Kuzul

If you didn’t see this coming, you truly know what it means to be a fan and love blindly.

The Dodgers stumbled into interleague play with a pitching staff turning out one brilliant performance after another, while the offense provided just enough of a pulse to keep the team alive.

Minus a couple of run-scoring outbursts, one against the Cardinals and a week later against the Reds, the Dodgers have scored five runs or fewer in 14 of 18 games in June, including back-to-back 1-0 wins against the hapless Diamondbacks.

It was only a matter of time before the thin starting rotation began to falter and the bullpen was exposed for its lack of effectiveness.

The routine goes something like this: The starting pitchers sharpen up and therefore go deeper into games. The bullpen, therefore, doesn’t have to participate in extended inning appearances and can get by while being effective in short relief.

The offense then simply has to cover the gap. A small number of runs will be held up by the opposition’s lack of offense during superb Dodgers pitching.

The Dodgers experienced success with Hiroki Kuroda remaining healthy, a young pitcher not preceded by a scouting report, and a 22-year-old work horse fronting a veteran staff.

However, more injuries to the starting rotation and bullpen, along with borrowed time catching up to John Ely and the Dodgers who are finding themselves dropping to third place in the N.L. West.

The offense that went previously undetected now looks like a watermelon on the radar screen, having been swept by the Angels and the Red Sox.

American League teams specialize in hitting while having no pitcher spot to account for, and the comparison between American League offensive production and the lack of Dodgers production was made glaringly obvious.

Andre Ethier’s batting average has steadily dropped to .318 since returning from the Disabled List. Matt Kemp went through a 0-16 slump and saw his batting average plummet to .258 with just a small handful of RBI in June.

The Dodgers continue to struggle to produce with runners in scoring position and have their hands full this week. The Dodgers are set to take on the Angels for a three-game series in Anaheim.

So where do the Dodgers go from here? They have signed Kiko Calero and Claudio Vargas, figures on the horizon that Los Angeles hopes are not a mirage.

The veteran pitchers will come in with low expectations; they simply have to stay healthy and will already be faring better than current Dodgers pitchers. Their assignment, if called upon, will be to eat up innings and provide spot starts while rotation starters Chad Billingsley and Carlos Monasterios lick their wounds.

Vicente Padilla is back just in time, as his start Saturday bridged a gap and bailed out manager Joe Torre, who was relieved to be out of a pickle. Padilla wasn’t overly impressive, but kept the team in the neighborhood before the bullpen gave it away.

If the current trend holds up, fans can expect some serious shuffling of names on the active roster, with notable names and new faces adorning the blue and red.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are slowly rising to the top of the National League West, but one glaring issue still remains: There are four established pitchers in their five-man starting rotation.

The Tigers designated Dontrelle Willis for assignment on Saturday following a rough start for the pitcher in 2010. Willis never really lived up to the expectations put forth by the Tigers when signing him to a 3-year, $29 million contract.

However, the southpaw is a former 22 game winner and World Series Champion while with the Florida Marlins.

There are several other reasons why Dontrelle Willis would make a good fit in Los Angeles. As I mentioned in an earlier article, the Dodgers really need another lefty in their rotation. Clayton Kershaw remains the ace of the staff, and the lone lefty in a quartet that is missing a drummer.

Willis is only owed $12 million for this season, the final year of his contract. That is roughly half the cost of alternatives such as Roy Oswalt, who comes with a price tag in the neighborhood of $25 million.

It is no secret at this point; pitchers that switch leagues tend to have immediate success, and with Willis being in the final year of his contract, the Dodgers could use his services for the remainder of the season before a decision becomes necessary.

Exhibit A: Halladay comes over from the American League, departing the Toronto Blue Jays and joining the Philadelphia Phillies. The result: A perfect game.

Cliff Lee came over to the Phillies in 2009 from the Cleveland Indians, and became a vital piece of their playoff run.

For the Dodgers, Vicente Padilla came across the line from the Texas Rangers, and soon anchored and stabilized the rotation.

Certainly there are cons alongside all of the obvious pros. The hefty contract remainder makes Willis a gamble, especially since he hasn’t shown any signs of improvement this season. However, the idea the Dodgers could have five established starters with the return of a healthy Padilla makes it tempting to speculate.

Not to sell John Ely short, the rookie is having an impressive year, but Major League Baseball is a business. The youngster has plenty of time to develop and make his run to become an ace. However, the trend in baseball has a theme: “Win now, worry about tomorrow later.”

There are eight days remaining before the Tigers will have to make a decision, and fans can expect a melee to ensue this weekend if nothing materializes in the next few days.

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