« The Best REAL Seats in the House | Main | Shame on The Gambler »
July 4, 2005
Things To Do In Denver When You're Near Dead
For the Dodgers, salvaging the season will come down to winning away from home. Thirteen of the next seventeen games they play will be on the road, and winning on the road has not come easily for anyone in the National League this season. The St. Louis Cardinals are the only team with a winning road record. Two teams, the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals, have broken even as the visiting team, and the Nationals just reached .500 after sweeping the Cubs in Chicago this weekend. So the Dodgers will be traveling uphill for 13 of the next 17. Now minus J.D. Drew, it could be like doing a mountain stage of the Tour de France with a refrigerator strapped to their backs.
And forgive Odalis Perez if he's wishing he could extend his stay on the disabled list. Welcome back to the big team, Odalis, hope those rehab starts in Las Vegas prepared you for the pitchers' graveyard that is Coors Field. Perez's career ERA in Denver: 6.90. He's got company in Jeff Weaver, whose one career start at Coors Field lasted four innings in which he surrendered 13 hits and 8 earned runs.
At least Brad Penny and Derek Lowe have had some success at Coors, but that means that when the Dodgers leave Denver for Houston and the hitters' paradise that is Minute Maid Park, they will start that series with D.J. Houlton matched up against Roger Clemens. The projected Astro starter in game two of that series will be Roy Oswalt, and the Astros, who are trying to climb back into the wild-card race, have a record of 24-13 at home this season. But this is getting too far ahead of things. Right now, it's Denver or bust.
Posted by Andrew Torres at 8:22 AM
Comments
It was nice to see the bullpen step up last night, and the Oscar Robles Hitting Clinic was a nice surprise too. But with all these injuries, Dodger Stadium is looking too much like that sprawling, makeshift triage ward from Gone With the Wind these days. Do you think there's anything to the Adam Dunn rumors? And if so, is that even such a good thing? Even if it is, it's most certainly not enough. Last night's gutsy comeback win, after the late flight into Denver, was much needed and appreciated. But that refrigerator is starting to feel pretty damn heavy, and too many of the bike's lower gears are stripped. Forget Lance Armstrong. Right now I'd take the pedaling power of Margaret Hamilton if it meant a better, healthier second half.
Posted by: Dennis Cozzalio on July 5, 2005 9:50 PM
