With memories fresh of a butt kicking from Saturday, the Dodgers scored early and late to down the Giants, 7-5. The win means three wins in the first four games of the season, and against the world champions and hated rivals no less.
All in all, the Dodgers have exactly the start to the season they wanted.
The offense got the party started right away. Facing Barry Zito, Rafael Furcal singled in the bottom of the first leading off. Jamey Carroll then lined one just in front of Aubrey Huff in right for an RBI triple, making it 1-0. To say Huff looks uncomfortable in the outfield would be a huge understatement. So far, he's made Manny Ramirez look like a Gold Glover.
Following Andre Ethier's strikeout, Matt Kemp continued his red hot start by launching a two-run homer, and it was 3-0. Kemp has hit safely in all four games thus far, and has a .533 OBP to boot.
Pablo Sandoval crushed a homer himself in the second to cut the lead to 3-1. Both teams remained scoreless until the sixth.
The Giants were able to tie things up with single runs in the sixth and seventh. In the sixth, Freddy Sanchez hit an infield single with two outs. Huff singled for runners on the corners, and Buster Posey laced an RBI single, making it 3-2. Kuroda stayed on for the next inning and surrendered a solo shot to Pat Burrell leading off, and it was 3-3.
After starting the game teeing off on Zito, it was actually a good thing when he left after six, as the bats were completely silent. Dan Runzler came on, and James Loney greeted him with a single. An out later, Marcus Thames's RBI triple put the Dodgers back in the lead at 4-3.
Aaron Miles pinch-hit for Kuroda and came through with an RBI single, and Raffy's RBI double put it at 6-3. Santiago Casilla relieved and struck out Carroll, but Ethier's RBI single with two outs made it 7-3.
It's a good thing the Dodgers tacked on more runs, because the bullpen of Hong-Chih Kuo, Matt Guerrier, and Jonathan Broxton looked anything but dominant. Kuo was shaky on opening night, and he continued that with a double to Huff and a walk to Posey. He did strikeout Sandoval to get two outs.
Don Mattingly then gave the ball to Guerrier, the $12 million middle reliever. I'm guessing walking two straight batters, one to force in a run, wasn't quite in Ned Colletti's mind when he was signed. Unfortunately, that's what happened, as it was now 7-4. Miguel Tejada then had a mind-bogglingly bad at-bat, as he popped up the first pitch to Loney after the previous two guys walked. I'm shocked a veteran like him did that. But I'm glad, of course.
If Kuo can be described as "shaky" after two outings, then Broxton would be on the "super extra scary shaky" mode. Once again he entered in the ninth, and once again he made us all sweat it out. Aaron Rowand led off with a solo homer, and it was 7-5. Sanchez was able to single with an out, but Posey's groundout soon ended it.
Broxton may have three saves, but only one of them was solid. I know closers are a pretty fickle bunch, as any of you fantasy baseball players know just how up and down they can be. But there's no ignoring the fact that Mattingly has to be open to using others in the ninth. How many bad pitches does it take? Not that the rest of the bullpen has been lights-out, but it's the same old thing with this guy over and over. I just don't trust him.
With all of that said, three wins in four games against any team is a job very well done. The Giants definitely helped this out, as they were their own worst enemy on defense the whole series (see Huff, Aubrey). That won't be the case as the season progresses, so while the Dodgers should be happy, they need to get better as well.
Monday is an off day, then the road schedule begins. Clayton Kershaw will go Tuesday on regular rest in Colorado. Jhoulys Chacin gets his first start of the season for the Rockies. It'll be a short two-game series, with an off day again coming Thursday.
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