Between The Lines Wednesday, July 10, 2002
NL West heats up as D'backs visit Dodger Stadium
By Trevor Stewart
With another unforgettable, but possibly regretable All-Star break coming to an end, pennant races will start heating up in at least four divisions.
Nowhere will it be more evident than in the National League West Division, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants are breathing down the necks of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Starting on Thursday, the Dodgers host the D'backs for a three-game set, which will extend over four days, with Arizona sitting just 2 1/2 games behind L.A.
Don't expect this pennant race to begin with an offensive bang, as the 'under' has appeared with great frequency for both these teams lately.
The 'under' has been money in Dodgers' games lately, prevailing in seven of the clubs last nine contests.
The 'under' is also a bankroll-padding 8-0-1 in Arizona's last nine prior to the All-Star break.
Not to mention, fewer runs have been scored in Dodger Stadium than any other ballpark in the Majors. Light-hitting Los Angeles has combined with opponents for a languid 7.3 runs per contest when in Lala-land.
Both clubs have relied on hot pitching as a foundation to their winning first halves. However, a club can't thrive on pitching alone and both L.A. and Arizona have been hitting poorly in their last 10 games, with team batting averages of .247 and .209 respectively.
Fittingly, each team sports a par 5-5 record in their latest ten games.
You get the feeling these two top teams are finding a way to fall back to the pack, a la the NL Central.
The D'backs dropped two straight going into the All-Star break, while Los Angeles has lost three of their five most recent contests.
The rivals have met nine times already this year, with the SoCal club holding a 5-4 edge. However, it's the Dodgers who have the D'backs' number recently, snatching four of the last five from the D'backs. And Los Angeles claimed two of three in Arizona to open the month of July.
This time around, the blue and white will be in tough when they face the dynamic duo of Randy Johnson -- who declined an invitation to the All-Star Game to rest up for Thursday's outing -- and Curt Shilling.
Game 1
The Big Unit (12-3, 2.47 ERA) takes the hill for Arizona, having received virtually no run support in his last two outings. Arizona lost both, while Johnson was hit with one loss -- which came against L.A. -- and a no-decision. In three starts versus the Dodgers this season, the hard-throwing lefthander is 1-1 and was beat up for seven runs in five innings, while taking a no decision.
Still, Johnson has recorded three wins and only one loss in his last three games, as he's hurled his way to a dominating 1.50 ERA.
With the way the Dodgers are hitting, the Big Unit might just turn this one into a whiff-fest.
Although there's no accounting for lack of run support and D'backs batters are up against rock-solid Hideo Nomo (9-5, 3.16 ERA). Nomo is 7-0 in his last 10 starts, while the Dodgers are a perfect 10-0 during that stretch. In his last three outings, Nomo has compiled a 2-0 record and baffling 1.23 ERA in 22 innings.
Look for the 'total' to be set low. Still, this game should run 'under'.
Game 2
Schilling (14-3, 3.08 ERA) has also seemingly lost his unbeatable form, taking two uncharacteristic losses and a no decision recently. However, the Big League's win leader has notched victories in his last two outings and now the D'backs are 2-3 in his last five starts.
And the numbers speak for themselves. He's hurled 25 full innings in his last three outings, notching two wins and working his way to a sparkling 2.16 ERA.
Omar Daal (7-4, 4.15 ERA) will get the ball for the Dodgers and will have his work cut out for him to keep up with his Arizona counterpart. Daal has appeared twice versus the D'backs this year. In his first outing, at Dodger Stadium he was beat up for six runs on 10 hits and suffered the loss. The second time, he pitched just five innings, but didn't surrender a run, nabbing the victory.
The 5.15 ERA in his last three games, I expect the lefthander's team to lose this one.
Game 3
The Dodgers will get some relief in this one, after facing Shilling and Johnson in the first two games.
Miguel Batista (4-5, 4.85 ERA) will get the call for the Diamondbacks. The club is 1-3 in his last four starts and Batista has recorded losses in four of his last six.
However, Batista's Dodger counterpart hasn't fared any better lately.
Kazuhisa Ishii has gone from rookie sensation to rotation weak spot. Ishii?s been liberal with free passes all season and it may be catching up with him.
He's started 17 games already this year, pitched over 100 innings, and looks to be lagging. He's lost four of his last five decisions. However, against the futile Diamondbacks, he should be able to get a win from his club.
Arizona embarks on an 11-game road swing versus NL West opponents. For a club that's been slipping lately, with an ordinary 17-15 record in their last 32 games, a trip like this one could make or break their pennant hopes.
The Dodgers will need to get their bats going. The team weighed too heavily on starting pitching in the early going, before Shawn Green began his tear. Now Green is nursing a sore thumb and his hot bat will eventually cool down. If and when the inevitable happens, the Dodgers could be in trouble.
In their first 40 games they were only 22-18 and were shutout eight times. Since, the club is 32-16 and has posted a goose egg only once, much thanks to Green.
NL West heats up as D'backs visit Dodger Stadium
By Trevor Stewart
With another unforgettable, but possibly regretable All-Star break coming to an end, pennant races will start heating up in at least four divisions.
Nowhere will it be more evident than in the National League West Division, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants are breathing down the necks of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Starting on Thursday, the Dodgers host the D'backs for a three-game set, which will extend over four days, with Arizona sitting just 2 1/2 games behind L.A.
Don't expect this pennant race to begin with an offensive bang, as the 'under' has appeared with great frequency for both these teams lately.
The 'under' has been money in Dodgers' games lately, prevailing in seven of the clubs last nine contests.
The 'under' is also a bankroll-padding 8-0-1 in Arizona's last nine prior to the All-Star break.
Not to mention, fewer runs have been scored in Dodger Stadium than any other ballpark in the Majors. Light-hitting Los Angeles has combined with opponents for a languid 7.3 runs per contest when in Lala-land.
Both clubs have relied on hot pitching as a foundation to their winning first halves. However, a club can't thrive on pitching alone and both L.A. and Arizona have been hitting poorly in their last 10 games, with team batting averages of .247 and .209 respectively.
Fittingly, each team sports a par 5-5 record in their latest ten games.
You get the feeling these two top teams are finding a way to fall back to the pack, a la the NL Central.
The D'backs dropped two straight going into the All-Star break, while Los Angeles has lost three of their five most recent contests.
The rivals have met nine times already this year, with the SoCal club holding a 5-4 edge. However, it's the Dodgers who have the D'backs' number recently, snatching four of the last five from the D'backs. And Los Angeles claimed two of three in Arizona to open the month of July.
This time around, the blue and white will be in tough when they face the dynamic duo of Randy Johnson -- who declined an invitation to the All-Star Game to rest up for Thursday's outing -- and Curt Shilling.
Game 1
The Big Unit (12-3, 2.47 ERA) takes the hill for Arizona, having received virtually no run support in his last two outings. Arizona lost both, while Johnson was hit with one loss -- which came against L.A. -- and a no-decision. In three starts versus the Dodgers this season, the hard-throwing lefthander is 1-1 and was beat up for seven runs in five innings, while taking a no decision.
Still, Johnson has recorded three wins and only one loss in his last three games, as he's hurled his way to a dominating 1.50 ERA.
With the way the Dodgers are hitting, the Big Unit might just turn this one into a whiff-fest.
Although there's no accounting for lack of run support and D'backs batters are up against rock-solid Hideo Nomo (9-5, 3.16 ERA). Nomo is 7-0 in his last 10 starts, while the Dodgers are a perfect 10-0 during that stretch. In his last three outings, Nomo has compiled a 2-0 record and baffling 1.23 ERA in 22 innings.
Look for the 'total' to be set low. Still, this game should run 'under'.
Game 2
Schilling (14-3, 3.08 ERA) has also seemingly lost his unbeatable form, taking two uncharacteristic losses and a no decision recently. However, the Big League's win leader has notched victories in his last two outings and now the D'backs are 2-3 in his last five starts.
And the numbers speak for themselves. He's hurled 25 full innings in his last three outings, notching two wins and working his way to a sparkling 2.16 ERA.
Omar Daal (7-4, 4.15 ERA) will get the ball for the Dodgers and will have his work cut out for him to keep up with his Arizona counterpart. Daal has appeared twice versus the D'backs this year. In his first outing, at Dodger Stadium he was beat up for six runs on 10 hits and suffered the loss. The second time, he pitched just five innings, but didn't surrender a run, nabbing the victory.
The 5.15 ERA in his last three games, I expect the lefthander's team to lose this one.
Game 3
The Dodgers will get some relief in this one, after facing Shilling and Johnson in the first two games.
Miguel Batista (4-5, 4.85 ERA) will get the call for the Diamondbacks. The club is 1-3 in his last four starts and Batista has recorded losses in four of his last six.
However, Batista's Dodger counterpart hasn't fared any better lately.
Kazuhisa Ishii has gone from rookie sensation to rotation weak spot. Ishii?s been liberal with free passes all season and it may be catching up with him.
He's started 17 games already this year, pitched over 100 innings, and looks to be lagging. He's lost four of his last five decisions. However, against the futile Diamondbacks, he should be able to get a win from his club.
Arizona embarks on an 11-game road swing versus NL West opponents. For a club that's been slipping lately, with an ordinary 17-15 record in their last 32 games, a trip like this one could make or break their pennant hopes.
The Dodgers will need to get their bats going. The team weighed too heavily on starting pitching in the early going, before Shawn Green began his tear. Now Green is nursing a sore thumb and his hot bat will eventually cool down. If and when the inevitable happens, the Dodgers could be in trouble.
In their first 40 games they were only 22-18 and were shutout eight times. Since, the club is 32-16 and has posted a goose egg only once, much thanks to Green.
and the two kids from pitt...great arms......love sidney, and lopez...good luck to all in the second half