Sunday, September 19, 2010

Dodgers fight back to win in 11

The Dodgers showed something on Sunday we haven't seen in a few months: heart.

Despite being down 6-1 before you could barely blink, the Dodgers battled all the way back to send the game into extras. In the 11th, A.J. Ellis hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded to down the Rockies, 7-6.

The game didn't figure to be high-scoring, as the combination of the Dodgers' offense and Clayton Kershaw starting meant it could go by quickly. Instead, Kershaw was hit hard, and the game took 4:21 to complete.

Way back in the first, the Rockies went to work right away. Dexter Fowler and Jonathan Herrera walked to start the game in a bad sign of things to come. Carlos Gonzalez flied out, but both runners advanced. Already, Joe Torre chose to put Troy Tulowitzki on to load the bases. With the streak that Tulo's been on, that's the best decision Torre's made all year.

Then again, it didn't quite work out. Melvin Mora struck out for two down, but Jason Giambi cleared the bases with a double to go up 3-0. The ball had a chance to be caught, as Jay Gibbons leaped high into the air, only to just miss the catch.

Actually, Gibbons looked like he jumped two inches off the ground as the ball went off the top of his glove. Kobe Bryant he is not.

Andre Ethier got the Dodgers on the board in the bottom of the frame with a long solo homer to right. It was measured at 424 feet and went several rows into the bleachers. It was his 23rd of the season.

Kershaw didn't settle down, as the Rockies again got to him for three in the second. Some bad fielding by Jay Ramirez... uh, I mean Gibbons started the inning when he dropped a fly ball. Yes it was sunny, but come on now. Fowler singled an out later for two on.

The next three hitters brought in runs. Herrera hit an RBI double to go up 4-1. Gonzalez brought another one in with a single, and Tulo hit into a fielder's choice to make it 6-1. Giambi had another chance to drive in more runs, but his hard liner to center was right at Matt Kemp.

The score stood at 6-1 going into the third, and little did we know at the time that the Rockies would do nothing the rest of the game. In innings 3-11, they would gather only three more hits and no runs. Give the Dodgers' bullpen (minus one guy, but we'll get to him later) lots of credit.

The comeback started in the fourth as Gibbons reached on a strikeout, but with a wild pitch to get to first. Casey Blake and James Loney couldn't reach for two outs. Ryan Theriot kept the inning going with a single, and Rod Barajas followed with one of his own for an RBI to make it 6-2.

Jamey Carroll came in to replace the ineffective Kershaw, as Torre knew they had to go after the runs while they were there. It worked, as Carroll's RBI single slashed it to 6-3. Rafael Furcal hit an RBI single himself, and it was now 6-4.

Kenley Jansen relieved in the seventh and worked out of a two-on, one-out jam. In the bottom of the inning, Kemp led off with a long homer to center, his 23rd to match Ethier, and it was 6-5. Old friend (for a few weeks anyway) Octavio Dotel got the last out by striking out Blake.

Hong-Chih Kuo held the Rockies down in the ninth, and Huston Street came on looking to do the same for a save. After Reed Johnson grounded out, Raffy doubled. A wild pitch sent him to third, and the Dodgers were in business. Kemp doubled down the left field line to tie the game at 6-6. Ethier was intentionally walked, but Gibbons and Blake couldn't end the game with a big hit.

Kuo and Street stayed on to pitch the 10th and not give up a run. Now in the 11th, Torre gave the ball to good old Jonathan Broxton. He walked Ryan Spilborghs, but got Eric Young to ground into a double play. Things were looking up for Johnny Boy.

So that naturally meant that Broxton would find a way to suck. Seth Smith walked, Fowler singled, and Herrera walked to load the bases. Torre yanked him, and George Sherrill did a great job in striking out Gonzalez for the final out.

Manny Delcarmen was given the task of extending the game even more. Johnson hit a leadoff single to start a rally. Raffy then forced Johnson at second on a grounder, and the throw to first was deemed too late. It was a bad call, as replays clearly showed it should have been a double play. But it wasn't, so take that, Colorado!

Kemp singled as Raffy hustled to third. Ethier was Mr. Walk-Off in 2009, and the Rockies made sure none of that happened again by putting him on base. With a full count, Ellis smoked one over Tulo's head to end the game.

It was a great comeback for a team that hasn't shown much fire the second half of the season. Ultimately this win won't lead to a playoff berth, but maybe it will lead to some more wins to close the season. If the Dodgers can play with more confidence because of this, they can finally play the spoiler like today.

Kershaw will certainly have his better days, as he lasted only four innings for four hits, six runs (four earned), four walks, and two strikeouts. He was bailed out by the combination of Ronald Belisario, Jansen, Kuo, and Sherrill. They combined to through 6 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.

Then there's Broxton, who looked lost yet again. For the remainder of the season, he needs to be benched and not get close to appearing in a game again. Enough is enough. Torre's trying to get him figured out, which is admirable, but it's not working. Be it mental or physical, he's not right. Rest him for the final two weeks and start over next year.

On the positive side, it was great to see Raffy, Ethier, and Kemp play big roles on offense. That's what the Dodgers envisioned happening coming into this season (along with some Manny guy). They drove in four runs between them, along with two doubles and two homers. It's too little, too late to save this season, but it was still fun to see.

The Dodgers will take Monday off before welcoming the Padres for three. The Padres have struggled this month, but not against the Dodgers, whom they swept in three last week. Chad Billingsley will go against Clayton Richard in the first game.

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