OPINION

By Stan McNeal

updated 2:28 a.m. ET July 29, 2009

The pressure was on Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley on Tuesday night against the Cardinals. He was out to stop L.A.'s longest streak of the season: Two games. That's no typo.

Billingsley, unfortunately for the boys in blue, was roughed up by the Cardinals — not a good sign.

The Dodgers had lost back-to-back games 10 times this season but had been the majors' only team to avoid a three-game skid.

"Well, everybody's due for one," said Dodgers second baseman Orlando Hudson, not sounding too concerned.

At first glance, he has no need to fret. The Dodgers own the majors' best record and the largest division lead (eight games over the Rockies and Giants). Los Angeles' 3.60 team ERA ranks behind only the Giants' 3.57 in the majors, and the team's .276 batting average is No. 1 in the NL.

Very impressive, indeed.

Closer scrutiny, however, shows the Dodgers have their weaknesses. They don't hit many home runs, they ground into a lot of double plays and they have an aversion to wearing collared shirts after games. OK, those are nitpicks, especially the last one.

But here is a real concern for a team looking to play into deep October: The Dodgers lack an innings-eating, top-of-the-rotation starter. Billingsley made the All-Star team and Clayton Kershaw is on a serious roll, but they are young and unproven in the postseason. Billingsley was hammered so hard by the Phillies in last year's NLCS that manager Joe Torre made it a point in spring training to check in with him and make sure Billingsley had moved past the disappointment.

"I had a similar conversation with Mariano Rivera in the year after he gave up the home run (to Cleveland's Sandy Alomar to blow the save in Game 4 of the 1997 ALDS)," Torre said. "The thing I liked about the conversation (with Billingsley) was he didn't pretend like he wasn't thinking about what happened. I thought that was a very positive impression."

Though Billingsley has moved on in the regular season, October will be different. The Dodgers know as well as anyone how important it is to add an ace such as Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee.

"I don't think it's a secret," Torre said. "We've been inquiring about how we can make this ball club better. I've had Roger Clemens, David Cone, David Wells. I know it puts the other team at a disadvantage. I know how that starter can change the personality."

The Dodgers experienced the impact of an ace Monday night when they were beaten 6-1 by Chris Carpenter and the new-look Cardinals at packed Busch Stadium. On a night when Carpenter was far from dominant, he still limited the Dodgers to one run in seven innings. He gave up nine hits, walked two and hit two batters but induced four double plays — two from Manny Ramirez.

"We certainly weren't shut down," Torre said. "We had a lot of guys on base. We just didn't get key hits."

Dodgers starter Randy Wolf gave up runs in the first and second innings and knew "that would have to be it" against Carpenter. The veteran lefty held the Cardinals scoreless for the next four innings but in the seventh, three Dodgers relievers allowed hits to the first batters they faced and a one-run advantage grew to five.

L.A.'s bullpen entered the game with an NL-best 3.24 ERA, but it has concerns beyond Monday's meltdown. Because Dodgers starters have averaged fewer than 5 2/3 innings per start, the team's relievers have been carrying a heavy workload. They rank second in the majors in innings pitched (341), and three Dodgers relievers rank in the top 10 in the NL in innings pitched.

"Not getting length out of your starters means you're using that bullpen more than you want to," Torre said. "In our case, we're really looking towards (adding) experience on both ends. I'm not saying you're going to be able to do both."

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On Day 4 of a 20-day stretch without an off day, the Dodgers received some positive news with the return of reliever Hong-Chih Kuo. He worked a perfect eighth inning in his first outing in three months. If his left elbow stays sound, Kuo gives Torre another option to set up All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton.

The Dodgers need all the strong arms they can get. Far more is at stake than a two-game losing streak.

Also on NBCSports.com Rosenthal: Saints win with aggressive ‘ambush’ Trash Talk: How will Manning rebound from loss? NBA: ProBasketballTalk is here! Check out new blog NCAA BK: Who's in, who's out? Updated bracket projections Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

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