Dodgers should close door on Broxton

Baseball Betting Lines

08/13/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre didn't mention whether Jonathan Broxton would remain his closer after Thursday's heartbreaking loss in south Philadelphia.

Maybe it's too early to speculate, but if this is Torre's last hurrah in Hollywood he probably wants to go out a winner.

Broxton is not making that happen.

In fact, he has come up small in enormous opportunities several times in the past few years. Broxton's ugly side reared its ugly head when he suffered his fifth blown save of the season in last night's 10-9 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He allowed four runs -- three earned -- and two walks without retiring a batter to blow a seven-run advantage.

This wasn't the first time the big right-hander was victimized by the Phillies in his career. In fact, it was the third time after Matt Stairs clubbed an eventual game-winning home run in the 2008 NLCS, followed by a clutch double by Jimmy Rollins in Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS. Broxton was asked following the game if any of those thoughts entered his mind last night.

"No," said Broxton on the team's website. "Whatever happened last year, happened last year. I wasn't thinking about that at all."

He's got some tough skin if losing to the Phillies in the last two National League Championship Series doesn't have any mental effect.

Torre mentioned after blowing a seemingly comfortable lead it was a 'tough pill to swallow', while Casey Blake, who saw a groundball roll under his legs in the ninth inning, stated that the mood in the clubhouse is not great right now.

Blake and any other player in the majors should know that every pitcher, starter or reliever, will struggle through meltdowns. Broxton is going through his struggles and could also be hiding an injury. It didn't show last night when his fastball was clocked at 98 mph, but consistency is key. Broxton was all over the place in the loss and it leaves the confidence level among both the players and coaches frayed.

Broxton, who had converted 16-of-18 save chances at one point this season and even saved a win for the National League in July's All-Star Game, is 4-4 with a 3.50 earned run average, 60 strikeouts and 21 saves. It doesn't appear as if he'll be able to match or surpass his career-mark of 36 saves established last season. If Torre makes a switch at closer, then Broxton will definitely not hit the mark.

"Let the smoke clear before you get me to say something I haven't thought about," Torre quipped on the team's site. "He's a big boy, he'll be all right. Long-term, I'm not worried about him."

Torre may not be worried about Broxton, but what about the fan base?

The Dodgers are nine games off the National League West lead, a division they have won in each of the previous two seasons, and sit 6 1/2 games behind in the wild card race. They have lost two in a row and 10 of their last 15 games and will now pay a visit to the frisky NL East-leading Atlanta Braves for four games at Turner Field.

With Broxton's perceived loss of self assurance, the Dodgers could look to Hong-Chih Kuo or Octavio Dotel as the new closer and put Broxton in the set-up role. Dotel recorded 21 saves in 41 games with Pittsburgh before joining Los Angeles at the trade deadline. Dotel has appeared in four games with the Dodgers, totaling 3 1/3 innings pitched and a 5,40 earned run average.

Kuo is second on the team with three saves in 38 relief appearances this season and was a representative for the NL in this past All-Star Game. Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill or Kenley Jansen are other options Torre can exercise in the closer's role if he decides to give up on Broxton.

Belisario, however, allowed four late runs on Thursday to put the Phillies in winning position. The rookie Jansen has appeared in eight games this season and has yet to allow a run in 7 1/3 innings. Los Angeles is really high on this young righty and perhaps his time will come sooner rather than later.

"It sounds crazy, but in spring training I thought I might get up by September," Jansen told the team's site. "I didn't think it would be July, but they have confidence in me, and I'm not afraid of being here. I feel comfortable here."

That's more than what the organization can say about Broxton right now.

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