September 17th, 2013 at 6:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka 
Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully
(Photo courtesy of Dodgers.com)
Leave it to the great Vin Scully to say what nobody else wants to say but what everybody is thinking.
“These are not the Dodgers that went 53-17. These are the Dodgers of May.”
As usual, the Hall of Fame broadcaster was spot on with his assessment of the September Dodgers, which he shared with television viewers during Monday night’s disappointing 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in spite of Hyun-jin Ryu’s outstanding two-hit performance.
Ryu was absolutely brilliant on Monday night allowing only two hits. Unfortunately one of them was a two-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)
There is simply no other way to put it – the lineups that Dodger manager Don Mattingly has been forced to put on the field over the past week have been painfully reminiscent of the Dodgers of May, who that found themselves in last place in the NL West and 12.5 games behind the (then) first place D-backs.
It’s not that the Dodgers are suddenly playing bad baseball or that their pitching is bad, they are simply not hitting with runners on base and are not stringing together consecutive hits – just as they did (or failed to do) in April and May.
Everyone is well away that the Dodgers are experiencing a rash of late season injuries to some (most) of their key players right now but is that really a valid excuse for the back-ups and bench players to quit hitting?
Although it is still inconceivable that the Dodgers will actually blow what was once a 13.5-game lead in the NL West as recently as a week and half ago and not win the division, the Dodgers current four-game losing streak coupled with the D-backs current three-game winning streak is beginning to make Dodger fans a little uncomfortable.
With Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier still out of the lineup nursing injuries and with the just-reactivated Matt Kemp resembling the Matt Kemp that went 0 for 18 with seven strikeouts during his five minor league rehab games in his one at bat on Monday night, it’s hard to imagine that Mattingly’s May-like Dodger lineup will just suddenly start hitting.
The good news is that Yasiel Puig’s injured left hip apparently wasn’t as serious as initially thought and he was back in the lineup on Monday night, and it is quite possible that Ramirez will return within the next day or two. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Andre Ethier (ankle) and Carl Crawford (back), who might be out for up to 10 days with only 12 games remaining in the regular season.
The Dodgers still have three more opportunities to win two games from the Diamondbacks to clinch the NL West title. But if they do not and (Heaven forbid) they get swept by the D-backs, the Dodgers will be forced to win four of their remaining nine games elsewhere, because you can pretty much count on them not getting any help whatsoever from the D-backs for the rest of the season. And to be brutally honest, if the Dodgers cannot win two of the next three games with Zack Greinke, Ricky Nolasco and Stephen Fife on the mound, the Dodgers are in very serious trouble.
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@Think_BlueLA season of peaks and valleys…..hit their second valley…?
I am uncomfortable for that exact reason. It looks like May all over again. Weak lineups, injuries, one run losses against normally very weak pitching. Someone has to step up and get the job done for the emotional state of this team. I had a glimmer of hope when Kemp came to bat last night in the 9th but he looked like he was stuck in the beginning of the season as well with a weak swing for strike three on a breaking ball away. Uggggh!! The pitching still has been very good for the most part outside of the now dreaded first inning. But the hitting has been horrible with lots of pressing at the plate and lunging at pitches outside of the strike zone. I think AGon’s at bat with Gordon on first that finished with him swinging, missing and cursing was the sum of all fears. Those who aren’t injured are struggling.
It seems like that old archilles heel of the poor offense has suddenly appeared again especially with RISP for some apparent reason but I have a feeling that the way the Dodgers suddenly started hitting in June will happen again before it’s too late. I hope.
Hopefully the Dodgers of July show up soon
I really don’t think the Dodgers will blow the lead and lose the division. That would be a monumental collapse which would rival 1951. With 12 games remaining, if the Dodgers go 0-12 the D-backs would have to go 10-3 in their remaining 13 games just to tie the Dodgers. Since the All-Star break the D-backs are 26-28. I don’t think they are good enough to go 10-3 and what are the chances of the Dodgers losing their final 12 games which would give them a 16 game losing streak.
With all that being said, I wish they would just clinch it and be done with it. My real concern is how far will the Dodgers advance in the playoffs if they keep playing this way. My feeling is not very far.
This was my point and obviously Vin Scully’s as well.