It’s a pretty safe bet that nearly every Dodger blogger woke up on Thursday morning with a mindset to write some type of “Year in Review” article (or “the Dodgers obituary” as J.P Hoornstra jokingly called it); I mean, what else are they going to write about. In fact, aside from bloggers covering the 10 teams still playing after 162, cyberspace will probably resemble the 405 freeway during Carmegeddon with stories of what could have been or what should have been for their respective teams. And being that I am now one of these said bloggers, here’s mine – although it will probably have a slightly different twist than most.

It goes without saying that the Dodgers finished the 2012 season better than most people figured they would… A LOT better. I vividly recall driving home from spring training listening to MLB on XM and hearing one show host after another bashing the Dodgers and saying that they would finish no better than third in the NL West. Of course, these were the same show hosts who said that the 2012 Oakland A’s would be lucky to win 60 games and that the Angels would run away with the AL West. I can pretty much guarantee you that none of these so-called experts figured that the Dodgers would still be in playoff contention heading into game number 161, that’s for sure.

Here are just a few of the highs and lows for the Dodgers during the 2012 season that made it one of the most interesting in Dodger history, and this doesn’t even take into account the McCourt debacle or the blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox.  (Click on photos to enlarge).

A very ill Clayton Kershaw refused to miss the season opener in San Diego.

On April 5, 2012, Opening Day of the 2012 season, defending NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw met his commitment to be the Dodgers Opening Day starter when he took the mound at Petco Park battling the flu, yet managed to pitch three strong innings before finally being unable to continue. It was one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen. The Dodgers won the game 5-3 and went on to win 9 of their first 10 games, which tied their best start since 1981. Opening Day 2012 also saw 9-year minor league catcher A.J. Ellis finally make his first start as the Dodgers’ everyday catcher. Ellis would go on to have an outstanding 2012 season.

Aaron Harang’s 9 consecutive strikeouts set a new franchise record.

On April 13, 2012 (Friday the 13th) and just 8 games into the new season, Aaron Harang set a new Dodgers franchise record by striking out 9 consecutive Padres batters (one shy of the all-time MLB record) in a 9-8 win over the friars. Ironically, Harang did not factor in the decision in one of the freakiest Fridays in Dodgers history. The Dodgers blew an 8-3 lead and entered the bottom of the 9th tied 8-8 only to have the Padres bullpen imploded (worse than the Dodgers, that is) when they walked in the winning run. April 13 also happens to be the birthday of Jennifer Harang, Aaron’s wife.

Gordon’s impossible catch.

On April 15, 2012 and just two days later, the Dodgers turned their first triple play since 1981 in the top of the 9th against those same Padres and then won the game in the bottom of the 9th on a walk-off single by Dee Gordon to beat the Padres 5-4. It was the second walk-off win for the Dodgers in three days. Earlier in the game, Gordon made an absolutely impossible over the head catch while on a dead run.

Brandon League was the 5th pitcher used in the combined no-hitter.

On June 8, 2012, the Dodgers were the victims of a combined no-hitter by six Seattle Mariners pitchers at Safeco Field. It was the 10th combined no-hitter in MLB history and the first since 2003 when six Astros pitchers no-hit the New York Yankees. Ironically, the fifth Mariners pitcher used in the combined no-hitter was Brandon League, who was later acquired by the Dodgers at the July 31 trade deadline in exchange for top Dodgers prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom. Go figure.

In only his 2nd game as a Dodger, Luis Cruz hit a clutch double and later stole home. It was the only steal of home by a Dodger this season.

On July 2, 2012, the Dodgers called up utility infielder Luis Cruz to give struggling shortstop Dee Gordon a rest. The 28-year-old Cruz, a native of Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico, had spent nine seasons in the minors and was a non-roster invitee to spring training, where he absolutely tore it up. Cruz started the season at Triple-A Albuquerque and was having a phenomenal season which led to his call-up to the Dodgers. Cruz quickly became the Dodgers everyday shortstop until the Dodgers acquired all-star shortstop Hanley Ramirez from the Marlins a few weeks later. Cruz moved over to third base where he committed only 2 errors in 123 chances for a .984 fielding percentage. For as good as Cruz was with the glove, he was even better with the bat and finished the season with a .297 average – second only to Matt Kemp’s .303. On July 3, 2012, the day after his call-up, Cruz hit a key double and later stole home, the first Dodger to do so since Dee Gordon did so a year earlier almost to the day (July 2, 2011).

Jansen’s blown save on July 14, 2012 will forever be remembered as the mother of all blown saves.

On July 14, 2012, the Dodgers suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season (and in Dodger history) when Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen blew a 6-5 lead in the top of the 9th with two outs and two strikes on Padres batter Alexi Amarista. On the throw back from catcher A.J. Ellis, Jansen turned his back to Everth Cabrera on third base and Cabrera broke for home. By the time Jansen realized what was happening and threw home, Cabrera was safe. But wait… there’s more. Jansen’s throw was wild and got away from A.J. Ellis allowing Will Venable to score from second base. The Dodgers were unable to score in the bottom of the 9th and lost 7-6. Immediately following that embarrassing loss, I posted a blog article entitled Forgivable… For Now in which I mentioned that should the Dodgers miss the playoffs by one game, this game would be the reason why – and it was.

Ramirez had 2 of the 4 home runs on August 18th.

On August 18, 2012, Atlanta Braves pitcher Ben Sheets held the Dodgers to only four hits. Unfortunately for Sheets, all four hits were home runs including back-to-back-to-back home runs by Hanley Ramirez, James Loney and Luis Cruz. For good measure Ramirez hit a second home run leading the Dodgers to a 6-2 win. It was only the sixth time since 1921 that a Major League pitcher allowed exactly four hits and four home runs while completing at least six innings.

Herrera’s walk-off single kept the Dodgers playoff hopes alive for one more night.

On October 1, 2012, Elian Herrera hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Giants 3-2 to keep the Dodgers playoff hopes alive for one more night. It was one of the most electric nights of the season at Dodger Stadium with nearly all of the 33,624 in attendance remaining to the very end. It was the 12th walk-off win of the season for the Dodgers, second in the MLB to the Oakland A’s 14 walk-off wins.

Mark Ellis will undoubtedly have nightmares during the off-season over his decision to try to stretch a double into a triple.

On October 2, 2012, the Dodgers literally ran themselves out of playoff contention when veteran and extremely cerebral Dodgers second baseman made a split second decision to try to stretch a stand-up double into a triple and was thrown out by a good 20 feet for the second out of the inning. And you knew it would happen – the next batter, Shane Victorino, laced a real triple into the right field corner that would have easily scored Ellis from second base. Although it will be Ellis’ base running gaffe that will be lamented over during the off-season and remembered as the reason why the Dodgers lost the game and a possible trip to the playoffs, Matt Kemp striking out twice with runners in scoring position (including Victorino) was every bit as much to blame for the Dodgers 4-3 loss to the Giants as was Ellis’ base running blunder.

And of course it must be mentioned that the Dodgers suffered injuries of the likes I have never seen before including losing Matt Kemp for 51 games due to a hamstring injury and five more for a shoulder injury, losing Mark Ellis for six weeks for a calf injury, losing Dee Gordon for eight weeks for a dislocated thumb, losing Andre Ethier for 15 days for a strained oblique, and eventual season-ending injuries to Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Javy Guerra, Blake Hawksworth, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Justin Sellers. Granted, every team must deal with injuries throughout a long season, but I have to believe that the Dodgers were hit as hard or harder than any other team in the MLB during 2012.

Obviously there were many other highs and lows for the 2012 Dodgers, but these were the ones that stood out most for me.

All of this said, I maintain my belief (which I have had for two years now) that the 2013 Dodgers will be among the best Dodger teams in years, perhaps even decades.