers activated him from the disabled list. He is batting .163 since then, with no extra-base hits.
Blake, 35, has started every game since the Dodgers acquired him July 26. He is batting .218 this month and has not driven in a run in nine games.
"He may be a little tired," Torre said.
"I appreciate Joe trying to come up with some excuses for me," Blake said. "I just haven't been very good."
And then there is Kent, 40, who has one extra-base hit in his last 10 games. Torre gave Kent four games off in April, five in May, four in June and July, one in August.
"I'll look at it the next three days, to see if we can fit one in," Torre said.
Kent was the one who appeared a step slow charging the chopper on which Werth scored from second. Torre credited Werth, who was trying to steal, and said Kent was in "no man's land."
Bowa said Kent needed to handle the play more quickly.
Kent said he had to monitor Werth breaking from second, another runner coming from first, the batter and the batted ball.
"I'm not a wizard," Kent said.
bill.shaikin@latimes.com
T.J. Simers:
[h1]The gag's on Dodgers if they don't make playoffs[/h1]
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Tom Mihalek / Associated Press
Left fielder Manny Ramirez goes down swinging Monday night in the ninth inning, when the Dodgers had two men on base but failed to score a run.
Manager Joe Torre says there's nothing he can say to snap the Dodgers out of their funk. Well, here are a few suggestions.
T.J. Simers
August 26, 2008
PHILADELPHIA -- I'm worried about Joe Torre.
This is no time to sound clueless, the Dodgers going flat against the Phillies again, the manager asked what he might say to his team, and Torre appearing befuddled.
"There's nothing I can tell them," he said.
I don't get paid by the Parking Lot Attendant, and for that matter a lot of the Dodgers don't either, but I know what I'd tell our heroes.
"OK, guys, gather around. We're on our way to Washington. Those clowns have lost 14 of their last 16. An automatic sweep -- no reason to even use Jonathan Broxton, so everyone can rest easy.
"We don't play anyone with a winning record the rest of the season other than the Diamondbacks, and they're not much. We've got a good chance here to really give Vin Scully something to talk about. Sorry, Jeff.
"We've got 19 games on the road against teams with a combined record of 108 games below .500. Keep in mind we're only one game below .500, so when it comes to losing we're nowhere near as big losers as these other losers.
"We just have to show up to make the playoffs so NedColletti and Frank McCourt can take a bow. And they will. By the way, would someone please wake up Russell Martin; I know he's tired, but what am I supposed to do -- play Danny Ardoin?
"Listen, we go home for 12 more games and play teams with a combined record of 42 games below .500. We could play Juan Pierre every day, but don't worry, I'm not nuts.
"Arizona has to play eight more games against the playoff-hungry Cardinals, and those guys kicked our butt four out of six. We get four against the Pirates, three against the Nationals and will probably never have to use Mark Sweeney as a pinch-hitter.
"Things are really looking up. We'd really have to gag now not to make the playoffs."
IF THIS was New York, and Torre had done what he's done to Manny Ramirez, just imagine the headline in the New York Post: "Butcher!"
Just imagine George Steinbrenner's reaction, his search to find the barber who cut Ramirez's hair and then have him fired.
The Dodgers were playing like a powerhouse after Ramirez's arrival -- until the Dodgers' hair-challenged manager insisted on Samson cutting his dreadlocks, Ramirez complying and hitting .250 ever since, the Dodgers going 4-7 in that time.
"Get on Torre," Ramirez said with a grin. "Don't blame me."
Casey Blake came to the Dodgers, his beard a little shaggy, and as soon as he got a trim to better blend in, he went into the dumper, hitting .125 in his last nine games.
"I didn't tell him to cut his beard," Torre said, too late now to help Blake.
It might be time to check those before and after pictures of Andruw Jones. Wouldn't be surprised to find out Torre's the one who had the guy shave his head just before he joined the Dodgers.
"That's something about discipline," Torre joked after getting Ramirez to snip an inch off his dreadlocks. "You sacrifice wins, the season and everything else to have it."
Yeah, the Dodgers' new motto: "Take an inch and drop a mile back in the standings."
Ramirez said he's not sure if he can grow his hair back in time for the September stretch run. "He better," Torre said. "Now the pressure is on him."
What's wrong with Manny being Manny? Ramirez was hitting .466 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in his first dozen games in a Dodgers uniform. He has one home run and five RBIs in his last 11 since his buzz cut.
"You don't think I don't know that?" Torre said.
Joe Scissorhands, clearly failing to grasp the hairy situation the Dodgers find themselves in because of his own actions, said it was everyone else's fault that Ramirez is no longer hit- ting.
He said if the guys ahead of Ramirez don't get on base, pitchers can pitch around Ramirez.
As for Manny's haircut and Torre's role in ruining the Dodgers, he said, "I have trouble sleeping at night -- more my age, though, than his hair."
Then he paused, and added, "How long did he say before he can grow it back?"
THE MOVIE "8 Seconds" was playing before the game in the clubhouse -- interesting, because that's about how long the Dodgers have been in first place this season.
Blake called it one of his five favorite movies, "One Flew Over the ****oo's Nest" his top choice, although the title could also be used to describe his stay with the Dodgers before he moves on to sign with another team next season.
THE CITY of Norristown, Pa., honored Rick Monday on Monday, of course, and gave him a flag that once flew over Valley Forge -- something about the guy who put it up should be the one to get it when it comes down.
T.J. Simers can be reached at
t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.
not related to the game but i remember last year there was a game that James Loney had like 8 RBI's in one game and it tied the record for most RBI's in one game for a Dodger? and he finished the season off with 15 RBI's in total? is my memory serving me correctly? if so i find that funny he got more than half his RBIs in one game
Actually it was 9 RBI's in one game, and it was in 2006. He ended up with 15 RBI's because he was a September call up that year, and wasa backup to Nomar Garciaparra, who won the Comeback Player of the Year award that season.
I don't know what is so funny about having 18 RBI's in 102 at bats.
I don't want to talk about the current state of the team,
Actually it was 9 RBI's in one game, and it was in 2006. He ended up with 15 RBI's because he was a September call up that year, and was a backup to Nomar Garciaparra, who won the Comeback Player of the Year award that season.
oh ok thanks for clearing that up. how are the dodgers NOT 1st in the NL West???
