Dodgers bats quiet in loss to the Tigers
LOS ANGELES » There are still things for the Dodgers to chase before the regular season ends — if they want them.
The Dodgers were held to three hits in a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.
The loss snapped a fivegame winning streak for the Dodgers (93-58). But the Atlanta Braves (97-55) also lost Wednesday night, their fifth loss in the past six games. The Braves' postclinch hangover has allowed the Dodgers to move within 3 1/2 games (three in the loss column) of the best record in the National League with 11 games to play.
Overtaking the Braves (who hold the head-tohead tiebreaker over the Dodgers) would give the Dodgers home field advantage in a potential National League Championship Series matchup with Atlanta.
“Obviously, there's the benefit of looking way out to the home field advantage in the CS,” Dodgers manager
Dave Roberts said before Wednesday's game. “I think that it'll play out the way it's going to. I'm not going to make decisions on trying to catch the Braves. I think that our thought is just to beat these guys tonight and get ready for the Giants. And then however it kind of washes out, we'll kind of prepare that way.”
There is actually a potential benefit to staying where the Dodgers are and finishing as the No. 2 seed. The No. 2 seed will face the winner of a wild-card matchup between the NL Central winners (likely the Milwaukee Brewers) and the lowest-seeded wild card (currently the Chicago Cubs). The No. 1 seed, on the other hand, would draw the winner of the series between the other two wild cards — currently the Philadelphia Phillies and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The defending NL champion Phillies are viewed as a more dangerous potential opponent than the Brewers. But Roberts isn't buying into that thinking.
“I don't think so — because I don't want to play the `Be careful what you wish for' game,” Roberts said. “You look at the Phillies. That's a very talented team. You saw what they did last year. They can pitch. They can put up a lot of runs quickly. You look at the Brewers. They can really pitch. And in any series, they're very dangerous. And the other teams that are in the mix, they are there for a reason.
“I think it's just easier to, once we know the opponent, prepare and try to beat them.”
Roberts has already said he expects rookie righthander Bobby Miller to start one of the first two postseason games, regardless of opponent. Miller strengthened his standing with another strong outing Wednesday despite the loss.
Miller struck out the side in the first inning, gave up single runs in the second and third but retired the final 12 batters he faced in order.