The All Star break couldn't have come at a better time for my beloved LA Dodgers. They have limped through the last month and cling to a 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West. They were really rolling along with the best record in the major league and appeared poised to run away with the Division until they were blindsided by injuries to the core of the team - Kemp, Ethier, Mark Ellis, Lilly & Javy Guerra and now Dee Gordon. That represents almost 1/2 the opening day lineup, the #3 starter and the closer entering the season. Couple this with the underperformance of Loney & Rivera and the nonperformance of Uribe we are left with A.J. Ellis being the only reliable day to day player to contribute the entire season so far.
The pitching has been good. Yet Kershaw has been better, Billingsley has faded & Eovaldi was winless until this past week. Thank goodness for Capuano and the consistency of Harang. The Pen is starting to gel with Bellasario almost unhittable and Jansen becoming a premier closer after some initial missteps.
In summary: we are fortunate to be in 1st place after the disaster of the last month or so but our guys will be back after the Break so here's hoping we return to the form that led us to the best record in baseball through the end of May.
