Game 56 Thread: June 6 vs. Cards, 7p

Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 3.73) vs. Jaime Garcia (1-2, 2.70)

Fifty-five games in as we head into the meat of June, the Dodgers find themselves at a crossroads, a mere statistically insignificant .5 games ahead of the Hated Ones. Things could go either way at this point.

With the pitching, Frias and Anderson have been mostly successful in keeping the Dodgers in games they pitch, but the bats have failed them in those games. The rotation needs some help, stat, as there is a big question mark around whether these guys can keep up the solid pitching all season as the summer grind picks up.

On the offensive side of things, it has really been hit or miss. The Dodger bats seem cat-like: asleep for games at a time then a sudden awakening only to settle back into a warm nap on the window ledge soon after. Having so many different bats rotated in and out can't help that need for consistency. Hell, last night at the Yard I was forced to watch this lineup at one point:

Pederson
Rollins
Heisey
Grandal
Ethier
Callaspo
Schebler
Hernandez
Anderson

(cries)

Two big things are happening soon, though, that could provide a needed spark to both team and fans: 1) Yasiel Puig is likely to return as early as today. We need his energy, his bat, and his athleticism in the outfield. And heck, I just miss the fella. 2) Beginning Tuesday, Charter Cable will begin showing the Dodger games! While this doesn't solve the viewership problem for all, it helps many of us finally be able to access the games.

It's a long season and there's plenty of time to kick it into high gear. A third of the way through, this could go either way.