[PilotMan]

August Recap


No question, that August was the best month for Dodger baseball this year. The team put together a 17-11 record to push our overall record to 72-57. We started the month 4 behind the Padres, and finish it .5 games in first place. So August was make or break, and it made us. We are still in this thing!


The returns of Evans, Neidenfeur, Eckersley and Murphy should be a very good thing. Our bullpen has managed very well without our big closer. The emergence of John Franco, even with his 4 blown saves, has been a stabilizing force. Kittle wasn't the force that we hoped he would be, so seeing Evans back in the lineup makes me happy.


The real reason we had a good month was pitching. Pitcher of the month was seriously Frank Tanana. He went 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 6 starts. A season best 0.99 WHIP, and 34 K's in 42 IP. John Denny was the other good one. He suffered from no support to a 2-2 record, but his 1.40 ERA was best of the best, as was his 0.96 WHIP.


There's so little good news from our lineups. The top hitter was actually hitters. No surprise it was between Scioscia (.316/.398/.429) and Randolph (.304/.454/.348). Stubbs lead the team with 5 HR, but guys like Bream (.186/.364/.314), Marshall (.180/.212/.288) and Stubbs (.216/.266/.431) really brought us down. Like I said, we really needed Evans back, and hopefully, Murphy will be close behind.


With pitching staff finding it's groove, the team is 2^nd or 3^rd in most pitching stats in the NL. Tops in strikeouts, but a god awful 7^th in defense. Seeing Frank White at short or third makes me cringe every time. Stubbs in center hasn't been great either.


On offense, the team is down to 9^th in team batting. Meanwhile, our team OBP, is 4^th in the league. We do have some patient hitters. We also have some power, as we are 3^rd in the NL in HR's, with 122, but 8^th in extra base hits.


So, the moral of the story with this team is that we really need our pitching to keep pulling us along. The offense, if it comes, will win us games, but in order for this team to go far, the pitching has to be strong. Whenever Eck comes back, that will really solifify our rotation. Beattie should go back to the pen and Tanana or Denny slide down to the #5 slot.


September is here. That means roster expansion. The team made 3 three moves overall. The only pitcher who was called up was Kelly Downs. Downs (0-1, 3.65 ERA, 12.1IP in AAA) tore his rotator cuff in his first game and just came back last week. The other players were OF Tony Brewer (.429/.429/.571 in 17 games with LA) who was just sent down 3 days ago, and IF Ross Jones (0-1 in 4 games in LA).


The rest of the league is embroiled in battles too. While we sit .5 game up on the Padres in the West, the Reds are lingering just 3 back. In the East, The Expos are solidly up 8 games over the surging Mets, who have won 11 straight. The Cards have dropped to 10 back.


In the AL West, it has been a 5 horse race, but it's getting closer to a 3 horse, as both the Angels and Twins find themselves 5 games back. Only 1 game separates the Royals, Mariners and White Sox.


And in the East, the defending champs, Toronto, are 3 games behind the Yankees. The Red Sox are now 6.5 back. In a week or so, the playoff probabilities start to come out. We have to get some W's and keep this winning way going.