Playing With Enthusiasm, Sellers and Gordon Bring Something Special to the Dodgers

Justin Sellers and Dee Gordon celebrate as they score following James Loney's 3-run double

It’s a different team. A team with energy.  A team that’s playing aggressive and having fun.  It’s a team that is unified and on the same page.  They’re winning, and with style.  Dee Gordon and Justin Sellers bring an enthusiasm that hasn’t been seen with the Dodgers for a long time.  Javy Guerra struts out there in the ninth inning with the confidence of a savvy veteran.  James Loney is hitting like the player we all hoped he'd develop into.  Matt Kemp is playing with an MVP swagger.  Heck, even Hong Chih-Kuo went out tonight and pitched like the left handed stopper of years past.

James Loney is locked in

As the Dodgers won their 10th game in 11 attempts, they now have moved within 3 games of the break-even .500 mark.  It was almost as if they had to give up on the season to start playing with confidence.  Whatever it took, the change is remarkable.

Justin Sellers, as intense as they come

On a night where Chad Billingsley didn’t have much command of anything, that 5-0 deficit was something that these gritty Dodgers saw as no obstacle.  They chipped away little by little and slowly came back.

There was nothing this season more exciting than the 7th inning of tonight's game.  The Dodgers rallied to score 5 runs and overtake the lead, with solid contributions by the kids, Sellers and Gordon.  Then in the bottom of the inning, that same rookie tandem teamed up for a spectacular double play with a little bit of charity from second base umpire, Tony Randazzo.

Dodger dugout celebrates after Sellers and Gordon turn two to end the inning, note the sheepish grin of Jamey Carroll.  These guys are having fun.

So I sit here in front of my plasma TV watching the 8th inning of the Giants-Diamondbacks game as the defending champs lead 5-2.  I have mixed feelings.  Deep down inside, I know we’re out of it, but my heart still believes that the Dodgers can continue this run and pull off a miracle.  Then my brain tells me, “You fool, root for Arizona, the division is out of reach, but we can take the Gnats for second place.”

Second place is the first loser though.  I have never been happy with second place and never will be.  So until the Dodgers are mathematically eliminated, I’ll hope that the top team gets knocked off.  Yes, I’m rooting for those ugly orange uniforms.  And MAN! They are ugly!