Russell Martin hit a 2-run homer in the 6th, and Matt Kemp blasted a 3-run shot to center in the 7th to lead the Dodgers past the Chicago Cubs, 7-3. All 7 of the Dodgers' runs came in those 2 innings. After dropping Thursday's game, they have now won 2 in a row and have a chance to take the series today against the best team in baseball.
The bats were doing their usual big pile of nothing until the 6th. Jeff Kent legged out an infield single, which is very encouraging considering he's 40 but still playing like he's half his age. Russell Martin then connected on his 5th of the year off of ace Carlos Zambrano to tie the score at 2.
The 7th is when the flood gates were opened. Juan Pierre singled and stole 2nd, then scored on Andre Ethier's infield single in which Aramis Ramirez threw away. Martin had his 3rd RBI of the game on a single to score Ethier. James Loney singled to right, and Kemp crushed his 5th homer to give the Dodgers a cushion.
Derek Lowe gave up single runs in innings 5-7, but still finished with 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. That's 4 straight starts where he's gone at least 7 innings, given up 3 or less runs, and hasn't walked more than 2. His control is... well, under control, which is a problem when he's putting up lousy outings. His ERA has been lowered from 5.34 to 4.15. With Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda pitching very well, it's good that 3 of the 5 are doing their share to win. Clayton Kershaw still needs time but has done decently, and Brad Penny has basically sucked.
Zambrano was shutting down the Dodgers until he lost all control later in the game. And speaking of losing control, try checking out highlights of him trashing a couple of Gatorade coolers in the dugout. I can appreciate his will to win, but he's still 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA. I'm not sure I'd be so frustrated with numbers like that.
Another person who needs to be commended is Martin. It took him a good portion of April to get going, but now that he has, he's again showing why he's the best catcher in the National League. Entering May he was hitting .292, and now he's up to .316. He's patient enough to take a walk, can hit for decent power, and hasn't struck out more than twice in a game since May 1. All of that in addition to logging a lot of innings behind the plate, and it's no wonder why he's adored by Dodger fans. He's the complete package.
I didn't think there was a chance in Hell I'd be saying this after Thursday's game, but the Dodgers have a chance to take 3 of 4 in this series when Brad Penny takes the ball today. It's the ESPN Sunday Night game for the second week in a row, and it also presents a dilemma for LA fans considering the Lakers are in Game 2 of the Finals. Obviously the Finals is more important, but keep those clickers handy (or get 2 TV's, like me). Penny pitched pretty well last start against the Rockies, but he hasn't won since May 2. Maybe tonight is his time.
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