Anyone wonder how the Dodgers have the top pitching staff in Major League Baseball? In terms of earned run average, that is.
Well, it has a lot to do with the fact that they just don't allow home runs.
So far, Dodger starting pitching has allowed just 14 home runs this season, which is the lowest in all of baseball.
Total, the Dodgers are third best in baseball, allowing just 27 home runs in 376 innings. The Dodgers bullpen has allowed 13 home runs, which is in the middle of the pack, but this team has done enough to keep itself in ballgames.
Randy Wolf has allowed the most of any starting pitcher, still just giving up five. Clayton Kershaw has given up four, and most impressively, Chad Billingsley has allowed just one home run in 61 innings of work.
Meanwhile, Eric Stults has only allowed two and Jeff Weaver has allowed one. Hiroki Kuroda didn't allow one in his only start, and hopefully he can keep that up when he returns.
Very impressively, Ramon Troncoso hasn't allowed a home run in 26 2/3 innings of work and Jonathan Broxton hasn't allowed one in 21 innings of work.
Plainly stated, the most of the pitchers that matter don't give up home runs.
Will Ohman is the weak link, allowing four home runs in just over 11 innings of work. As anyone who is paying attention has seen, Joe Torre has not been using him, instead turning to lefty Brent Leach.
If you could take out the home runs of struggling lefties Ohman and Scott Elbert, the team has allowed just 20 home runs.
Very impressive.
randy wolf apparently did not read this story. he didnt pitch to bad actually.