Joe Torre isn’t the only reason the Dodgers will not be advancing to the World Series. He’s the main one.

 

In the Dodger’s 7-5 loss to the Phillies in Monday’s pivotal Game Four, the Bum lineup had plenty of chances to deliver the knockout punch but couldn’t get it done. Catcher Russ Martin, hitting cleanup, went one-for-five with two whiffs and six left on. Not to be outdone, second baseman Blake DeWitt went ofer three with a walk and five left on.

 

Table-setter Rafael Furcal went 1-for-2 with two walks a sacrifice and two runs scored. Philly avoided Manny like smallpox but Man Ram still went 2-for-220with a double, rbi, and three walks.

 

….. but in the end, it was Torre’s bizarre handling of the pitching that did the Dodgers in.

 

For sure, Derek Lowe struggled early giving up a two spot to the Phils in the first. At the end of the inning, Lowe stormed to the dugout throwing his glove and tearing off his uniform top before heading for the clubhouse. He was pretty much brilliant the rest of the way and when Torre lifted him after the fifth with a 5-2 lead, he’d pretty much just found his rhythm retiring eight of the last nine he faced including a 1-2-3 fifth.

 

Lowe, a sinkerball pitcher, had thrown just 74 pitches. Even on short rest (Lowe pitching on three days rest for just sixth time in his career), Lowe should have been good for an effortless 100 pitches. Torre explained that Lowe would have been good for just one more inning an d was emotionally worn out. Well ……………..

 

That led to 20-year old southpaw phenom Clayton Kershaw who had gone an inning and two thirds on Friday.  Kershaw was ineffective in just a third of an inning walking Ryan Howard followed by a Burrell single. After a Victorino sac, Howard scored on a Chan Ho Park wild pitch.

 

In the seventh, Hong-Chi Kuo set down the Phillies on eleven pitches striking out Jayson Werth and Chase Utley swinging. Torre let Kuo hit in the bottom of the seventh, moving over DeWitt and Blake before Kemp lined to center.

 

In the move that will be questioned throughout the winter, Kuo gave up a leadoff single to Howard and Captain hook was out of the dugout in a flash to bring in right-hander Cory Wade who had made 33 pitches in a two inning stint the night before. After a Bur rell pop up, a Shane Victorino blast made it 5-5. Pedro Feliz lined to left followed by a Carlos Ruiz single. Wade, who obviously had nothing, was lifted for the Dodger’s chief arsonist Jonathan Braxton who promptly gave up a mammoth 450 shot to 40 year-old journeyman Matt Stairs. A four out Brad Lidge save sealed the deal for the Phillies.

 

Torre can be second-guessed on several counts but here are the highlights.

 

 

 

 

In the end, a lack of clutch hitting plus a bad day by manager Joe Torre equals an end to the 2008 Dodger playoff run. Philly role players coming through in the clutch helped too.