Sunday, July 26, 2009

Blake finds the right spot in walk-off win

Casey Blake was already stuck in an 0-for-3 night, which went well with his .227 July average. With a 2-2 count and the bases loaded with two down, he would take any kind of hit he could get.

For the first time in awhile, luck was on his side. His soft fly ball to center was just in between three charging fielders, plating Rafael Furcal for the winning run, 4-3. That's the 27th comeback victory for the Dodgers this season.

Both teams traded runs in the first. Jorge Cantu doubled home Emilio Bonifacio for the game's first run. Furcal lead off the bottom of the first with a triple, and he scored on Orlando Hudson's single to make the game 1-1.

With both Hiroki Kuroda and Rick VandenHurk throwing well, runs were looking hard to come by. But, the Marlins struck next thanks to an error by Russell Martin. Cantu walked to start, and eventually got to third on Martin's throwing error. Cody Ross singled him home next for the 2-1 lead.

Hanley Ramirez used his speed to get the next run. A single and stolen base got him in scoring position in the sixth. Jeremy Hermida's single scored him, and the Marlins were starting to pull away up 3-1.

The Dodgers got a few men on base to this point, but couldn't cash in. In the bottom of the sixth, they made some noise. Andre Ethier singled to start and Blake walked. James Loney's RBI single made it 2-1. Martin made up for his error by driving in a run himself with a single to score Blake, and it was now 3-3.

Guillermo Mota and Jonathan Broxton tag teamed for three shutout innings, putting the tie game into the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Raffy bunted for a single and O-Dog singled for two on.

Manny Ramirez had a chance to be a hero once again, but he struck out for two down. Ethier walked to load the bases. Blake then found the perfect spot in the outfield for a bloop hit to end the game.

Like I've said all year year, this is another example of the Dodgers finding a way to win. They didn't hit any home runs, but they did manufacture runs when they needed them most. Down 1-0 and 3-1, they never quit and kept plugging away. With 62 wins, it's obvious that they know how to win.

Kuroda hasn't had a good start in awhile, but he was on last night. He finished with six innings, six hits, three runs (two earned), one walk, and nine strikeouts. He was in a good groove for sure. Hopefully this is a sign that his arm strength is where it needs to be.

The rubber match is Sunday afternoon, as Jason Schmidt makes his second start in his comeback tour. Who knows how long it'll last, but the Dodgers are certainly giving him chances to succeed. After the game, they hit the road for St. Louis to begin a seven-game trip.

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