Half Way Through Manny's Suspension

The Dodgers are halfway through Manny Ramirez' 50 game suspension for PED's. The Boys in Blue have posted a rather remarkable 15-10 record in the 25 games. It's remarkable when you consider the fact that:

• The Dodgers best pitcher, Chad Billingsley, has all three of his losses after Manny's suspension.
• The Dodgers have played over half of their games against the Phillies, Mets, Angels and Cubs.
• Andre Ethier has gone into the tank since May 3rd. His line: .190/.263/.286. I still don't believe in lineup protection. Surely one month can easily be attributed to be a fluke. But it is starting to look sketchy.
• Rafael Furcal has a .621 OPS on the season
• Russell Martin has zero home runs and a sterling .318 Slugging percentage.
• First baseman James Loney has 2 home runs and a .370 Slugging percentage.
• Matt Kemp went a 19 game span with zero homers and a .704 OPS (May 8 to May 28)
• Leading power hitter Casey Blake (9 home runs and a .549 SLG) has sat out 20% of the games and has been reduced to pinch hitting in two other games
• Eric Milton (4.99 career ERA) has made three starts.
• Hiroki Kuroda has made only one start

I could probably continue to go on, but you get the point by now. The Dodgers have been hitting for barely any power yet they continue to win ballgames. I'm thoroughly impressed. The Dodgers have a 9 game lead in the West (pending Wednesday night's game which is currently in a scoreless tie in the sixth) and continue to hold the best record in Major League Baseball. You can call the Dodgers a lot of things. But one thing you cannot call them is a one-man team. They are so much more than that. It is beginning to feel like a special year at Dodger Stadium. Last night's 5 run comeback in the 8th inning is proof. Hopefully the team can keep it up and ride the wave until Manny's return.