Chad Billingsley's performance in today's game is exactly what I was expecting Clayton Kershaw to deliver last night against the Cardinals. This is exactly the kind of pitching performance the Dodgers needed to end their 5 game losing streak. Bills was dealing! He pitched 8-innings giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 11 batters. With their anemic offense, the Dodgers need Billingsley to keep them in the game in order to have a chance to win.
Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a lead off double in the bottom of the 9th. After Ethier led of with the double, Matt Kemp ended the game with a 2-run walk-off homerun off Cardinal pitcher, Ryan Franklin. Both Ethier & Kemp are doing most of the damage for the Dodgers offense.
Kemp is ranked 1st in MLB with a .474 batting average and Ethier is 8th with a .377 average.
Kemp is 2nd in hits with 27 and Ethier is 5th with 23 hits. They are both in the top 12 in on-base percentage as well. Kemp is 1st with a .545 on-base % and Ethier is 12th with a .441 on-base %. Kemp's slugging percentage is a stellar .719.
What is even more impressive is their clutch hitting. Ethier's batting average with runners in scoring position is .412 and Kemp's is an even better .500. Unfortunately, the team's batting average with RISP is a weak .179. I heard Vin Scully say that without Kemp & Ethier's lofty averages, the rest of teams average with RISP "is .088". If the team wants to start winning more games Loney and Uribe must start hitting. They need to pull their weight because Kemp & Ethier are doing all they can. Loney's batting average is .150 and Uribe's is .154. Not that Uribe & Loney can set the world on fire but they are better than this. They need to turn it around quick.
My favorite line from today's broadcast came from Vin Scully after Kemp's homerun.
""They pitched to the one guy who could beat them and he does." Classic Vin!
The Dodgers now await the arrival of the Atlanta Braves and their 7-9 record for a four game series @ Chavez Ravine.
True to the Blue!
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