Clayton Kershaw toes the rubber tonight and the Dodgers follow with three straight home games against the one team in the league that is worse than them, the Miami Marlins.
I’ll say it right now. I believe that these are "must win" games.
They’re must win games because:
* this team is demoralized.
* this ball club is hitting record levels of ineptitude.
* a team with a $220 million dollar payroll is about to get national attention for being the biggest waste of money in the history of sport.
* regardless of the injury problems the Dodgers have, they need to stop using them as an excuse for losses.
Just when you thought the Dodgers couldn’t get any more discouraged, consider how they’ll be if they lose with their ace tonight and then if the Marlins knock them around. Those would be depths of lowliness beyond anything a recent Dodger team has experienced. I’d call it demoralization beyond repair.
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| Clayton Kershaw being called upon to break the Dodgers out of their slump (photo by Kvork Djansezian/Getty Images) |
No Dodger team has twice lost 6 games consecutively and rebounded to qualify for post season play. That’s a lot of history to overcome, but there is so much season left and the team is still within 6 games of first place, that it wouldn’t be unfathomable for them to come back when 130 games remain to be played.
The $220 million payroll fact is bothersome. I hear cackling in the media and on the talk shows here in the Bay Area about the Dodgers failures, but they do that even when the Dodgers are successful. The mocking of this team will spread though if the failures continue. I think it’s only a matter of time before the national media picks up on the Dodgers failures as a top headline whenever they enter a new road city. I can read it now, “The last place $220 million payroll Dodgers arrive in town tonight to face the Phillies," or the "Cardinals," or the "Nationals," etc. You fill in the blank. It’ll be like a broken record, and it won’t be fun to be a Dodger fan.
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| At the end of the McCourt era, this was a common site at Dodger Stadium. Losses will bring the same result. (photo by Kirby Lee, US Presswire) |
Dodger management will soon be seeing the teams failures in their pocketbooks as fans stop coming to games. Nobody is going to watch a train wreck night after night. We're starting to notice it somewhat already. If you think things are bad now, imagine the empty seats if the Dodgers fall short in most of the next four games. Fans will stay away in droves. The clamoring for the removal of Don Mattingly will be much worse than it is now. It'll be nearly impossible for him to make it through the season.
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| The pressure is on Mattingly early in the season (AP Photo) |
So for the survival of this Dodger squad, these games must be won. These are four vital games, and it's not even mid-May. Three of four isn't enough. These guys need to win the next four because they aren't facing any slouches after the Marlins. The Nats come to town for three and then the Dodgers hit the road to face Atlanta and Milwaukee.
It's win or face the consequences fellas. No pressure.
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