Jimmy Bramlett

In the top of the fifth inning while the action continued on the field, time actually stopped for Dodger fans. Rightfielder Yasiel Puig was pulled from the game unceremoniously in favor of Skip Schumaker.

With the Dodgers managing only three hits off of Cubs starter Travis Wood while Clayton Kershaw was the pitcher of record, maybe the impending return for Matt Kemp to the Dodger lineup can't be a moment too soon.

The Dodgers head into this series with the Chicago Cubs coming off of a losing series to the Boston Red Sox, their first losing series since losing two of three games to the Pittsburgh Pirates from June 14 to 16.

"As good as you think he is, he's better than that," Josh Beckett said of Clayton Kershaw. "He could possibly be the best pitcher ever."

"They believe it. That's all that matters." The words that Don Mattingly uttered this morning are probably the scariest words for the rest of baseball. After the Dodgers 4-2 loss to the Red Sox today, the Dodgers are 19-4 in the month of August, 29-6 since the All Star Break and 46-11 since that June 22 turning point.

It's funny how these things happen. A year ago on Sunday, the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox made the historic nine-player trade that turned the fortunes of both franchises. Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto came to Los Angeles while James Loney, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Jerry Sands and Ivan DeJesus went out East. I remember remarking on how surreal the day was.

(Photo by pvsbond via Flickr.) "In a year that has been so improbable," Vin Scully intoned on the national NBC broadcast of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when Kirk Gibson hit the walk off homer off of Oakland Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley. This Dodger season has also been improbable from the team with high expectations who failed miserably only to go on miraculous run to become World Series favorites. And after the...

Clayton Kershaw continues to stun everyone in baseball.

Puig Puig Puig. Puig went out clubbing. Puig was late. Puig got benched. Puig yelled at an umpire. Puig doesn't like the media. Puig has been looking bad at the plate. Over the last couple of days, there has been much media fury over Puig. Of course media fury is usually manufactured and has no place in reality.

The Dodgers really are a remarkable team. They don't even play one game against their opponent, and they still fire their manager.