HOPES REST ON STRETCH DODGERS MUST SHED STREAKINESS.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer It's September and the Dodgers still are like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're going to get. Solid pitching is about the only constant while the team's hitting remains volatile, although it's vastly improved over the disaster that marked the first half of the season. Most important, Shawn Green Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972, in Des Plaines, Illinois) is a 6' 4" left-handed Major League Baseball player. Green is the starting right fielder for the New York Mets.[1] Green was a 1st round draft pick, and has been a two-time major league All-Star. and Adrian Beltre have found their groove, a key to the team's recent success. Thus, the unpredictable Dodgers, who haven't reached the postseason since 1996, are only 2 1/2 games back in the National League wild-card race with 14 games left. ``The great thing is that with at least two weeks to go, these games mean something,'' Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said. ``That's what we all strive for. Sure, it's not the perfect situation. Sure, we'd like to be in the lead. But we're 2 1/2 out with 14 to play. ``I just think the important thing is that ... a couple guys get hot and stay hot. It has to happen sooner rather than later. We can't rely on somebody getting hot next week.'' Green has hit five home runs the past nine games to raise his season total to 17 with 76 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in . He's second in the majors with 15 RBI in September. Beltre, who always heats up in August, is batting .400 with a league-best 22 hits this month. As Evans said, Beltre is playing like it's Aug. 46. That kind of hitting, combined with effective pitching, is what has kept Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. in the race. ``Our attitude needs to be to win each game,'' Green said. ``Obviously, that's a very difficult task, but that's our mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. .'' It has to be. If Florida wins at its current pace, it would go 7-6 in its final 13 games and the Dodgers would have to finish 10-4 to pull into a tie for the wild-card spot. And that doesn't take into account Philadelphia, which is a game up on L.A. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , there isn't much room to lose. ``We need to play each and every game as if it's a playoff game Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship , whether that means we have to pitch more or whatever it takes,'' reliever Paul Quantrill adj. streak·i·er, streak·i·est 1. Marked with, characterized by, or occurring in streaks. 2. Variable or uneven in character or quality. team. ``It takes a lot for us to get knocked back down, though. We just have to keep pushing forward. We can't afford to have one of those streaks where we lose three or four games.'' The Dodgers have received consistent at-bats from everyone in the lineup the past few weeks, a surge that started in a three-game sweep at Colorado. They had 45 hits and scored 24 runs in that series. They also swept the Padres over the weekend. With a starting rotation of Kevin Brown The name Kevin Brown can refer to several different people, including the following:
(born Aug. 31, 1968 , Osaka, Japan) Japanese baseball pitcher whose success with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995 created new opportunities for Asian players in Major League Baseball. , Kazuhisa Ishii and Odalis Perez, the best bullpen in baseball and closer Eric Gagne, who's having the best back-to-back seasons of any closer in history, anything is possible. L.A. has a major-league-best 3.04 ERA. ``(Offense) is the element of our game that's been missing for most of the season,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``If what we're doing now is going to continue for some time, we'll ride it out and we'll have a pretty good finish. It's coming from sources that we were looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. contributions from, not career-type years. Just give us your contribution and that's OK. It's a little better than that, actually.'' Of course, even if the Dodgers go 14-0 down the stretch, they could still get shut out of the playoffs: The Marlins and Phillies must help out. Those teams play one another six more times - a three-game series begins today in Philadelphia - and a split probably would work in the Dodgers' favor. They've been in this position before: Last year, the Dodgers were riddled with injuries but made a surprise run that ended the last week of the season. They won 92 games but it wasn't good enough. ``There's two weeks left,'' Tracy said. ``That's an eternity with the number of games that have to be played and Florida having games with the Phillies and Braves. That's a lot of baseball to play.'' Jill Painter, (818) 713-3615 jill.painter(at)dailynews.com ARIZONA at DODGERS When: Today, 7:10 p.m. TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 980-AM, 610-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish) CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Eric Gagne and the best pitching in baseball give the Dodgers plenty of reasons to be optimistic, if the offense contributes. Chris Urso/Associated Press |
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