- After an April that made me want to vomit and stab multiple kittens, the Dodgers rebounded with an amazing May, a mediocre June, and decent start to July. Our abysmal play in April against some of the worst teams in the league really put us in a whole, and may be the end of us, as our 2nd half schedule is brutal to say the least.
- At least our Interleague schedule wasn't hard though (Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Angels twice), for a 4-11 record. Still we made up for that by just dominating the West something like 23-6.
- It's so nice to see Raffy finally playing up to his potential, and Big Game James has been as clutch as they come for the past couple of months. While Manny hasn't supplied the power I'd like to see, he's still hitting .322 and driving in runs so I can't complain. What the Dodgers really need is for Kemp and Ethier to get it going at the same time, and carry this lineup.
- Obligatory shoutout to my boy Jamey Carroll who did a tremendous job filling in for Raffy, is an on base machine, and needs to playing a lot more often.
- The Bullpen has been pretty good for the most part; Kuo is such a sicko, and Brox, Belisario, and Weaver have been solid. Sherrill has been a disaster and our need for another left-handed reliever is pressing.
- Now for the much discussed starting pitching: Kershaw has finally looked like the ace that he was born to be. Bills and Kuroda have done well for the most part, and Padilla has been sensational since returning from the DL. However, our 5th starter spot sans 4-5 starts from Ely have been an unmitigated disaster, which leads me to our 2nd half plans:
- This division is going to be tough to win. All 4 teams are very strong, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if any one of them won it. While I know that the McCheaps won't get us the ace that we need, I find that many of our needs can be had for a cheap price, just like Frank and Jamey would like it.
- A 5th starter: we just need someone reliable, who can give us 5-6 innings of 2-3 run ball on a consistent basis. You don't expect to win a ton of games from your 5th starter, but we need to reduce the stress on our bullpen and give ourselves a chance to win these games. A veteran 3rd/4th guy like Padilla or Garland last year would be idyllic.
- A left handed reliever. Kuo is our set-up man, but we need another lefty to get those big outs in the 6th and 7th. Sherrill has been a nightmare, and we need an upgrade.
- An improved bench: Outside of Carroll our bench has been painful to watch. Belliard is now 0 for his last 28 I believe, and looks like he's trying to strike out when he's up there. GA and Reed Johnson have not been the spark that we need, and Anderson needs to be cut IMMEDIATELY for Jay Gibbons who's tearing up AAA.
I will shy away from a prediction, but if we can add a few small pieces to the puzzle, this team has a shot at a 3rd straight division title, and can certainly make some noise in the playoffs.
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