July 23rd-Los Angeles
Dodger starter Vicente Padilla can't bear to watch the Mets Ike Davis round the bases after a second inning home run. (AP)
The Dodgers have been quite an anomaly since the All-Star break. Their glaring weakness has suddenly become one of their strengths while what was supposed to be their two strengths are looking awfully flimsy. The paradox held true again Friday night in a 6-1 loss to the Mets.
All season long, the focus has been on how the team must improve their starting pitching. Meanwhile, entering Friday’s game, Dodger starters had not been scored upon in their last 17 innings. Over the last 40 innings, the starting staff has a 1.57 ERA. The trend of solid pitching continued Friday with Dodger starter Vicente Padilla giving up two runs, one earned, in his six innings of work. On the other side of the spectrum, the Dodgers suddenly sluggish offense could only plate one run while their fire-igniting bullpen of late allowed a tight 2-1 game to get out of hand.
Dodger manager Joe Torre used four different relief pitchers in the top of the eighth only to watch helplessly as they gave up four walks and four runs before the inning could mercifully come to an end.
The Dodger offense was held in check by Mets starter Johann Santana (8-5) who gave up five hits and one run in seven innings. Jamey Carroll’s fifth inning sacrifice fly was the only RBI the Dodgers could muster against Santana. Two Mets relievers held the Dodgers hitless the final two innings. In their last three games, the Dodgers have averaged a little over five hits per game and scored a total of five runs. Santana is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA versus the Dodgers this season.
The Mets Ike Davis hit a second inning home run (#14) to extend the Mets lead to 2-0. It was the first earned run Padilla had given up in his last 15 innings. Although he was the losing pitcher Friday, it doesn’t take away the fact Padilla has been a tremendous surprise since returning from a stint on the DL that kept him sidelined between April 22nd and June 18th. In his last seven starts, Padilla has tossed 47 innings and given up 7 runs for an ERA of 1.34.
The two teams meet again Saturday afternoon.