Game 53: Dodgers @ Atlanta Braves 3:9

Tim Hudson continued his dominance of the Dodgers on Wednesday. After throwing seven innings of two-run ball, he improved to 5-0 lifetime against the Dodgers.

Unfortunately, this is the good news.

The bad news is it appears the mirage that we know as Brett Tomko is back on track to having a dismal season, much like last year. This turned out to be his shortest start of the season. It was definitely a poor follow up to his poor start previously. In the last two starts combined, he has only pitched seven and two-thirds innings. In that span, he has given up 15 hits and a whopping eleven earned runs!

"It was a weird game," Tomko said. "I felt really good.

I just think I elevated the ball a little too much.

It's one of those games where I'm kind of scratching my head

when I'm walking away, wondering where everything
went haywire. I just think I'm a little out of whack right now."

If he did truly feel "really good" then we are in for a world of hurt. Tomko, you have two strikes. One more and you're out.

About the only bright spot for the game that I can come up with is Andre Ethier. He went two-for-four with a run batted in. He also showed that he knows the game well. When Andruw Jones crushed a first inning home run, Ethier had the instinct to know it was gone, and barely moved a muscle.

Kenny Lofton looked half his age when he made a backwards, glove over shoulder catch in the game.

Some thoughts:

1) How long of a leash should Tomko be given in a game and for the season?

2) Is it time to replace Tomko in the rotation and put him in long relief?

3) At just about the one-third mark for the season, and the Dodgers just half a game out of first place, what is our number one need to make that final push?