“Frustrated, Incorporated (put me out of my misery)
Frustrated, Incorporated (I’d do it for you, would you do it for me)
Frustrated, Incorporated (forever after happily)
Frustrated, Incorporated (making misery)”

~Soul Asylum

Well Dodger fans, I’m finally starting to crack. I try to be optimistic as much as possible, and then games like yesterday happen. What is it about Clayton Kershaw that makes it hurt so much more? He is the one that the team turns to, to put them on his back, to make a losing streak stop, to get a win when they most need it. Sunday’s game was uncharacteristically not that. Four runs in one inning was the undoing of the Kershaw, and the Dodgers. Of course, Clayton is human. Anyone can have a bad day. Maybe it was the five days rest. We all know how regimented he is. Maybe it was Yasmani Grandal. Maybe, it was absolutely nothing at all and these things just happens.

This team is difficult to figure out. Sweep the NL East leading Nationals. Kershaw makes easy work of last year’s MVP Bryce Harper. Then roll in to Pittsburgh on a six-game winning streak and boom. Nothing. Well, not nothing, I suppose, as they did score six runs on Friday. Can’t win though when the other team scores eight.

We all know what the issues are. The pitching staff, besides Kershaw, leaves a lot to be desired. The relief pitching needs help. And the bats don’t ever get hot all at the same time. And the injuries. Oh, the injuries.

Still, things could be so much worse. The Dodgers are still very much in the Wild Card race, a half game out as I’m writing this. As the Giants just continue to be hot, the Dodgers don’t seem to have much hope of catching up. But oddly, I am ok with this. You just have to get in the playoffs and then anything can happen. And as long as the they can stay in contention while saddled with all these injuries, then anything can happen in the late summer and fall.

And then today’s game – the Dodgers somehow got it together, and got the runs for Scott Kazmir who gave up four runs in the first inning. That’s good news. Then came the news that Kershaw is dealing with back tightness. And Justin Turner seemed to pull a muscle, or have a cramp in his right leg. Yasiel Puig got hit in the elbow by a pitch. It seems never ending!

I’m not ready to give up on them yet, however. It really is a long season, and I fully believe in a tale of two halves. The team will get healthy, and start the long drive to the top. And the team will no longer want me to be in misery. I am putting all the good juju out there into the universe so this becomes true, and maybe you should too. These Dodgers need all the help they can get.