Perspective

How about some perspective?

So, just think about how bad you'll feel after the Giants sweep the Dodgers this week. When that happens you'll realize that being up by 5.5 games was like a paradise.
Too grim? Too defeatist? Probably is.

Well, just be happy you're not a Red Stocking fan this weekend. This isn't the worst boat to be in, even if it does seem like it's taking on water at an alarming rate.

I didn't write anything this weekend or this morning because I just didn't have much worth saying.

This series right now against the Giants matters. If the Dodgers win the series 2-1 I think that completely erases the bad of this weekend. If the Dodgers lose the series 1-2 I think there's still no reason to panic. If the Dodgers get swept, then we start looking for this year's late season turnaround, the eight game winning streak to follow the eight game ( or six game or whatever ) losing streak. I don't think the Dodgers will get swept. It could happen, but look, the Giants are still challenged offensively, even after their trades. Their pitching is amazing, better than the Dodgers, really, but their offense isn't close to being what the Dodger offense is. The question we have to ask is, has the Dodger offense fallen apart? I don't think it has. The last few weeks is not the next few weeks. There are no injury concerns on the offense. These are the same guys who were terrific before the All-Star break. They'll come around.

Game Nelson Unfair Loss Shares ( Dodgers )

Mota -- 1
Loney -- 1
Manny -- 1

Two days later, I've mostly put aside the Dodger loss, and can just appreciate the brilliance of Kershaw's start. More often than not when Kershaw pitches like that the Dodgers will win.

Game Nelson Unfair Win Shares ( Braves )

Kawakami -- 1
Johnson -- 1
Medlen -- 1

Kawakami threw some really great pitches to the Dodger, but they could have hit him, at least a little bit. His scoreless 7 innings were not like Kershaw's scoreless seven. I think the loss would have been easier to take if that wasn't true, if Kershaw had been matched pitch for pitch, instead of being the better pitcher but still seeing his team lose.

Game Nelson + 1 Unfair Loss Shares ( Dodgers )

Stults -- 1
Troncoso -- 1
Kemp -- 1

In Cricket they have a superstition about the run total of 111, because supposedly British naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson had one leg, one arm, and one eye after being wounded several times. What Nelson has to do with cricket I don't know, ( except that both are English in origin ) but according to superstition a batsman is more likely to be dismissed on a run total of 111, which they call "Nelson". ( A total of 222 is called "double Nelson". ) The Dodgers, of course, were dismissed in their 111th game.

Game Nelson + 1 Unfair Win Shares ( Braves )

Diaz -- 1
Vasquez -- 2

edit: It turns out I screwed up the game numbers. The last game of the Braves Series was game 112. Oh well.