Dodger fans on edge

That is the thing about baseball: one game you think your team can make it to the Series then the next game you wonder if they will collapse again and break the hearts of the fans.

Heard the dramatic 3-2 win over the Braves on the radio on Friday. Saw parts of the win on Saturday on Fox. Went to the game on Sunday when the Braves got 8 runs in the second inning. Me and my friends more or less just chatted the rest of the game and only periodically paid attention to what was happening on the field.

Dodger fans are on the edge. The usually reliabe Alvarez get tagged in the 2nd inning on Sunday. He was hit hard in the first inning but fortunately right to the outfielders. Monday, Perez got tagged by the Expos and the Dodgers were down 7-1. They came back only to walk in the go ahead run in the bottom of the ninth losing 8-7.

Today, Ishii is on the mound and he has been blasted in many of his recent starts. But what can the Dodgers do? Penny still hasn't thrown a pitch and continues to rehab. Nomo wasn't sharp in his 2 Triple-A Las Vegas rehad stints. Jackson is still not ready yet. So Ishii is it.

Meanwhile, the bullpen is a shambles, with Mota and Martin traded away, the burden fell on Dreifort and his ACL blew out. Gagne has hit a bad patch suggesting fatigue has set in.

The good news is the offense. They are scoring runs.

Stay tuned today to see if the Dodgers can turn it around.

UPDATE: Gammons on ESPN Radio speculates that Gagne may be struggling because Lo Duca is gone. Pitchers often have a special bond to catchers and that chemistry is not easily re-established with a new catcher.