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Which team has the best record in the National League? Two teams share this distinction: the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers .
Yes, the same Los Angeles Dodgers team I ripped in my last post has the best record in the National League. Actually I take that back. This is not the same team I ripped the other day.
In Friday’s 6-3 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Grady Little posted this lineup:
Rafael Furcal, SS
Juan Pierre, CF
Russell Martin, C
Jeff Kent, 2B
Luis Gonzalez, DH
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Tony Abreu, 3B
If you notice, the youngsters filled out the bottom of the lineup. They also had eight hits in 17 at-bats notching half of the Dodger’s offensive output.
On Wednesday's game when a bad Toronto team embarrassed them , Loney, Kemp and Abreu were not in the line up . The Dodgers probably would have lost the game, but they probably would have mustered more than one run and made a somewhat respectable showing in that disaster.
If I were Grady Little, this is what I would post as the line up once the Dodgers get to National League grounds:
Rafael Furcal, SS
Tony Abreu, 3B
Russell Martin, C
Jeff Kent, 2B
Luis Gonzalez, LF
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF/RF
Andre Ethier, CF/RF
Pitcher's Spot
I'd only put Pierre on in pinch-running situations, and Nomar Garciaparra can be a pinch hitter with runners in scoring position since that's the only time he tends to hit anything.
As much as I really like the team when the youngsters play, I really hate the team when they're riding the bench. I go from really hopeful to muttering, "Here we go again."
As to what a commenter wrote on my last post, I don't believe the Dodgers have to make a trade. The young guys have shown in the last couple of weeks they provide a lot of pop in their bat. They also seem to wake up the viejos and get them energized. By all means the Dodgers must not trade Kemp, Loney or Abreu. But if there's any deal that gets Pierre out of town, I won't be shedding a tear.
One thing of note: when the Dodgers took two games from the Blue Jays this week, it was their first road interleague series win since 2004 against the Angels. In 2004 they won the division and their first playoff game since 1988. I'm just saying.
AP Photo by Steve Nesius
