Dodgers So Close, Yet Still So Far

Can’t watch the Dodgers? You can at least read about them here. CV Weekly contributor and Dodgers on Deck writer Mark Fabrick has everything you need on the Boys in Blue.

By Mark FABRICK

The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearing the finish line as they maintain the slimmest of leads over the San Francisco Giants. There are only 10 games left in the regular season, four in Chicago against the Cubs, followed by three at Dodger Stadium against the Giants and three against the Colorado Rockies to finish the year.

The Dodgers handled business in a big way by winning two of three games in San Francisco over the weekend, including a stunning 17-0 victory on Saturday night. But the streaking Dodgers stumbled badly losing two of three games to the Rockies at Coors Field in Denver  although that was mainly the by-product of poor starting pitching.

The team suffered a big loss when pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu left last Friday’s game with a sore shoulder.  Ryu missed about two weeks with similar soreness earlier in the year and the team has shut him down for the rest of the regular season in hopes of getting the Korean lefty ready for the playoffs.

Carlos Frias started in place of Ryu yesterday and he essentially tossed batting practice to the Rockies. Frias got lit up for 10 hits and eight runs while recording only two outs.  Coors Field can be a nightmare for any starting pitcher, but it’s hard to imagine Ryu struggling like that.  Hanley Ramirez also sat out the final two games of the Colorado series with a sore right elbow but he’s considered day-to-day.

The other interesting development was a heated altercation between star outfielders Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig in Monday night’s 11-3 win.  Kemp approached Puig in the dugout and was visibly shouting at him, Puig, to his credit, just walked away. It appeared Kemp was upset at Puig for not going first-to-third on an Adrian Gonzalez single. Kemp and manager Don Mattingly were mum on the issue. Kemp took to social media and posted a picture of the team accompanied by a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar quote about personal sacrifice for the good of the team.  Puig was noticeably absent from the picture.

I’ve always been among many fans who have wondered, “Who is the Dodgers leader?” With Matt Kemp regaining some of his MVP-caliber form, it might be his time to reassume the role. Kemp is raking in the month of September putting up a .321/.357/.698 slash line with five home runs and 12 RBIs.

In another pleasant development for fans, Time Warner Cable announced that they will be broadcasting the final six games of the year on local network KDOC (Channel 710 on Charter HD).

Buckle up Dodger fans, the team won’t be coasting into the postseason this year. The Dodgers will make one last road stop at Wrigley Field before returning to Dodger Stadium for the final six games of the season.  Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will both take the hill for the Dodgers this weekend. At press time the Dodgers had a three game lead in the NL West, but they were getting pounded by Colorado, and San Francisco had their ace, Madison Bumgarner, going against Arizona.

The finish line is in sight, but it’s never comfortable when someone’s breathing down your neck.