Mon May 5 17:03:51 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Dodgers slugging their way back into the mix

---

(Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks may have flew out of the gates over this season's first month, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are doing their best to ensure that it's not going to be a one-horse race in the National League West.

The Dodgers have staked their claim with an eight-game win streak that finally came to an end with Sunday's 7-2 defeat at Colorado. The tear, Los Angeles' longest since it ripped off 11 consecutive victories from July 28-August 8, 2006, has been fueled by an offense that's been relentlessly wearing out enemy pitchers in recent weeks.

Los Angeles racked up an eye-opening 75 runs over the course of those eight wins and reached double-digits four times during the streak. And those gaudy totals have been compiled without the benefit of the long ball, as the Dodgers homered only four times over that impressive stretch.

The Dodgers have compensated for that power shortage with an effective combination of plate discipline, speed and timely hitting -- the same formula used by the New York Yankee dynasty that steamrolled its way to four World Series titles in a five-year span from 1996-2000.

Of course, there's another trait common to those Yankee teams and the 2008 Dodgers. Both were managed by Joe Torre, whose stressing of working deep counts, advancing runners by putting the ball in play and running the bases aggressively seems to have really caught on with his new charges.

Los Angeles hitters drew a healthy 48 walks during the club's eight-game run and has received consistent production from every position in the lineup save for center field, where Andruw Jones still hasn't been able to break out of a slump that actually began in April of last season.

"Early on, we had too many guys struggling in the lineup and it was hard to string together hits and runs," catcher Russell Martin told the team's official site after the Dodgers' 11-6 outslugging of the Rockies on Friday. "Now everybody has warmed up. You put up good at-bats and it wears down pitchers."

The Dodgers are also tied for second in the majors with 32 stolen bases thus far and boasts three players -- outfielders Juan Pierre and Matt Kemp and shortstop Rafael Furcal -- that currently rank among the National League's top 10 in that category.

KEMP IS KING

Kemp, who has amassed seven steals in eight chances, has been doing plenty of damage with his bat as well. The talented right fielder was selected as the NL Player of the Week on Monday after he batted .407 (11-for-39) with a league- best 11 RBI in six games. Kemp also scored seven runs and stole six bases during that stretch.

The 23-year-old slugger is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak in which he has batted .410 (16-for-39) and knocked in a whopping 16 runs.

MARTIN SHOWS OFF VERSATILITY

Martin earned a Gold Glove for his work behind the plate last season, but the 2007 All-Star began his professional career as a third baseman in the Dodgers system before being converted to catcher. Martin got a chance to play his original position this past weekend, as Torre inserted his primary backstop at third base for the first two games of Los Angeles' series with the Rockies.

Rookie Blake DeWitt had been primarily manning third base due to regular starter Nomar Garciaparra having missed most of this season with injuries, but Torre wanted to give the young prospect a night off with Colorado starting tough left-hander Jeff Francis in Friday's opener. Martin, who had not started a game at third since his Rookie League season in 2002, handled four chances flawlessly in his return to the hot corner, which persuaded Torre to put him back there for Saturday's tilt.

The Dodgers are also hoping that having Martin play third base on occasion will help keep the 25-year-old fresh over the course of the season. He led the majors with 145 games played and 1,254 innings logged behind the plate last season at the position generally considered the most demanding in baseball.

"It's a mental grind," said Martin of playing catcher. "It's like you're playing chess, trying to figure out how to get guys out. No offense to guys playing the infield, but it's way easier. You just stand out there and every once in a while, you get a ball."

DeWitt, meanwhile, has more than held his own in his first taste of major- league action. The former first-round pick, who had not played above Double A prior to this year, is batting .293 and posted an excellent .384 on-base percentage while supplying strong defense. Since Garciaparra landed back on the disabled list with a strained left calf on April 26, DeWitt has hit .375 (9-for-24) with eight RBI in seven games.

WHO'S HOT

Kemp has had the most scorching bat in the Los Angeles lineup as of late, but Martin had a 10-game hit streak snapped in Sunday's 7-2 loss at Colorado. The athletic young catcher went 13-for-30 (.433) with a home run and six RBI over the course of the Dodgers' eight straight wins.

Starting pitcher Chad Billingsley has amassed eight or more strikeouts in each of his last four starts and now has 40 K's in just 27 2/3 innings of work. The hard-throwing righty picked up his first victory of 2008 after holding Florida to one run and three hits while fanning eight over seven frames on Wednesday.

WHO'S NOT

Jones has produced just three hits in his last 22 at-bats and is batting a lowly .163 (16-for-98) with just one home run and four RBI on the season.

Workhorse pitcher Derek Lowe surrendered five runs and issued four walks over five innings to take the loss in Sunday's setback to the Rockies. The sinker specialist also struggled in his previous start, having allowed six runs (3 earned) and eight hits while lasting just five frames, and hasn't pitched more than five innings in any of his four most recent outings.

MEET THE METS

The Dodgers begin a week-long homestand on Monday with the first of three consecutive meetings with the New York Mets, who will be making their lone scheduled visit to the City of Angels this season.

Billingsley (1-4, 5.20) will oppose Oliver Perez (2-2, 4.03) in the opener, with Hiroki Kuroda (1-2, 3.82) slated to go for Los Angeles on Tuesday against Nelson Figueroa (2-1, 4.08). The Dodgers will send out ace Brad Penny (5-2, 3.19) in Wednesday's finale, with John Maine (3-2, 3.48) expected to take the mound for the Mets.

Following the New York series, Houston will invade Chavez Ravine for three- games beginning on Friday.