Blowout Heroes

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Those are the runs the Dodgers have given up in their eight wins so far in 2008. If not for the ineptness of Chan Ho Park, the Dodgers probably would have held the opposition to 2 runs or fewer in every single win this year. Aside from two 3-2 victories, every Dodger win this year has been by a comfortable margin. If the game is in doubt in the late innings, the Dodgers usually lose.

People talk about teams needing to hit in the clutch, and what they usually mean is getting hits with runners on base. Most analysts don't think there is much if any true clutch hitting ability among major league hitters. But there is another kind of clutch: that is hitting well when not everything is going great for your team. Hitting well when the opposition pitcher is on his game, and your own pitcher has given up 3 or 4 runs. Hitting well when the game is slipping away, but still within reasonable reach. This kind of clutch may not exist either, but if it does the Dodgers need to grab it. Because right now this is a team that is lost if their starter gives up a third run. Kuroda and Lowe are the types of pitchers who will often give up that third run. They're good, but not great. Penny and Billingsly and Kuo are potentially dominating, but all have struggled at times this season. The Dodger pitching cannot hold the opposition under three runs in more than half of their games. It's just not that good.

It's probably just bad luck that all of the Dodgers' best hitting performances seem to come when they're also getting their best pitching performances. And that's such an unsatisfying thing to say. It's about their character, dammit! Martin and the boys have gone soft! Kemp and his heedless headless style of play is infecting the whole team! We need a lineup of men who know how to play the game, how to win! We need speedy men with small skulls who will bunt and steal bases and make things happen! A team full of Pierres! Even the pitcher, who would be a crafty junkballer with a 70 MPH fastball.

Oh my. No. I'll take the team of blowout heroes we have and leave Pierre behind. The 5-4 wins will come. They will. But until they do, I look at these blowout wins and get a little frustrated. Why can't they score all these runs when they really need them? It's a question with no answer except patience.