Pitching Pessimists Prospering

Is it too late to take back what I said about Chad Billingsley?

As I watch the conclusion of the Dodgers' embarassing opener in Pittsburgh, and as I took in the team's final spring training game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday against the Angels, I sense(d) some disturbing trends in the Dodger pitching staff. Billingsley was awful on Saturday, allowing six runs over 2 2/3 innings, including a grand slam to Kendry Morales. No wonder he didn't get the starting nod on Opening Day. That honor went to Vicente Padilla, and what did he do? How about surrendering seven runs over 4 1/3 innings? Is this a sign of things to come for Dodger starting pitching?

It could be for relief pitching too. The bullpen gave up four runs of its own today, including a three-run homer by Ryan Doumit in the 8th off George Sherrill. Sherrill has had a terrible spring, and that seems to be carrying over into the regular season, at least to this point. Hong-Chih Kuo is now on the DL. Ramon Troncoso is now a father. Ronald Belisario is now...wherever he is. And an eleven-run outburst by the Pirates leaves the Dodgers on the wrong side of the scoreboard to start the season.

The biggest complaint I hear from fellow Dodger fans about this season is that the pitching isn't there. All winter I have been resisting this notion, holding on to the belief that the rotation will be effective and the bullpen will continue to dominate as it did last year. Perhaps it is time to dismiss this belief. I've watched three Dodger spring games in person and now the first regular season game on TV, and none of those games have provided evidence for the argument that Dodger pitching is solid. In fact, the pitching has been a tremendous disappointment to someone like me who feels it is capable of far more than it has produced.

Clayton Kershaw will look to reverse this trend on Wednesday. Yet the way things are looking right now, the Dodgers will lose this series to the Pirates with Billingsley on the mound on Thursday and could very well drop the weekend series in Florida if Padilla has another horrible outing. Coming home 2-4 will hardly thrill anyone who will be in the crowd on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, let alone the rest of the fans at home who undoubtedly expect another division title and playoff appearance this season.