Ya, the Dodgers are 49-29 and yes they have the best record in baseball still, but the fact remains that things are not going great for the Boys in Blue.
They are just 2-5 in the seven games since improving to a season-high 23 games above .500. On Tuesday night, it became the third straight series in which they have won the first game, only to go on and lose the second.
The first two times they lost the rubber game as well, so Clayton Kershaw needs to pitch well, correct things and send the Dodgers out on their nine-game road trip with some momentum.
It won't be an easy one, traveling to San Diego, Milwaukee and New York.
It's unacceptable for the offense to get just two hits off a guy like Jason Marquis. Sure, he's having a good year, but he's not a very good pitcher. Somehow he's given up just three runs in 16 1/3 innings against the Dodgers this year. In fact, his ERA is barely above one against them in the last four years. Unreal.
With just seven runs in the last four games, the offense is very much in a slump and has not been very consistent at all for quite some time now. This we will not worry about too much, seeing as Manny will miss only one more game. If the woes continue for a couple of weeks after his return, then it's time to panic.
What the Dodgers will need to address soon, is the fifth starter spot in the rotation. They don't need a fifth starter until after the All-Star Break because of off days, but the answer in the second half won't be Eric Milton.
Eric Stults started his rehab assignment, but we know he isn't the answer and having James McDonald in the bullpen has been a good thing because he can let loose and throw 95-96. Jeff Weaver is a nice long reliever and spot starter, but we don't need him making 15 starts in the second half.
So, what about Jason Schmidt? Well, let's not count on it even though he threw 104 pitches over 7 2/3 shutout innings against Nashville in a Triple-A rehab start on Friday. We've thought he was getting close before and he didn't make it.
The good thing is that we didn't get our hopes up. I haven't had my hopes up about him for two years now.
As we saw, the Dodgers aren't close on Cliff Lee. The Indians will want more than Blake DeWitt and McDonald. Lee is under team control through 2010 and he has a very good contract from an organization's standpoint.
Roy Halladay isn't going anywhere, Jake Peavy and Erik Bedard are hurt so that doesn't leave many options.
It's a thin pitching market, and the Dodgers need one considering Hiroki Kuroda hasn't quite stepped up to me Robin to Chad Billingsley's Batman.
Winning that third game against Colorado was huge. Instead of being 5.5 back, they are 7.5 back and it ensures the Dodgers of not having a three-game losing streak and a 50-win first half of the season.
Now we need to see Hudson break out of his funk and Ethier get consistent.
After half a season we are back to the problem of the fifth starter. They are having a great year, but it's true, that spot is still a question, and an important one. What are they gonna do?
See what happens when you post Matt? the team responds...just like when I scream at them on the TV...this year they seem to listen and resond!