Dodgers Face The Snakes For The Final Time In 2012

Dodgers Lineup vs. Arizona

Aaron Harang-9-8 vs. Trevor Cahill-10-11

The Los Angeles Corpses, er I mean Dodgers will be playing their final game against Arizona tonight. That’s reason enough to celebrate considering the Dodgers have played so terribly against the Snakes. The Dodgers have lost 11 of 17 to the Dbacks this season. Of course that goes along with their losing record within the division (28-34), and their losing record to three of the four opposing teams in the NL West.

But that doesn’t even matter, because the team has been dead for weeks now. The team is 6-10 since the mega deal with Boston, and show now signs of life at all. The team looks listless and depressed. Say whatever you want, but it all starts and stops with the manager in my opinion. Playing lifeless non-inspired and non-passionate, non-aggressive Baseball will get you nowhere. That is what manager Don Mattingly is preaching. I still believe that the team would do wonders with a new manager, and hitting coach. Once the Dodgers are eliminated from playoff contention, (which will happen very soon), the new ownership can begin to evaluate what went wrong. Make no mistake about it, the new owners made the trades with winning this year in mind. Not even making the playoffs is a huge blow, and disappointment to a fan base that has been let down this year. We were sold a bill of false goods. It’s becoming very hard to find anything positive to write about.

Aaron Harang, The Big Show-Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

We were told that these moves would propel us into the playoffs. Weren’t we? It’s not the owners fault, they tried their best. Unfortunately, not all of the trades worked out. They have been a mixed bag of results. Hanley Ramirez is the crown jewel of the trades. He’s a unique talent, and has been productive since coming over. Brandon League started out bad, but figured it out and turned it around. Over his last seven outings or so, he has been excellent. Shane Victorino has been awful at the top of the lineup. Garbage pitcher Joe Blanton is the worst pitcher I have seen in years, allowing an unfathomable 28 runs in seven starts. He’s lost four of his five decisions as a Dodger. The Boston trade so far seems to be a bust as well. While Josh Beckett has been decent, Adrian Gonzalez has been pathetic and useless since his first at-bat three run home run three weeks ago. In 66 at-bats, Gonzalez is hitting .227 with the Dodgers. His OBP is .288, and he has only 15 hits. His OPS is .636. Those look like Loney numbers to me. The worst part of it, is the guy plays the game like a zombie. Is this guy alive? Has anyone checked his pulse? Or is he like some kind of out making cyborg? It seems as though he preformed better in the relative obscurity, and low pressure of San Diego. He better start hitting soon, or me and many other Dodger fans will start burning his jersey in effigy.

The Dodgers have been shutout in back to back games. They haven’t scored in 20 innings, since last Saturday in the top of the ninth in San Francisco. Yesterday Matt Kemp returned to the lineup after being out two games with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He went 1 for 4 with a double, and threw out a runner at the plate. People are still complaining about his lack of production. I think we need to give Bison a break. He’s still hurt. A healthy Bison produces at an MVP level. Trust me guys, frayed labrums don’t take two days to heal. Somehow despite the lifeless performances, and chokefests, the Dodgers are just one game behind the Cardinals for the second wild card. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but since the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Pirates are all tanking, the Phillies, and Milwaukee have climbed back into the playoff race. Both Philly, and the Brewers are now only four games behind the Cardinals. Winning seven of every ten games will do that for you. The Dodgers are now six games behind the Giants, and you can all but give them the division crown.

The Dodgers will try and resuscitate their lifeless offense tonight, but I have little to no confidence. We’ll have to hope that Aaron Harang can bring his A-game, and snap us out of this. If we have to rely on Aaron Harang to snap a losing streak, we’re in big trouble.

Harang has had a decent year, despite his walk rate being astronomically high. Against the Snakes he is 3-7 with a 3.10 ERA. Harang lasted only five innings in his last start against the Padres. The Snakes are hitting .299 (43 for 144) with eight home runs, and a .902 OPS against the Big Show. Miguel Montero, and Paul Goldschmidt are the Snake’s best mashers against Harang. Montero is batting .529 (9 for 17) with a home run. Goldschmidt is hitting .500 (4 for 8) with two home runs. Chris Young also has hit three home runs off of Harang, but he has been out with a quad injury. Harang is 9-8 with a 3.75 ERA, and 120 whiffs against the league.

Do we have to face this guy again?-Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

The Snakes will counter with righty Trevor Cahill. We’ve seen him many times. The Dodgers can’t hit him either. In Cahill’s last start he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Giants. In stark contrast, the Dodgers are hitting just a mediocre .250 (31 for 124) with three home runs off of Cahill. Only A.J. Ellis has done anything productive while facing Cahill. AJ is 6 for 8 with a home run against Cahill. Matt Kemp is 3 for 7. Bobby Abreu, and Gonzalez have both hit home runs against Cahill. Cahill has been struggling in August, but has pitched better so far in September. Against the Dodgers Cahill is 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA. Against the league, Cahill is 10-11 with a 3.98 ERA, with 130 whiffs in 172 innings pitched.

First pitch tonight is at 6:40, and televised on Prime Ticket. Honestly, this team is dead, and has been for weeks now. I have no confidence in this team anymore this season. So I won’t be surprised when they roll over again. The huge four game series with the Cardinals looms on Thursday. I hope somehow, someone steps up, and the Dodgers can get hot. Although if you really believe the Dodgers will magically figure it out and get hot, then I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you.

The 2013 schedules were released today. We got our first looks at the Dodger’s schedule. We might as well start looking at it now, since this year is done. The Dodgers will play 20 interleague games, including a two game set at Yankee Stadium, a series against Boston at home, and a road series in Baltimore, and Toronto. Stacie will have a special article up late, looking at the 2013 Dodger Schedule. You can check out the schedule by clicking on the link in the hub. I still hate interleague play.

Check in with us after the game. One of our new writers, Dustin Hanson will have the postgame recap, and a detailed analysis. Can the Dodgers keep the Snakes in the grass tonight? Go Blue.