With the Dodgers mired in a season-worst six-game losing streak during which they had averaged just 1.7 runs, left fielder Manny Ramirez and second baseman Jeff Kent were flipped in the batting order Thursday night against Washington, Ramirez moving to third and Kent dropping to the cleanup spot.
"Don't ask me the reason," manager Joe Torre said. "I'm just doing something different. If this is a good idea, then the next question is why the (heck) I didn't do it 10 days ago. Right now, it's just the fact we have been struggling, and we have to do something different. That's all." Ramirez responded by hitting a two-run homer in the first inning, but that was all the offense the Dodgers could muster. Kent went 0-for-3 and is now 5-for-30 since being given the day off on Aug. 21 against Colorado.
Torre also rested shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who came in with three hits in 30 at-bats, and catcher Russell Martin, who had started every game either behind the plate or at third base since Aug. 8.
Torre originally wrote Kent into the three hole on Aug. 7 at St. Louis, and Kent had responded by going 25-for-52 over the next 14 games before the day off against the Rockies.
NATIONALS 11, DODGERS 2: Clayton Kershaw gave up five runs in the bottom of the first inning, including home runs by Cristian Guzman and Elijah Dukes, and the Dodgers trudged sleepily to their seventh consecutive defeat. They went hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position and are now 6-for-61 (.098) in such situations during the losing streak, including 3-for-45 over the past four games.
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