So this is what rock bottom feels like....

Dodgers mount a come back and fall short. Dodgers outhit their opponent and still lose. Dodgers starter keeps the game winnable, Dodgers bullpen blows game. Adrian Gonzalez fights through injury to contribute and its still not enough. 2/3 of the outfield gets hits and steals bases while Andre Ethier just gets to be plain terrible.

No matter how many times we've seen this team have various positives , there's always been a charcoal lining in 2013. In the month of May there has been only one unavoidable truth: The Dodgers lose.

It's like watching a sad movie you've seen before. You know it's gonna suck soon but you sacrifice your well being to see the entire thing through. You sit in front of your TV for hours while the few happy parts entertain you and remind you why you love this movie, all the while distracting you from the inevitable unhappy conclusion that you somehow forgot about completely.

The Dodgers 21st loss of the season was their 8th consecutive heartbreak of the month. An all too familiar result for a franchise that has lost any semblance of home field advantage in 2013. Their 7-12 home record at Chavez Ravine is the 3rd worst in the entire MLB and is the only home record in their division below .555. In a division that has annually become a tightly contested dog fight, the Dodgers (13-21) have already put themselves at the back of the pack and on a leash. 2nd best On Base Percentage in the sport, 2nd lowest run total... alot of bark, no bite.

In a year where the front office was curiously mum on the status of Don Mattingly, they have become even more non committal as the mounting losses have shaken the confidence of everyone including the man himself during his unsettling post game interviews. While president Stan Kasten refuses to show his cards, I cant help but think hes already made up his mind to keep things the way they are. If it didnt look as if Mattingly was on the hot seat after last season, he sure must be now. When it comes to Donnie Baseball the prevailing sentiment is that he's a pretty calm guy that doesn't lose his cool when things get tough (MVP's tend to be that way). Most notably, players love to play for him. But considering they haven't ever been a team with the clutch gene or one that has gotten even remotely close to playoff contention since he took the reigns, it's a curious sentiment...

Jon Heyman put it perfectly when he tweeted:

#dodgers players love donnie baseball, but have funny way of showing it. team cant hit w/ risp. 7 straights Ls. down 5-3.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) May 11, 2013

After this tweet, AJ Ellis did his AJ-thing and had an RBI single in the 8th inning, but like we've all come to expect was stranded at 3rd base when Dee Gordon grounded out to end the threat, and essentially the Dodgers evening. And on an night where all the emotional debris floats to the surface of our collective Dodger-conscious, the exhale comes a little easier knowing that it can't get much worse.

And now you're thinking ...

"Oh really Reis? It's always darkest before the dawn?! Thats all you've got for us!? The most pessimistic Dodger fan on twitter is gonna conclude his once-a-month blog post with the 'hey it has to get better' mantra?!!??!!??"

You'll be happy to know that this 8-game losing streak has only strengthened my jaded thoughts to new heights. This year's combination of health issues, lack of clutchness, and head scratching roster management has left me both angry and happy at the same time. A bizarre malaise of numbness and frustration that allows me to turn on Dodger games each night to cap my day with a torturous act of self loathing.

As anyone who follows me knows, I'm still concerned with whether Don Mattingly is the guy who can get this team to the promise land based upon his unsuccessful albeit brief run as dodgers skipper. The front office has painstakingly clung to the "let's see what he can do with a healthy roster", while the court of public opinion is that eventually this falls on the players.

Regardless of what or who is to blame... (I say it's the depth issues brought on by Ned Colletti's apparent lack for long term vision) the point is that the sad movie has played 8 nights in a row. I haven't been able to turn it off and it's getting to the point where I'm not even noticing the good parts anymore (yea... I had to be informed by Vin Scully Matt Kemp has a 9-game hitting streak going on).

Well respected sports psychologist and good friend Dr. Kenneth Hartline tweeted a nice little uplifting note my way this evening:

 Which brings me to my final point... This is rock bottom. It's not as cold as I'd though it'd be... Wait never mind. Booze gives a false sense of warmth.

15 Days of Kemp-ocalypse

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp picked up in 2012 where he left off in the final months of his 2011 MVP campaign. He broke out of the gates by leading the majors in almost every single meaningful statistical category. But then something happened... Wrigley Field happened. A ballpark that is mostly known for its century plus curse which breaks the heart of Cub's fans annually, is now Matt Kemp's house of horrors. Not only were the cold whipping winds of Chicago's north side refusing to let each of Matty's hits get past the warning track, but the infamous infield, so poorly manicured that you can count the dirt clods on your living room TV,  was loose enough for Kemp to take a wrong step and trigger a hammy issue. An issue that he bravely battled for nearly a week before the Dodgers were forced to place him on the 15-day disabled list.

The reality has set in since Monday night, when the Dodgers weren't able to slip the ailing Kemp into the 2nd game of the Arizona series for a pinch hit appearance. His league leading consecutive games played streak ended at an impressive 399, while the new leader is a slugger who also cashed in this last off season, Prince Fielder. Despite Matt's absence, the Dodgers were able to ride the team's momentum to take the series with a game 2 win. Unfortunately that momentum came to a screeching halt on Tuesday as we were all exposed to this team's complexion without our shining star. And it went something like this

1. Dee Gordon (who unfortunately hasn't blossomed in his first chance to have a full MLB season as a starter... hitting around .200)
2. Mark Ellis (actually had a great night going 3 for 4 with a HR, but with out any production on either side)
3. Scott Van Slyke (making his "starting" MLB debut, and for all his minor league success, this is MATT KEMP's slot for gosh sakes)
4. Andre Ethier (who made what might be his ONLY career start in CF...)
5. AJ Ellis (the team's anchor all season at the 8th spot, was in the spot light at 5 and stunk)
6. Jerry Sands (you might remember him from last season, but he had JUST gotten to called up that day)
7. James Loney (who seems to be losing his job by the day as he had another sad 0-4)
8. Justin Sellers (last guy to make the opening day roster... enough said)
9. Pitchers spot

 Soooo... the Dodgers started 4 rookies and managed 1 run. Sounds about right.

Then there was day 2 of what I'm affectionately describing as the "Kemp-ocalypse". This is what life would look like without Matt, and if this Dodgers lineup was a person's face, it would be the before picture in all of those pro-active acne ads. OK maybe its not that terrible, but my gosh, this team feels 200% more beatable without the 1-2 punch of Matt and 'Dre. Then Mattingly gave us this little gem:

1. Tony Gwynn (it was nice seeing an actual CFer starting in CF but its tough not seeing Dee's speed somewhere in the lineup)
2. Elian Herrera (his 2nd day as a Major Leaguer and he got to spell Mark Ellis with a 1st inning double)
3. Bobby Abreu (aquired to be a bat off the bench, he had a token basehit in the 9th)
4. Andre Ethier (order was restored with Andre being back in RF, and after his RBI in the first, he didnt do much)
5. Jerry Sands (day 2 with the 2012 club and he also gets another start, this time giving Loney the day off at 1B)
6. Justin Sellers (this time Sellers took his steady glove over to SS, but predictably did nothing with his bat)
7. Adam Kennedy (only thing worse than this guy's non production, is that blank look he always has)
8. Matt Traenor (it was AJ Ellis' day off, and Matt did have a double but who can replace Aj's OBP.... sadly no one)
9. Pitchers spot 

Soooo... The Dodgers start 3 rookies and 4 backups... 2 run loss to the NL's worst team? Sounds about right.

And now we dig in for the third day of the Kemp-ocalypse. We'll surely see another lineup that we all dislike in Thursday night's wrap up of the mini 2-game series at Petco Park. And as hard as it is having to just make sense of these lineups, its even harder for Don Mattingly  to frantically piece together the Kemp-less, Uribe-less, and Rivera-less puzzle on a daily basis. Injuries are a part of all sports, and the art of overcoming such attrition is why baseball managers get paid so much money. But the 15-day managerial purgatory that Mattingly has been faced with during the absence of his best player, is a challenge that no one would ever desire. Fortunately for the Dodgers and their 0-2 record of Kemp-ocalypse, is the fact that the next closest team in the NL West standing (SF Giants) have lost on consecutive nights as well. Meaning the lead is still at 6 games, and Dodger Nation can take a collective breath of relief. 

I hope you all have put together your Kemp-ocalypse Survival Kits. I have included large amounts of gauze to wrap my head, considering the next 12 days will include a lot of banging my head against the wall. For now, we have to cross our fingers and weather the storm (and hope the new Dodger ownership notices how this team feels with out Kemp). See you all on May 29th, I'll be giving out high fives, hugs and hand shakes.

Dodgers sweep Rockies, Have Most Wins in Baseball

It seems as if the Dodgers plan on making the most of their long stretch of inter divisional games in the month of May. The boys in blue have taken 5 of their last 6 over the Giants and Rockies after returning home from a dismal 2-4 road trip. Not only have the last few games helped the Dodgers return to having the best record in baseball with 23 wins, But Los Angeles also owns the best home record in baseball at 15-3 and the largest division lead at 6 games. So much has happened since we last spoke...

The Dodgers had 3 players home run in the series opener on Friday night. They had three very similar swings result all in fly outs at the center field warning track on Saturday night.  But the Dodgers were able to win both games As the embattled Dodgers 3rd baseman Juan Uribe got off of the proverbial shneid on Friday night as he hit his first home run in almost an entire year and then had an important RBI single in a low-scoring 2-1 affair in which the Dodgers won on Saturday.

While last years bunch of Dodgers quickly learned that the only way they could win games was in pain stakingly low scoring affairs, this years club has proven that they can win in all types of ways. Through the first month of the season, it was the RBI machine of Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier doing all the work while their supporting cast was helpful yet relatively quiet. But as the month turned to May and Matt Kemp with his nagging hamstring issues has gone cold, its been time for everyone else's close up. This most recent home stand has seen extra base hits and RBI's from Mark Ellis, James Loney, AJ Ellis, Tony Gwynn Jr, Bobby Abreu, and Juan Uribe.

Such a contribution could not have been timed any better, as Sunday's final game of the series with the Rockies saw Colorado jump out to the 3 run lead before the Dodgers had even recorded an out.  After Dodgers staert Ted Lilly had settled down and the Dodgers had cut into said lead with runs in the 1st and 2nd, Matt Kemp left the game at the end of the 3rd inning with a re-aggravated sore hammy. Right fielder Andre Ethier and Manager Don Mattingly were soon to follow after receiving consecutive ejections in the 5th inning. Despite those subtractions, the Dodgers were able to over come a 4-2 deficit, with a bases clearing 3-rbi double by Bobby Abrea batting in Kemp's slot. Another 3 runs were plated by a 3-run AJ Ellis home run to the left field pavilion. After the eventful 6 run frame, the Dodgers never looked back.

Some observations that I had to make:

• Andre Ethier gets ejected on his own themed "Tote-Bag" giveaway day because of a strikeout pitch that looked like a pretty good pitch. Even more ironic than his promotional toss out, was that it came with his mother in attendance for the mothers day festivities. He had some good words and quality expletives with the home plate umpire. Which begs the question, "does he kiss his mother with that mouth?"

• Matt Kemp's hamstring issue has been classified as sore, which was exactly what scratched him from the lineup in Chicago. I have a feeling that subliminally, Mattingly has been trying to keep Matt Kemp's games played streak (best in majors) alive for Matt's sake. It was clear how angry he was when he was asked to leave the game, after Donny spoke with the training staff. I say the Dodgers just shut him down for a few days and get him fully right, so he can get back to being the best hitter in the sport.

• AJ Ellis had his career high in RBI's on Sunday after having been moved into the 6th spot in the lineup. Mattingly says he's comfortable with AJ's bat in his more traditional 8 hole, but the guy is 3rd in all of baseball in on-base percentage. I'm thinking that everyone benefits from AJ batting 6 or 7. His numbers can hang with any catcher in baseball at this point, and while his career might not jump off the page as Mr. Sexy, he has quietly helped this club reach the best record in baseball through 34 games. He currently holds a streak of 23 games where he has reached base safely. I say good for him, the 31 year old has definitely earned it.

• Juan Rivera's ruptured hammy has led to a week of firsts for Dodgers rookie Scotty Van Slyke. In his first game appearance on Wednesday night, Scott had his first RBI in his first at-bat. On Sunday afternoon, he saw his first MLB defensive experience after Ethier's ejection. After that, he went up to the plate and got two RBI's out of his first extra base hit (double to the LC gap). I've never been a fan of platoons, but with the way Tony Gwynn has played (both his bat and glove), and the way Van Slyke has flashed his swing and arm in the last few days, I could see these two being starters based on the lefty/righty match ups.

The "Walk" Off, What a Difference a Year Makes

The game was likely to be delayed, and then the rain stayed away. Once this one got underway it was about as odd a game you could ask for. In front of a weather induced "McCourt era" crowd, the Dodgers went up 4-0 and then 8-3. The newly acquired Aaron Harang and his 13 strikeouts were in line for a his first win as a Dodger, but then Kenley Jansen blew the bullpen's first save of the season, with a 2-1 meat ball to Chase Headley. Just like that Aaron Harang's career high strike outs and franchise record 9-straight K's was all for not. With the game becoming so back and forth, you could have assumed that the Dodgers would answer right back in the bottom of the 9th. What you wouldn't assume, was how the boys in blue would do so.

San Diego's fireballer Cashner came in and mixed a triple digit fast ball with a marginal curve ball to get within one out of giving his offense another chance to complete the comeback win. But instead the Dodger's used a pair of all-stars outfielders and a pair of right-side infielders to string 4 straight walks together for the win. When mark Ellis induced a walk that brought newly awarded Silver Slugger Matt Kemp to homeplate, you though that Matt might return the favor with a 2-run game ending homerun. But when Matt drew another walk, the game was in the hands of a guy who thought he would have the night off. James Loney came up to the plate and followed the trend of waiting out Cashner's unoriginal mix of pitches.

The famous Scully quote "aaand look who's coming to the plate" quickly came to my head at the same time True Blue LA's Eric Stephen was quoting the same thing on my twitter feed. The Dodgers home opener hero was stepping to the plate, and the Padres called for a lefty. Instead of giving Ethier a challenge, 4 straight fastballs out of the zone led to the 4th straight walk of the inning and the Dodgers "walked" off for a MLB best 7-1 record.

There seems to be something in the water cooler this season. These Dodgers have gotten off to a trend of winning close games and coming through in the clutch. Last year carried with it a depressingly jaded ho-hum feeling that matched the franchise's current state of ownership affairs. WELL!!! Its a new year, a newly reloaded roster of role players, and Mattingly has his team off to a surprising start. While the first 8 games have been against two teams that aren't predicted to make much noise this season, something is just different. Last season got to a point where you just kept thinking that the close ones would go the Dodgers' way, and it never did. Its starting to look like the things might be coming back around to bring balance to the universe. Yes, yes... It is a little early to call it a charmed season but Kemp and Ethier's turns at the plate definitely seem more timely this year.