Blow Out Tuesday

What a horrible day for our local teams. First the Dodgers were blitzed by the Cardinals 8-3, and the Angels were ravaged by the Red Sox 9-3.

The losses underscored the obvious fact that both LA and Anaheim are playing against offensive super powers with two of the best lineups in baseball. Going from Larry Walker to Albert Pujols to Scott Rolen, and then still having to worry about Jim Edmonds down the road is hellacious for any pitcher. And a Boston lineup with Johnny Damon, Bill Mueller, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar, and Trot Nixon sure can produce runs.

It's disappointing that neither Odalis Perez nor Jarrod Washburn could come remotely close to holding either all-star lineup in check. But SoCal baseball fans should take these two losses in stride. After all, three of the last four pennant winners, and five of the last eight, have lost Game 1 of the Division Series. The Dodgers and Angels can overcome these losses, but to do so, their pitchers need to step up.