[PilotMan]

4/16 4-2 L to the Padres
One good sweep deserves another as we get taken to loser town again. Kelly Downs (0-1) goes 6 solid, which is all we expect from our #5 guy, and the offense takes a dive against young lefty, Greg Mathews (1-1) who gets his first career win. Roy Smalley and Mike Scioscia each had 2 hits, and Doug DeCinces stayed hot hitting #6 for the month of April. Ozzie Guillen torched us for 4 hits and 7 total bases.


4/17 12-1 L to the Braves
Zane Smith (2-0) had to feel pretty good staked to a 12-0 lead after 3 innings, but after that LA outscored the Braves 1-0. So there's that. Valenzuela (2-1) was pummeled and Jim Beattie who came on fared even worse. Fred Lynn had 2 hits to bring his season total to 4, and Doug DeCinces nearly matched his season total with 3 hits of his own.


4/18 7-6 (11) L to the Braves
Alright, this shit is getting ridiculous. LA got back to back blasts from Bream (1) and DeCinces (7) to take a lead. The Braves came back on Rhoden, but LA answered with 4 in the 7^th, helped by Marshall's 2^nd home run. The pen couldn't hold the lead though, and Atlanta stole it back in the 8^th, then won it off of Niedenfeur (1-1) in the 11^th. Sid Bream went 3-5.


4/19 11-6 W over the Braves
Hey! We are going to win again! I don't think we'd had a 5 game losing streak in any of the other playoff years so that doesn't bode well. John Denny wasn't good, and after his 6 innings, and the tired bullpen we were down 5-1 and it looked like another sweep was upon us. Enter Doug DeCinces. Top 7 he hits a grand slam (8) and we are tied. Just like that. Top of the 8^th Franklin Stubbs hits a 3-run shot (5) and then Mike Marshall added a 2-run shot (3) and then we were up. Steve Howe (1-0) got the win, and Jim Beattie pitched a scoreless 9^th to lower his ERA to 27.00. Oh, and Fred Lynn, who had 2 whole hits in the game left with an injury after a defensive play.


Jim Morrison was placed on waivers and designated for assignment. Steve Sax was called up to take his roster spot.


4/20 7-4 L to the Giants
I'm seeing a new trend. Starting pitching unable to keep the other team down. After a great start, our pitching has just given up. We've given up 4 or more runs 6 games in a row now. Tanana (1-1) takes the loss, raising his ERA to 4.50. Stubbs went 2-4 in the losing effort.


Fred Lynn has gone to the DL with shoulder tendinitis. He's expected to be out until mid May. 28-yr old Dodger minor league vet, Tom Beyers, has been called up for his first major league action. Beyers batted .284 with 9 HR and 91 RBI in Albuquerque last year. Dwayne Murphy is expected back in center with Lynn out.


4/21 2-0 L to the Giants
Kelly Downs (0-2) struck out 7, but his first career win eluded him. It was a Chili Davis double that put 2 on and no outs. Both would score. LA could only manage 4 hits off of Giant pitching and Jeff Stember (1-0) went 8 and only allowed 3.


4/22 2-1 L to the Giants
Atlee Hammaker (2-2) took a no-hitter into the 9^th inning. Ray Knight pinch hit for Fernando Valenzuela (2-2) and hit a triple over the right fielders head. That was that. He'd score on a wild pitch, but that was all we'd get. One hit. Valenzuela went the distance in the loss. What an end to a disastrous road trip. We got 1 win. Just 1.


4/23 6-0 W over the Braves
Home is a wonderful place. Rhoden (3-0) gives us just what we need. A complete game shut out. Helped along by a Stubbs 2-run homer (6), LA finally got a solid output of offense. Ok, so as crazy bad as we've been, we're tied for first with a 9-8 record.


4/24 5-2 L to the Braves
John Denny (1-2) got beat up good again. He allowed 10 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings of work. Steve Sax missed a bunt attempt then belted a lead off home run. His first and first hit of the year. Doug DeCinces added number 9 in the 4^th to keep it close, but it really wasn't.


4/25 6-0 W over the Braves
Frank Tanana (2-1) just pitched the best game of his career. At home against the Braves he surrendered a lead off double to Milt Thompson and then wouldn't allow another hit the entire game. He walked only 1. Both Dwayne Murphy and Steve Sax went 3-4, and Sax added 3 RBI's. His game is the top pitching performance in MLB to date this year.


4/26 8-3 W over the Braves
Well Kelly Downs finally has his first career win in 3 years of professional baseball. Almost 120 innings pitched in that time. Steve Sax scored a couple runs and got on base 3 out of 4 plate appearances and stole the teams league worst 3^rd base of the year. Doug DeCinces became the first player to 10 home runs, and the month isn't over yet. We're still in a tie for first, which sounds crazy, because it doesn't feel like it.


4/27 1-0 (15) L to the Pirates
What a fucked up game. The Pirates started Gene Garber, who being a reliever, you'd think wouldn't fare all that well. Except, LA was swinging at everything. Garber threw 72 pitched in 7.2 innings of work and allowed 9 hits. Valenzuela threw 9 shutout innings. Twice LA had the bases loaded in extra innings with 1 out and failed to score. LA left 14 runners on the Pirates 13. Niedefeur (1-2) took the loss although he pitched well. Dwayne Murphy popped 3 hits. Suckage.


Jim Morrison was claimed off of waivers by the Padres.


LA claimed OF Mike Fuentes off of waivers from the Giants and optioned Beyers and his Major League Dream back to AAA. Fuentes has played for the Expos and Giants. He's a 27 yr old, right handed bat with a career .229 avg and 29 career HR's. He plays all the outfield positions, but none of them very well and his best attribute is that you could say he's patient at the plate.


4/28 6-1 W over the Pirates
Rick Rhoden (4-0) stays perfect and lowers his ERA to 1.54, going the distance tonight. LA was powered, once again, by the longball. Tonight it was Roy Smalley hitting his first of the year, and Franklin Stubbs providing the cushion with his 8^th. LA is one of the worst hitting teams in the NL, yet they lead the league in homers.


4/29 2-0 W over the Cubs
John Denny (2-2) throws 8 innings of 1 hit ball tonight and looks like he was back in his old form after a few horrendous starts. John Franco pitched the 9^th for his 4^th save. LA lost Steve Sax after he appeared to hurt himself after he threw the ball. He complained of tightness in his back. He might be rested until it heals, as he is day to day.


4/30 1-0 W over the Cubs
Frank Tanana (3-1) has just done that only a very small handfull of pitchers have every done. That is, throw back-to-back 1 hitters. Tonight, he once again, had his stuff working. He struck out 9 and again, the only hit he allowed was in the first. This time to the 2^nd batter, Ryne Sandberg. His game score was even better than his last one, giving him now, both the top 2 pitching performances of 1986. Doug DeCinces got the RBI when he knocked in Sax. Great way to finish the month.