The key to the Dodgers' winning: Rafael Furcal.
Raffy proved that once again on Thursday night, as his two-run homer in the seventh gave the Dodgers the lead and eventual win, 3-2. All the other NL West teams won as well, so the Padres still own a three game lead.
Besides Raffy's heroics, it was Clayton Kershaw who put on quite the show. He was simply awesome, pitching eight innings for seven hits, two runs, no walks, and 12 strikeouts. That's a season high for him, and one off his career high. He earned a well-deserved ninth win.
The Dodgers got on the board in the first. Raffy laced a double in the leadoff spot. Matt Kemp walked, but Andre Ethier grounded into a double play. With Raffy on third, James Loney came through with an RBI single and 1-0 lead.
One swing by Alfonso Soriano in the second quickly changed the game. He absolutely crushed one deep to left for his 15th of the season. He guessed fastball, and he guessed right.
In the fourth, the Cubs took their only lead of the game with another run. Aramis Ramirez has been horrible this year, but not tonight as he blooped a double into right with one out. Geovany Soto hit an RBI single to center, and it was 2-1.
Randy Wells pitched very well for most of the game, but made one crucial mistake in the seventh. Russell Martin singled leading off. After Blake DeWitt flied out to center, Kershaw laid down a great sacrifice to get Martin to second.
At this point, Raffy was 2-for-2 with a hit by pitch. His perfect night would continue, as he lined one just inside the foul pole in right for a two-run shot, his sixth of the season. It was another clutch hit from a guy that ignites the rest of the team.
Kershaw struck out two more to end the eighth. Jonathan Broxton came on and got Marlon Byrd swinging to start the ninth. As Byrd was muttering about it going back to the dugout, he was ejected by the first base umpire. Maybe something was said that I'm not aware of, but it seemed like a questionable trigger.
Derek Lee then flew out to Ethier. With two strikes on Ramirez, he singled into left to keep the game going. Kosuke Fukudome pinch-hit and flew out to left to end the game. Broxton is now 18-20 in save opportunities.
Take Raffy away from this game, and the Dodgers obviously don't win. The team only had six hits all night, and he had half of them. He's now hitting .339 with a .386 OBP.
It's pretty simple - when Raffy's hitting, the Dodgers are winning.
Of course, Kershaw had a say in this win as well. He was at 97 pitches when he exited after eight innings, and probably would have been given a chance to finish it off had it not been a one-run game. He's inching closer and closer to getting that complete game that's eluded him thus far. It'll come soon.
There's three games left with the Cubs before the All-Star break. Next up is Chad Billingsley against Ted Lilly. Bills hasn't won since the end of May, but he's pitched pretty well in a few of those starts.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Stanton's homer all Johnson needs
The margin of error for the Dodgers against an ace like Josh Johnson was very small. One swing from Mike Stanton's bat pretty much ended the night nice and early.
Johnson was his usual ridiculous self, and Stanton's three-run homer in the second allowed the Marlins to cruise all night long, 4-0. The Dodgers dropped two of three to them at home and failed to pick up a game on the Padres, who lost again to the Nationals.
Hiroki Kuroda came up on the losing end, but for one inning it sure looked like this would be a pitcher's duel. Both pitchers got the other offense in order with ease.
In the second, the Marlins scored all the runs they would need. Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla opened the inning with singles. An RBI double by Cody Ross plated one, and it was 1-0. Ronny Paulino grounded out to the mound for the first out.
Kuroda then made a bad mistake, as he spun one right across the middle for Stanton, who hit a high fly ball to left that just found its way over the fence. In fact, the ball then found its way into a catcher's glove that was sitting in a bag. Pretty weird stuff.
Now down 4-0, the Dodgers knew they'd have quite the uphill climb to get back into this one. But give Johnson credit - he wasn't going to allow that to happen. He pitched eight innings for six hits, no runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He's upped his record to 9-3, lowered his ERA to 1.70, and in my opinion should start the All-Star Game, even above Ubaldo Jimenez.
With only six hits and one walk, it's not like the Dodgers had many scoring opportunities. When they did, they couldn't get the big hit. This is a game where they missed Manny Ramirez and his clutch hitting.
The first threat was in the fourth. With two down, Andre Ethier and James Loney both singled. Casey Blake then struck out.
The next threat was in the sixth. Again with two outs, Ethier walked and Loney singled. What did Blake do? Fouled out to third for out #3.
Russell Martin doubled with one out in the seventh, but Blake DeWitt and Xavier Paul could do nothing with it. Matt Kemp singled and stole second with two outs in the eighth, but Loney grounded out.
Two strikeouts by Blake and Garret Anderson and a lineout from Martin ended the game.
This is not a night that Blake would like to remember. Hitting fifth in the order, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, stranding four runners. The guy behind him was Anderson, who also pulled an 0-for-4, not that I'm surprised. He really sucks.
Kuroda really only had one bad inning in the fourth. Take that away, and he had six scoreless ones. He really was against the wall in this one facing Johnson, but it's still a shame he didn't make this a closer game. Then again, with zero run support, it didn't much matter.
The biggest issue tonight was the inability to hit with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers were a whopping 0-for-5 in those situations, which won't win you much of any games. It was just one of those nights where a dominating pitcher was on his game.
The Dodgers now will close the first half of the season with four games at home against the Cubs. Clayton Kershaw will go in the first game against Randy Wells. Kershaw will look for his ninth win.
Johnson was his usual ridiculous self, and Stanton's three-run homer in the second allowed the Marlins to cruise all night long, 4-0. The Dodgers dropped two of three to them at home and failed to pick up a game on the Padres, who lost again to the Nationals.
Hiroki Kuroda came up on the losing end, but for one inning it sure looked like this would be a pitcher's duel. Both pitchers got the other offense in order with ease.
In the second, the Marlins scored all the runs they would need. Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla opened the inning with singles. An RBI double by Cody Ross plated one, and it was 1-0. Ronny Paulino grounded out to the mound for the first out.
Kuroda then made a bad mistake, as he spun one right across the middle for Stanton, who hit a high fly ball to left that just found its way over the fence. In fact, the ball then found its way into a catcher's glove that was sitting in a bag. Pretty weird stuff.
Now down 4-0, the Dodgers knew they'd have quite the uphill climb to get back into this one. But give Johnson credit - he wasn't going to allow that to happen. He pitched eight innings for six hits, no runs, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He's upped his record to 9-3, lowered his ERA to 1.70, and in my opinion should start the All-Star Game, even above Ubaldo Jimenez.
With only six hits and one walk, it's not like the Dodgers had many scoring opportunities. When they did, they couldn't get the big hit. This is a game where they missed Manny Ramirez and his clutch hitting.
The first threat was in the fourth. With two down, Andre Ethier and James Loney both singled. Casey Blake then struck out.
The next threat was in the sixth. Again with two outs, Ethier walked and Loney singled. What did Blake do? Fouled out to third for out #3.
Russell Martin doubled with one out in the seventh, but Blake DeWitt and Xavier Paul could do nothing with it. Matt Kemp singled and stole second with two outs in the eighth, but Loney grounded out.
Two strikeouts by Blake and Garret Anderson and a lineout from Martin ended the game.
This is not a night that Blake would like to remember. Hitting fifth in the order, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, stranding four runners. The guy behind him was Anderson, who also pulled an 0-for-4, not that I'm surprised. He really sucks.
Kuroda really only had one bad inning in the fourth. Take that away, and he had six scoreless ones. He really was against the wall in this one facing Johnson, but it's still a shame he didn't make this a closer game. Then again, with zero run support, it didn't much matter.
The biggest issue tonight was the inability to hit with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers were a whopping 0-for-5 in those situations, which won't win you much of any games. It was just one of those nights where a dominating pitcher was on his game.
The Dodgers now will close the first half of the season with four games at home against the Cubs. Clayton Kershaw will go in the first game against Randy Wells. Kershaw will look for his ninth win.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Dodgers pound Volstad back to the minors
The Dodgers chased Chris Volstad in the fourth inning after scoring five runs. The Marlins then chased him back to Triple-A.
As poor Volstad was optioned to the minors following another lousy start, the Dodgers moved to three games behind the Padres in the NL West with a 7-3 win. The Padres finally lost thanks to a walk-off homer from Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals.
It was a bit of role reversal for both teams on Tuesday, as it was the Marlins who jumped out to the early lead the game before. This time, the Dodgers used a four-run second to propel them the rest of the way.
With one out, Russell Martin walked. He still can't hit at only .246, but has a respectable on-base percentage of .351 thanks to drawing 41 walks. Blake DeWitt singled to left, and Vicente Padilla sacrificed them both over to scoring position.
Rafael Furcal came through with a two-run single up the middle to go up 2-0. Matt Kemp has seen his production go up lately, and it continued with a long two-run homer to let, making it 4-0 after two.
The Dodgers added another run in the third on a line drive solo homer to left from Casey Blake.
With Padilla still putting up blanks, Andre Ethier got in on the act in the fifth with a solo shot to right, and it was 6-0. That was Ethier's 14th of the season, just behind Kemp's 16 for team leader.
Padilla was finally tagged in the seventh. With two outs and a runner on first, rookie Mike Stanton hit a two-run homer to left to go down 6-2. At 112 pitches, George Sherrill came on in relief and immediately gave up a single. But, he got Chris Coghlan grounding out for the third out.
Another run was tacked on in the eighth by the Dodgers. DeWitt walked and stole second with one out. Reed Johnson also drew a walk. Raffy delivered again with an RBI single, and it was 7-2.
Travis Schlichting had been flawless for the Dodgers, but that changed as the Marlins put together a bit of a threat in the ninth. Two straight singles by Dan Uggla and Cody Ross opened the inning. Ronny Paulino fouled out, but Stanton's RBI single made it 7-3.
Jonathan Broxton entered with a four-run lead but with runners on base, so it was a save situation. He got the next two in order for his 18th save.
A day after John Ely was knocked around early, Padilla showed how good he is when healthy with another stellar start. He went 6 2/3 innings for six hits, two runs, no walks, and nine strikeouts for his third win. Since coming back from the DL, he's 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in four starts.
With Manny Ramirez not returning until after the All-Star break, it's important for the big bats to come through, and they did. Raffy had three RBIs and a stolen base. Kemp homered and stole two bases, a welcome sign from getting nailed so many times already this season. Ethier homered. Even DeWitt had a good night at the bottom of the order with two walks, two runs, a hit, and two stolen bases.
It's a good thing the Dodgers won on Tuesday, because it won't be nearly as easy tonight. The Marlins will send All-Star Josh Johnson to the mound, and he's been just filthy with an 8-2 record and 1.82 ERA. Oh ya, he also has 115 strikeouts in 114 innings. He may very well be starting in the All-Star Game next Tuesday.
The Dodgers will counter with Hiroki Kuroda. He was awful against the Diamondbacks last start, and just so-so against the Yankees the one before. But, he's shown in the past a strong ability to bounce back after facing adversity. The Dodgers will need that to happen if they even want to think of beating Johnson.
As poor Volstad was optioned to the minors following another lousy start, the Dodgers moved to three games behind the Padres in the NL West with a 7-3 win. The Padres finally lost thanks to a walk-off homer from Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals.
It was a bit of role reversal for both teams on Tuesday, as it was the Marlins who jumped out to the early lead the game before. This time, the Dodgers used a four-run second to propel them the rest of the way.
With one out, Russell Martin walked. He still can't hit at only .246, but has a respectable on-base percentage of .351 thanks to drawing 41 walks. Blake DeWitt singled to left, and Vicente Padilla sacrificed them both over to scoring position.
Rafael Furcal came through with a two-run single up the middle to go up 2-0. Matt Kemp has seen his production go up lately, and it continued with a long two-run homer to let, making it 4-0 after two.
The Dodgers added another run in the third on a line drive solo homer to left from Casey Blake.
With Padilla still putting up blanks, Andre Ethier got in on the act in the fifth with a solo shot to right, and it was 6-0. That was Ethier's 14th of the season, just behind Kemp's 16 for team leader.
Padilla was finally tagged in the seventh. With two outs and a runner on first, rookie Mike Stanton hit a two-run homer to left to go down 6-2. At 112 pitches, George Sherrill came on in relief and immediately gave up a single. But, he got Chris Coghlan grounding out for the third out.
Another run was tacked on in the eighth by the Dodgers. DeWitt walked and stole second with one out. Reed Johnson also drew a walk. Raffy delivered again with an RBI single, and it was 7-2.
Travis Schlichting had been flawless for the Dodgers, but that changed as the Marlins put together a bit of a threat in the ninth. Two straight singles by Dan Uggla and Cody Ross opened the inning. Ronny Paulino fouled out, but Stanton's RBI single made it 7-3.
Jonathan Broxton entered with a four-run lead but with runners on base, so it was a save situation. He got the next two in order for his 18th save.
A day after John Ely was knocked around early, Padilla showed how good he is when healthy with another stellar start. He went 6 2/3 innings for six hits, two runs, no walks, and nine strikeouts for his third win. Since coming back from the DL, he's 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in four starts.
With Manny Ramirez not returning until after the All-Star break, it's important for the big bats to come through, and they did. Raffy had three RBIs and a stolen base. Kemp homered and stole two bases, a welcome sign from getting nailed so many times already this season. Ethier homered. Even DeWitt had a good night at the bottom of the order with two walks, two runs, a hit, and two stolen bases.
It's a good thing the Dodgers won on Tuesday, because it won't be nearly as easy tonight. The Marlins will send All-Star Josh Johnson to the mound, and he's been just filthy with an 8-2 record and 1.82 ERA. Oh ya, he also has 115 strikeouts in 114 innings. He may very well be starting in the All-Star Game next Tuesday.
The Dodgers will counter with Hiroki Kuroda. He was awful against the Diamondbacks last start, and just so-so against the Yankees the one before. But, he's shown in the past a strong ability to bounce back after facing adversity. The Dodgers will need that to happen if they even want to think of beating Johnson.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Dodgers can't overcome Ely's struggles
The Dodgers chipped away, but were ultimately unable to make up for a big early deficit as they lost to the Marlins, 6-5. With the Padres idle and therefore not winning for a change, the Dodgers are now four games back in the NL West.
John Ely was coming off of two great starts against the Angels and Giants, and looked to be back on track from earlier this season. Lo and behold, he wouldn't even make it out of the third inning. He finished with 2 1/3 innings pitched for nine hits, six runs (five earned), one walk, and three strikeouts. Only one of the hits was for extra bases, but all the others were sprayed all over the place.
Chris Coghlan started the game with a single. Gabby Sanchez did the same, and just like that there were runners on the corners with no outs. A sac-fly RBI by Hanley Ramirez made it 1-0. An infield single by Dan Uggla came next, and already it was looking like a long night for Ely.
A wild pitch sent both runners in scoring position. Cody Ross then grounded out to second, but Sanchez scored to make it 2-0. Andre Ethier doubled for the Dodgers, but nothing came of it.
The Marlins again struck right away, this time Mike Stanton with a double leading off the second. A sacrifice by Nate Robertson got him over to third. As Stanton was leading off after a pitch, Russell Martin tried to throw behind him for the out. It was a bad move, as Martin's throw was horribly off line, sailing to the outfield allowing Stanton to score and go up 3-0.
Casey Blake tried to get things going with a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame. A groundout by James Loney got him to third. Martin already gave a run away earlier, but somewhat made up for it with an RBI single to cut the score to 3-1.
Ely just couldn't get any momentum, as he once again let the leadoff man reach. Ramirez singled to center, and Uggla hit his second infield single. A single by Ross loaded the bases, and the pressure was on. Wes Helms delivered a two-run single to make it 5-1.
Now on a short leash, Ely retired the next two hitters before giving up an RBI single to Robertson (yes, the opposing pitcher) to make the score 6-1. That was all she wrote, as Jeff Weaver came in for the final out.
The rest of the game featured the Dodgers slowly climbing their way back, only to fall just a bit short. They were handed a run in the third. Ronnie Belliard led off and walked. He soon went to third on a single by Ethier and groundout by Matt Kemp. An error by Ronny Paulino scored Belliard, and it was 6-2.
The next inning, the Dodgers again put a dent into the Marlins' lead. Reed Johnson singled with one down. Now with two outs, Rafael Furcal hit a two-run homer to continue his hot streak, and the Dodgers were back in business at 6-4.
Both teams put up blanks the next few innings, as the Marlins held on to a slim lead. But in the eighth, the Dodgers again scored. Ethier walked leading off on four pitches. Two outs later and with Ethier on second, Loney lined an RBI double to left, making it 6-5. Martin had a chance to at least tie the game, but grounded out to the pitcher.
Leo Nunez made sure there would be no heroics on this night, as he retired Garret Anderson, Xavier Paul, and Raffy in order for his 18th save.
I'm sure Ely is kicking himself for getting hit around so much, as this could have been a winnable game had he put in even a decent performance. It was good to see the Dodgers at least make a game of it, as they looked dead early on. The Marlins had to play a full game to earn this one.
The Dodgers held the Marlins scoreless from the fourth inning on all thanks to some great bullpen work. Weaver went 3 1/3 for no hits, no runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. That's exactly why he's there - to keep the game manageable in the middle innings. Ronald Belisario pitched three innings of one-hit ball. Awesome job by both.
Every position starter for the Dodgers got on base, except for Kemp who was 0-for-4. He hit cleanup, so that obviously hurt. Martin's error early in the game also hurt, mostly because it was a completely unnecessary throw. He was just trying to do too much. It cost them in the long run.
Vicente Padilla will look to get the Dodgers off to a much better start on Tuesday. He's pitched very well lately, and will be looking for his third win of the season.
John Ely was coming off of two great starts against the Angels and Giants, and looked to be back on track from earlier this season. Lo and behold, he wouldn't even make it out of the third inning. He finished with 2 1/3 innings pitched for nine hits, six runs (five earned), one walk, and three strikeouts. Only one of the hits was for extra bases, but all the others were sprayed all over the place.
Chris Coghlan started the game with a single. Gabby Sanchez did the same, and just like that there were runners on the corners with no outs. A sac-fly RBI by Hanley Ramirez made it 1-0. An infield single by Dan Uggla came next, and already it was looking like a long night for Ely.
A wild pitch sent both runners in scoring position. Cody Ross then grounded out to second, but Sanchez scored to make it 2-0. Andre Ethier doubled for the Dodgers, but nothing came of it.
The Marlins again struck right away, this time Mike Stanton with a double leading off the second. A sacrifice by Nate Robertson got him over to third. As Stanton was leading off after a pitch, Russell Martin tried to throw behind him for the out. It was a bad move, as Martin's throw was horribly off line, sailing to the outfield allowing Stanton to score and go up 3-0.
Casey Blake tried to get things going with a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame. A groundout by James Loney got him to third. Martin already gave a run away earlier, but somewhat made up for it with an RBI single to cut the score to 3-1.
Ely just couldn't get any momentum, as he once again let the leadoff man reach. Ramirez singled to center, and Uggla hit his second infield single. A single by Ross loaded the bases, and the pressure was on. Wes Helms delivered a two-run single to make it 5-1.
Now on a short leash, Ely retired the next two hitters before giving up an RBI single to Robertson (yes, the opposing pitcher) to make the score 6-1. That was all she wrote, as Jeff Weaver came in for the final out.
The rest of the game featured the Dodgers slowly climbing their way back, only to fall just a bit short. They were handed a run in the third. Ronnie Belliard led off and walked. He soon went to third on a single by Ethier and groundout by Matt Kemp. An error by Ronny Paulino scored Belliard, and it was 6-2.
The next inning, the Dodgers again put a dent into the Marlins' lead. Reed Johnson singled with one down. Now with two outs, Rafael Furcal hit a two-run homer to continue his hot streak, and the Dodgers were back in business at 6-4.
Both teams put up blanks the next few innings, as the Marlins held on to a slim lead. But in the eighth, the Dodgers again scored. Ethier walked leading off on four pitches. Two outs later and with Ethier on second, Loney lined an RBI double to left, making it 6-5. Martin had a chance to at least tie the game, but grounded out to the pitcher.
Leo Nunez made sure there would be no heroics on this night, as he retired Garret Anderson, Xavier Paul, and Raffy in order for his 18th save.
I'm sure Ely is kicking himself for getting hit around so much, as this could have been a winnable game had he put in even a decent performance. It was good to see the Dodgers at least make a game of it, as they looked dead early on. The Marlins had to play a full game to earn this one.
The Dodgers held the Marlins scoreless from the fourth inning on all thanks to some great bullpen work. Weaver went 3 1/3 for no hits, no runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. That's exactly why he's there - to keep the game manageable in the middle innings. Ronald Belisario pitched three innings of one-hit ball. Awesome job by both.
Every position starter for the Dodgers got on base, except for Kemp who was 0-for-4. He hit cleanup, so that obviously hurt. Martin's error early in the game also hurt, mostly because it was a completely unnecessary throw. He was just trying to do too much. It cost them in the long run.
Vicente Padilla will look to get the Dodgers off to a much better start on Tuesday. He's pitched very well lately, and will be looking for his third win of the season.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Ethier and Broxton make the All-Star team
The Dodgers received some good news before Sunday's game in Arizona, as Andre Ethier was voted in as a starter and Jonathan Broxton was also picked for this year's All-Star game. It's Ethier's first appearance and the second consecutive one for Brox.
Ethier was the hottest hitter in all of baseball to start the season. Before getting hurt in mid-May, he was hitting .392 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, and was at or near the top of the Triple Crown categories. He's cooled down considerably since then, but has recently started to pick it up again. There's no doubt that the fans remembered his great start and rewarded him for that.
Broxton is currently 3-0 with 17 saves and a 2.02 ERA. He's somehow only tied for eighth in the NL for saves, but sports a much better ERA than many ahead of him. He didn't appear in last year's game, so one would think he'll be itching to get in the action this time around.
This year's game will be played in Anaheim, home of the wannabe Los Angeles team.
Ethier was the hottest hitter in all of baseball to start the season. Before getting hurt in mid-May, he was hitting .392 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, and was at or near the top of the Triple Crown categories. He's cooled down considerably since then, but has recently started to pick it up again. There's no doubt that the fans remembered his great start and rewarded him for that.
Broxton is currently 3-0 with 17 saves and a 2.02 ERA. He's somehow only tied for eighth in the NL for saves, but sports a much better ERA than many ahead of him. He didn't appear in last year's game, so one would think he'll be itching to get in the action this time around.
This year's game will be played in Anaheim, home of the wannabe Los Angeles team.
Kemp hammers game-winner in 8th
Matt Kemp looks to be locked in again. And that's a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Kemp nailed a huge two-run homer in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie against the Diamondbacks. A great start by Chad Billingsley and bullpen work by Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton made sure it held up in a 3-1 win.
Not surprisingly, the Padres won again, like they always do. Their lead over the Dodgers in the NL West is 3 1/2 games.
As I brought up the other day, Chad Billingsley and Dan Haren both have had sub-par seasons. But, they were also both plenty capable of putting forth good efforts. That was certainly the case today, as both pitched good enough to win.
The game stayed scoreless through three innings. In the fourth, the Diamondbacks struck first. Adam LaRoche doubled leading off. Mark Reynolds then took a fat pitch over the middle of the plate deep to center for a long RBI triple and 1-0 lead.
It took awhile, but the Dodgers finally got a run in the sixth. Sure enough, it was spark plug Rafael Furcal that got it going. He hit a double to lead off. Kemp struck out next for one down. Andre Ethier came through with an RBI single, though he was gunned out trying to stretch to second.
(Is it me, or have I seen way too much of that around baseball this season? Seems like way too many runners are trying to go to second on the throw home and getting nailed.)
With the score knotted at 1-1, the game became a battle of the bullpens. For anyone that has followed the Diamondbacks this season, that has been a huge weakness for them. Once again, it bit them in the behind today.
Kuo struck out the side in the seventh. Aaron Heilman came on to start the eighth, and it didn't work out. With one out, Raffy drew a walk to bring up Kemp. Continuing his recent surge, Kemp crushed a two-run shot to right for his 15th of the season and a 3-1 lead.
Kuo again struck out the side in the bottom of the frame, with Chris Young's double all for naught. Broxton finished the game off with a 1, 2, 3 ninth for his 17th save.
For Kemp, it was another step in the right direction in trying to put a horrible June behind him. He hit a mere .230 that month and generally spent most of his time striking out. But in his last five games, four of them have been multi-hit for nine hits total. He also has three homers and seven RBIs.
With Manny Ramirez on the DL, Kemp couldn't have picked a better time to find his groove at the plate again. Ethier, too, has been hitting much better of late, so things are definitely looking up for the offense.
Billingsley look really strong, going six innings for seven hits, one run, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He was able to get his fastball going early and often. You still never quite know what you're going to get when he takes the mound, but he's lowered his ERA by about a run over his last 10 starts.
The combination of Kuo and Broxton was light-out today. Three innings, one hit, no runs, and eight strikeouts. Wow. Broxton found out he'd be an all-star again today, so it was good to show people why.
The roadtrip was a success with a 5-1 record against the Giants and Diamondbacks. Now it's back home for seven games before the All-Star break. First up is three against the Marlins. John Ely will look for his third straight good start.
Kemp nailed a huge two-run homer in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie against the Diamondbacks. A great start by Chad Billingsley and bullpen work by Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton made sure it held up in a 3-1 win.
Not surprisingly, the Padres won again, like they always do. Their lead over the Dodgers in the NL West is 3 1/2 games.
As I brought up the other day, Chad Billingsley and Dan Haren both have had sub-par seasons. But, they were also both plenty capable of putting forth good efforts. That was certainly the case today, as both pitched good enough to win.
The game stayed scoreless through three innings. In the fourth, the Diamondbacks struck first. Adam LaRoche doubled leading off. Mark Reynolds then took a fat pitch over the middle of the plate deep to center for a long RBI triple and 1-0 lead.
It took awhile, but the Dodgers finally got a run in the sixth. Sure enough, it was spark plug Rafael Furcal that got it going. He hit a double to lead off. Kemp struck out next for one down. Andre Ethier came through with an RBI single, though he was gunned out trying to stretch to second.
(Is it me, or have I seen way too much of that around baseball this season? Seems like way too many runners are trying to go to second on the throw home and getting nailed.)
With the score knotted at 1-1, the game became a battle of the bullpens. For anyone that has followed the Diamondbacks this season, that has been a huge weakness for them. Once again, it bit them in the behind today.
Kuo struck out the side in the seventh. Aaron Heilman came on to start the eighth, and it didn't work out. With one out, Raffy drew a walk to bring up Kemp. Continuing his recent surge, Kemp crushed a two-run shot to right for his 15th of the season and a 3-1 lead.
Kuo again struck out the side in the bottom of the frame, with Chris Young's double all for naught. Broxton finished the game off with a 1, 2, 3 ninth for his 17th save.
For Kemp, it was another step in the right direction in trying to put a horrible June behind him. He hit a mere .230 that month and generally spent most of his time striking out. But in his last five games, four of them have been multi-hit for nine hits total. He also has three homers and seven RBIs.
With Manny Ramirez on the DL, Kemp couldn't have picked a better time to find his groove at the plate again. Ethier, too, has been hitting much better of late, so things are definitely looking up for the offense.
Billingsley look really strong, going six innings for seven hits, one run, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He was able to get his fastball going early and often. You still never quite know what you're going to get when he takes the mound, but he's lowered his ERA by about a run over his last 10 starts.
The combination of Kuo and Broxton was light-out today. Three innings, one hit, no runs, and eight strikeouts. Wow. Broxton found out he'd be an all-star again today, so it was good to show people why.
The roadtrip was a success with a 5-1 record against the Giants and Diamondbacks. Now it's back home for seven games before the All-Star break. First up is three against the Marlins. John Ely will look for his third straight good start.
Dodgers wallop the Iamondbacks
There was no "D" in Diamondbacks tonight.
The Iamondbacks committed six (yes, SIX) errors in completely handing the Dodgers a victory, 14-1. Tony Abreu had three of those errors, Rusty Ryal two, and Mark Reynolds the other.
I would say that the Iamondbacks played defense like little leaguers, but that would be an insult to little leaguers. They were that bad.
After a scoreless (and errorless) first, the Dodgers opened up a can in the second, with plenty of help. James Loney singled leading off, and Casey Blake reached on error #1. Xavier Paul walked to load the bases. Russell Martin struck out, but Blake DeWitt hit an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Abreu committed error #2 off of Clayton Kershaw's bat, allowing Blake to score. Rafael Furcal hit a two-run single for the 3-0 lead, then was gunned trying to stretch it to second. A two-run homer by Matt Kemp closed the scoring at 6-0.
You want more errors? Well, the Iamondbacks obliged in the third. With one down, Blake reached on Reynolds's error (aka error #3). Ryal then took care of error #4 off of Paul's bat, scoring Blake. For good measure, Abreu had error #5 on a grounder from Martin, though no runs scored.
In the fourth, Raffy and Andre Ethier hit solo home runs for the 9-0 lead. It was Raffy's fourth and Ethier's 13th.
One inning later, two more runs were scored. Paul and Martin both singled leading off. DeWitt scored one on a single for the 10-0 lead. Kershaw grounded into a double play for two down. Raffy then reached on, you guessed it, error #6 from Abreu, scoring Martin.
Just for fun, the Dodgers stretched the lead to a couple touchdowns in the sixth. Ethier and Loney singled, and Blake was beaned to load the bases with nobody down. A two-run single by Paul made it 13-0, and Martin's sac-fly RBI finished it at 14-0.
The lone run scored by the Iamondbacks in the ninth off of Jonathan Broxton. Appearing in his first game since bumbling away the lead against the Yankees last Sunday, Reynolds launched his 19th of the season. Broxton settled down to retire the next three.
Somewhat lost in all of this was Kershaw's good start. He lasted 5 2/3 innings for four hits, no runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He's now 8-4 with a 3.02 ERA. He's made a pretty strong case for the All-Star team, but we shall see if that will happen.
Travis Schlichting was recalled today and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. In fact, he hasn't given up a run in 10 innings. Who knows how long he'll be up, but those are numbers that can't be denied.
The offense featured six players with multiple hits, led by Loney with three. Paul went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Have I mentioned before how much more he gives to the team than Garret Anderson? Well, he proved it again.
The funniest stat of the night? Blake went 0-for-3... with three runs scored! I'm guessing you won't see a line like that again anytime soon.
Needless to say, it was an absolutely pathetic effort from Kirk Gibson's boys. The Iamondbacks made themselves look as incompetent as they can possibly be. There's just no excuse for a major league team to perform this poorly. One night after doing everything right, I can only imagine how PO'd Gibson has to be about this one.
Each team has exchanged blowout wins, so maybe Sunday's game will be close. It'll be Chad Billingsley battling Dan Haren. This was once a good matchup, but both pitchers aren't the same this year. But, they're still both capable of putting up blanks.
The Iamondbacks committed six (yes, SIX) errors in completely handing the Dodgers a victory, 14-1. Tony Abreu had three of those errors, Rusty Ryal two, and Mark Reynolds the other.
I would say that the Iamondbacks played defense like little leaguers, but that would be an insult to little leaguers. They were that bad.
After a scoreless (and errorless) first, the Dodgers opened up a can in the second, with plenty of help. James Loney singled leading off, and Casey Blake reached on error #1. Xavier Paul walked to load the bases. Russell Martin struck out, but Blake DeWitt hit an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Abreu committed error #2 off of Clayton Kershaw's bat, allowing Blake to score. Rafael Furcal hit a two-run single for the 3-0 lead, then was gunned trying to stretch it to second. A two-run homer by Matt Kemp closed the scoring at 6-0.
You want more errors? Well, the Iamondbacks obliged in the third. With one down, Blake reached on Reynolds's error (aka error #3). Ryal then took care of error #4 off of Paul's bat, scoring Blake. For good measure, Abreu had error #5 on a grounder from Martin, though no runs scored.
In the fourth, Raffy and Andre Ethier hit solo home runs for the 9-0 lead. It was Raffy's fourth and Ethier's 13th.
One inning later, two more runs were scored. Paul and Martin both singled leading off. DeWitt scored one on a single for the 10-0 lead. Kershaw grounded into a double play for two down. Raffy then reached on, you guessed it, error #6 from Abreu, scoring Martin.
Just for fun, the Dodgers stretched the lead to a couple touchdowns in the sixth. Ethier and Loney singled, and Blake was beaned to load the bases with nobody down. A two-run single by Paul made it 13-0, and Martin's sac-fly RBI finished it at 14-0.
The lone run scored by the Iamondbacks in the ninth off of Jonathan Broxton. Appearing in his first game since bumbling away the lead against the Yankees last Sunday, Reynolds launched his 19th of the season. Broxton settled down to retire the next three.
Somewhat lost in all of this was Kershaw's good start. He lasted 5 2/3 innings for four hits, no runs, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He's now 8-4 with a 3.02 ERA. He's made a pretty strong case for the All-Star team, but we shall see if that will happen.
Travis Schlichting was recalled today and pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. In fact, he hasn't given up a run in 10 innings. Who knows how long he'll be up, but those are numbers that can't be denied.
The offense featured six players with multiple hits, led by Loney with three. Paul went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Have I mentioned before how much more he gives to the team than Garret Anderson? Well, he proved it again.
The funniest stat of the night? Blake went 0-for-3... with three runs scored! I'm guessing you won't see a line like that again anytime soon.
Needless to say, it was an absolutely pathetic effort from Kirk Gibson's boys. The Iamondbacks made themselves look as incompetent as they can possibly be. There's just no excuse for a major league team to perform this poorly. One night after doing everything right, I can only imagine how PO'd Gibson has to be about this one.
Each team has exchanged blowout wins, so maybe Sunday's game will be close. It'll be Chad Billingsley battling Dan Haren. This was once a good matchup, but both pitchers aren't the same this year. But, they're still both capable of putting up blanks.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Hamstring woes will force Manny to DL
All signs are indicating that Manny Ramirez will indeed be placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring. He hasn't played since being removed from Tuesday's game.
Once again, Xavier Paul looks to be the likely replacement. He was playing in Friday night's Triple-A game for Albuquerque when he was taken out. He's hitting a blistering .348 there.
Manny was hitting a red-hot .366 in June with four homers and 14 RBIs. Obviously, his injury hurts the offense. He looked like he was finally starting to settle in and become a major threat again after a dismal May.
But there could be a silver lining to all of this. If Paul can take advantage of his playing time and show the energy that he has in the past, maybe he'll stay in L.A. for good. More importantly, maybe Garret Anderson won't. Anderson continues to do nothing with a .183 average.
At least I can hope.
Once again, Xavier Paul looks to be the likely replacement. He was playing in Friday night's Triple-A game for Albuquerque when he was taken out. He's hitting a blistering .348 there.
Manny was hitting a red-hot .366 in June with four homers and 14 RBIs. Obviously, his injury hurts the offense. He looked like he was finally starting to settle in and become a major threat again after a dismal May.
But there could be a silver lining to all of this. If Paul can take advantage of his playing time and show the energy that he has in the past, maybe he'll stay in L.A. for good. More importantly, maybe Garret Anderson won't. Anderson continues to do nothing with a .183 average.
At least I can hope.
No love for Kuroda at Chase Field
It's safe to say Hiroki Kuroda would like to run away from Chase Field as fast he can.
Already with the memory of getting beaned in the head last August, Kuroda was awful on Friday night, getting shelled for six runs in only 1 2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks cruised to an easy win, 12-5.
Kuroda was done in by some lousy pitches left up in the zone. The Diamondbacks were playing their first game since A.J. Hinch was fired as manager (and replaced by old friend Kirk Gibson), so they came out with something to prove. I'd say they did just that.
Chris Young was back in the leadoff spot and singled to start the game, then stole second. An RBI single by Kelly Johnson made it 1-0. Johnson stole second, Justin Upton walked, but was soon picked off of first. Mark Reynolds hit an RBI single and Tony Abreu (another old friend, though he sucked in L.A.) an RBI double to go up 3-0.
It was still early, and the Dodgers kept it close for a little bit. In the second, James Loney singled to start, part of his three-hit night. Casey Blake walked, but Garret Anderson hit into a double play. Shocking, I know. Still, Russell Martin walked, and Blake DeWitt scorched a two-run double to go down 3-2.
Not wasting any time, the Diamondbacks came right back. The first run was when Martin threw a ball into center trying to nail a base stealer. Miguel Montero hit an RBI double and Reynolds another RBI single for a 6-2 lead.
Loney kept the game honest in the third with an RBI single for a 6-3 score. But in the bottom of the frame, the Diamondbacks put this one away for good. Consecutive singles by Abreu and Gerardo Parra started the inning, and Young scored them both with a double. Montero soon added a sac-fly RBI for the 9-3 advantage.
Loney and DeWitt both added RBIs to round out the scoring for the Dodgers. If the Dodgers were hoping for a late charge, that was eliminated when Young launched a three-run homer off of Justin Miller in the seventh.
This game clearly belonged to the Diamondbacks from the very first pitch. It was just their night. They've played poorly all season, and have gone through another manager being fired. If they can play with the passion that made Gibson so good, they can be a solid team the rest of the year. But they'll need to prove they can do it more than just one night.
As for Kuroda, who knows how much playing in Arizona affected him. After all, he did pick up a win there back in May. I suppose he has visions of that horrific scene anytime he goes to the mound, but probably more so in Arizona. Who can blame him?
Ramon Troncoso was the only one who pitched well, going two scoreless innings. Jeff Weaver gave up three runs in 1 1/3, and Miller three in three. It wasn't pretty to watch.
The offense did well, but Anderson and Matt Kemp didn't. Anderson was 1-for-4 and hit into a double play. Please start Reed Johnson over him this weekend, Mr. Torre! Kemp hit in the #2 spot and was 0-for-4 with a run and walk. He's now down to a .264 average.
Clayton Kershaw was robbed of a win last Sunday against the Yankees (you know how... don't get me going). If anyone can quiet a team that just scored in double figures, it's Kershaw.
Already with the memory of getting beaned in the head last August, Kuroda was awful on Friday night, getting shelled for six runs in only 1 2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks cruised to an easy win, 12-5.
Kuroda was done in by some lousy pitches left up in the zone. The Diamondbacks were playing their first game since A.J. Hinch was fired as manager (and replaced by old friend Kirk Gibson), so they came out with something to prove. I'd say they did just that.
Chris Young was back in the leadoff spot and singled to start the game, then stole second. An RBI single by Kelly Johnson made it 1-0. Johnson stole second, Justin Upton walked, but was soon picked off of first. Mark Reynolds hit an RBI single and Tony Abreu (another old friend, though he sucked in L.A.) an RBI double to go up 3-0.
It was still early, and the Dodgers kept it close for a little bit. In the second, James Loney singled to start, part of his three-hit night. Casey Blake walked, but Garret Anderson hit into a double play. Shocking, I know. Still, Russell Martin walked, and Blake DeWitt scorched a two-run double to go down 3-2.
Not wasting any time, the Diamondbacks came right back. The first run was when Martin threw a ball into center trying to nail a base stealer. Miguel Montero hit an RBI double and Reynolds another RBI single for a 6-2 lead.
Loney kept the game honest in the third with an RBI single for a 6-3 score. But in the bottom of the frame, the Diamondbacks put this one away for good. Consecutive singles by Abreu and Gerardo Parra started the inning, and Young scored them both with a double. Montero soon added a sac-fly RBI for the 9-3 advantage.
Loney and DeWitt both added RBIs to round out the scoring for the Dodgers. If the Dodgers were hoping for a late charge, that was eliminated when Young launched a three-run homer off of Justin Miller in the seventh.
This game clearly belonged to the Diamondbacks from the very first pitch. It was just their night. They've played poorly all season, and have gone through another manager being fired. If they can play with the passion that made Gibson so good, they can be a solid team the rest of the year. But they'll need to prove they can do it more than just one night.
As for Kuroda, who knows how much playing in Arizona affected him. After all, he did pick up a win there back in May. I suppose he has visions of that horrific scene anytime he goes to the mound, but probably more so in Arizona. Who can blame him?
Ramon Troncoso was the only one who pitched well, going two scoreless innings. Jeff Weaver gave up three runs in 1 1/3, and Miller three in three. It wasn't pretty to watch.
The offense did well, but Anderson and Matt Kemp didn't. Anderson was 1-for-4 and hit into a double play. Please start Reed Johnson over him this weekend, Mr. Torre! Kemp hit in the #2 spot and was 0-for-4 with a run and walk. He's now down to a .264 average.
Clayton Kershaw was robbed of a win last Sunday against the Yankees (you know how... don't get me going). If anyone can quiet a team that just scored in double figures, it's Kershaw.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Dodgers sweep the Giants behind red-hot Raffy
The Dodgers put together a complete team effort on Wednesday afternoon as they defeated the Giants, 8-2. The win gave the Dodgers a three-game sweep, and some much-needed confidence after the Yankee series.
Vicente Padilla made his third start since returning from the DL, and he was sensational. He lasted seven innings for three hits, one run, one walk, and five strikeouts. It was a milestone victory for him, the 100th of his career.
The scoring started in the third. Jamey Carroll walked leading off. Rafael Furcal got his first hit of the day with a single for two on. Matt Kemp got his first start since Saturday and hit an RBI single to score Carroll. Also scoring on the play was Raffy on Pat Burrell's error, making it 2-0.
With the Giants unable to get much of anything going on offense, the Dodgers flexed their muscle in the the fifth. Once again, it was Carroll starting it all off with a double. Raffy then crushed a two-run shot to deep left, his third of the season.
Kemp got in on the act as well, launching a solo shot to left to put the Dodgers up 5-0. It was Kemp's 13th of the year. It was nice to see him do something other than strikeout for a change. Maybe this will jumpstart him.
Padilla gave up his lone run of the day on an Aaron Rowand homer leading off the sixth. Despite the lopsided score, it was probably some sweet revenge for Rowand considering he was beaned in the face by Padilla the last time they met.
Three more runs were tacked on in the eighth to emphatically put this one away. Who started it? That's right, Mr. Jamey Carroll with a double. He went to third on a wild pitch, then came around to score when Padilla's third strike swinging got by Eli Whiteside. It was that kind of a day, and series for that matter, for the Giants.
With the bases loaded on a single by Raffy and walk to Russell Martin, Kemp continued his good day with an RBI single. An RBI groundout by Ronnie Belliard pushed it to 8-1.
Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth. Joe Torre wanted to rest Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton again, so good old George Sherrill was summoned to start the ninth. How did he do?
Come on now, did you even need to ask?! Terrible is the answer. He got Aubrey Huff grounding out, then gave up consecutive singles to Burrell and Pablo Sandoval. That was it for him, as Justin Miller soon got the last out of the game.
Not only did Sherrill once again prove he has no business being on the team (6.98 ERA, 2.17 WHIP), but Garret Anderson went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts... on his birthday! I can only hope that it won't be too much longer before they're both shown the door because they offer nothing to help the team. That's the sad reality for them now.
Even with their poor performances, today was a huge positive. Sweeping the Giants is always a sweet deal. Raffy was a big reason why, as he collected nine hits in three games. He's proving all over again why he's one of the most electric leadoff men in baseball. Boy is he fun to watch.
As for Kemp, he has been waiting to have a day like this for quite awhile now. He got on base four of his five at-bats, and was a big reason why the Dodgers stretched the lead in the middle innings. We all know how good he can be, and days like today are a step in that direction again. Combine his offense today with his defense yesterday, and that's the Kemp from last year we've been waiting to see.
The Dodgers will take these positive vibes into Arizona for three after an off day Thursday. Hiroki Kuroda will go on Friday against Edwin Jackson. Jackson, as you all should know, is coming off a no-hitter last Friday. Then again, he walked everybody and their mother, but I guess that didn't matter.
Vicente Padilla made his third start since returning from the DL, and he was sensational. He lasted seven innings for three hits, one run, one walk, and five strikeouts. It was a milestone victory for him, the 100th of his career.
The scoring started in the third. Jamey Carroll walked leading off. Rafael Furcal got his first hit of the day with a single for two on. Matt Kemp got his first start since Saturday and hit an RBI single to score Carroll. Also scoring on the play was Raffy on Pat Burrell's error, making it 2-0.
With the Giants unable to get much of anything going on offense, the Dodgers flexed their muscle in the the fifth. Once again, it was Carroll starting it all off with a double. Raffy then crushed a two-run shot to deep left, his third of the season.
Kemp got in on the act as well, launching a solo shot to left to put the Dodgers up 5-0. It was Kemp's 13th of the year. It was nice to see him do something other than strikeout for a change. Maybe this will jumpstart him.
Padilla gave up his lone run of the day on an Aaron Rowand homer leading off the sixth. Despite the lopsided score, it was probably some sweet revenge for Rowand considering he was beaned in the face by Padilla the last time they met.
Three more runs were tacked on in the eighth to emphatically put this one away. Who started it? That's right, Mr. Jamey Carroll with a double. He went to third on a wild pitch, then came around to score when Padilla's third strike swinging got by Eli Whiteside. It was that kind of a day, and series for that matter, for the Giants.
With the bases loaded on a single by Raffy and walk to Russell Martin, Kemp continued his good day with an RBI single. An RBI groundout by Ronnie Belliard pushed it to 8-1.
Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth. Joe Torre wanted to rest Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton again, so good old George Sherrill was summoned to start the ninth. How did he do?
Come on now, did you even need to ask?! Terrible is the answer. He got Aubrey Huff grounding out, then gave up consecutive singles to Burrell and Pablo Sandoval. That was it for him, as Justin Miller soon got the last out of the game.
Not only did Sherrill once again prove he has no business being on the team (6.98 ERA, 2.17 WHIP), but Garret Anderson went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts... on his birthday! I can only hope that it won't be too much longer before they're both shown the door because they offer nothing to help the team. That's the sad reality for them now.
Even with their poor performances, today was a huge positive. Sweeping the Giants is always a sweet deal. Raffy was a big reason why, as he collected nine hits in three games. He's proving all over again why he's one of the most electric leadoff men in baseball. Boy is he fun to watch.
As for Kemp, he has been waiting to have a day like this for quite awhile now. He got on base four of his five at-bats, and was a big reason why the Dodgers stretched the lead in the middle innings. We all know how good he can be, and days like today are a step in that direction again. Combine his offense today with his defense yesterday, and that's the Kemp from last year we've been waiting to see.
The Dodgers will take these positive vibes into Arizona for three after an off day Thursday. Hiroki Kuroda will go on Friday against Edwin Jackson. Jackson, as you all should know, is coming off a no-hitter last Friday. Then again, he walked everybody and their mother, but I guess that didn't matter.
Dodgers still own Matt Cain
Matt Cain came into tonight's game with 50 career wins in six seasons and a 3.44 ERA. He's easily one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, and a guy that Giants have built around.
But for whatever reason, he just cannot beat the Dodgers.
That continued on Tuesday, as the Dodgers scored three runs with two outs in the fifth to break a tie, and they went on to win, 4-2. That's two straight over the Giants, and combined with two straight losses by the Padres, the Dodgers are three games back in the NL West.
With the loss, Cain is now 0-8 in his career against the Dodgers. I can't even explain how that's possible, it's just one of those weird things. But hey, I'll gladly take it.
The game wasn't without some bad news, though. Manny Ramirez tweaked his hamstring sliding back into second base in the first inning. He's currently listed as day-to-day.
Both teams traded runs in the first. With two outs, Andre Ethier drew a walk. Manny hit a single that put Ethier on third. An RBI single by James Loney made it 1-0. With Matt Kemp being inserted into the game to run for Manny, Casey Blake walked to load the bases. Blake DeWitt couldn't do anything with it, though, as he fouled out to third.
Andres Torres started things off for the Giants with a double. Pablo Sandoval's flyout got Torres over to third. Aubrey Huff hit a sac-fly RBI to tie the game at 1-1.
For the next few innings, both John Ely and Cain put up blanks. Ely got some help in the third with a double play ball from Sandoval, which just killed the Giants the game before.
In the fifth, the Dodgers took the lead for good. Not surprisingly, it all started with Raffy. He singled leading off, and went to second on Russell Martin's single. Ethier and Kemp both couldn't get on, so it was up to Loney. Martin helped himself with a steal, and Loney came through in a big way with a two-run single to make it 3-1. Blake's RBI single pushed the lead to 4-1.
Once again, the Giants' own boneheaded baserunning killed a potential rally in the sixth. Sandoval reached on an error by Loney, though Ely was just as much at fault for not touching the base when covering first. Huff then flew out to center for one down.
Next up was Pat Burrell, who singled to right. Sandoval, however, overran second, and was gunned out from behind by Ethier. Juan Uribe grounded into a forceout to end the inning. Basically, it was another horrendous decision on the bases that cost his team dearly.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Ethier and Kemp both singled, and Blake drew the intentional pass. Ronnie Belliard pinch-hit for DeWitt and struck out. Reed Johnson also fanned to squash any chance of adding more runs.
After Bengie Molina walked to start the bottom of the seventh. Renteria promptly... you guessed it, grounded into a double play. Aaron Rowand grounded out to end that inning.
Ely exited after seven great innings, and Ramon Troncoso worked around one single to close the door in the eighth.
With Jonathan Broxton (thankfully) getting another day off, whom would Joe Torre turn to as the temporary closer for the night? If you guessed Justin Miller, you're either cheating or are lucky.
It didn't start off so well for Miller, as Burrell homered leading off. Uribe and Travis Ishikawa were then retired for two down, but Renteria singled to keep hope alive.
Ronald Belisario then made an appearance, as he got Buster Posey lining out to end the game. It was Belisario's first career save in 103 games.
Ely was awesome, as he's rebounded very well from a rough stretch not too long ago. He went seven innings for five hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts. He got plenty of help from his defense, which turned two double plays and got the big outfield assist from Ethier in the sixth.
Quietly, Loney continues to put up some great numbers. It seems like he does this every year, but doesn't get the proper credit. He had the big two-run single in the fifth, and is now up to 54 RBIs, tops on the team. He won't power the ball out of the park, but finds ways to produce with hard-hitting liners.
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think the Dodgers would win the first two games, especially by close 4-2 scores. They looked mentally done late in the game against the Yankees on Sunday. It turns out that playing on the road the very next day was the best thing that could have happened. Give credit where it's due - they've stepped up and played great.
Vicente Padilla will look for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon. He pitched very well against the Yankees last Friday. He'll be opposed by Jonathan Sanchez, who has great numbers at home. It should be a good one.
But for whatever reason, he just cannot beat the Dodgers.
That continued on Tuesday, as the Dodgers scored three runs with two outs in the fifth to break a tie, and they went on to win, 4-2. That's two straight over the Giants, and combined with two straight losses by the Padres, the Dodgers are three games back in the NL West.
With the loss, Cain is now 0-8 in his career against the Dodgers. I can't even explain how that's possible, it's just one of those weird things. But hey, I'll gladly take it.
The game wasn't without some bad news, though. Manny Ramirez tweaked his hamstring sliding back into second base in the first inning. He's currently listed as day-to-day.
Both teams traded runs in the first. With two outs, Andre Ethier drew a walk. Manny hit a single that put Ethier on third. An RBI single by James Loney made it 1-0. With Matt Kemp being inserted into the game to run for Manny, Casey Blake walked to load the bases. Blake DeWitt couldn't do anything with it, though, as he fouled out to third.
Andres Torres started things off for the Giants with a double. Pablo Sandoval's flyout got Torres over to third. Aubrey Huff hit a sac-fly RBI to tie the game at 1-1.
For the next few innings, both John Ely and Cain put up blanks. Ely got some help in the third with a double play ball from Sandoval, which just killed the Giants the game before.
In the fifth, the Dodgers took the lead for good. Not surprisingly, it all started with Raffy. He singled leading off, and went to second on Russell Martin's single. Ethier and Kemp both couldn't get on, so it was up to Loney. Martin helped himself with a steal, and Loney came through in a big way with a two-run single to make it 3-1. Blake's RBI single pushed the lead to 4-1.
Once again, the Giants' own boneheaded baserunning killed a potential rally in the sixth. Sandoval reached on an error by Loney, though Ely was just as much at fault for not touching the base when covering first. Huff then flew out to center for one down.
Next up was Pat Burrell, who singled to right. Sandoval, however, overran second, and was gunned out from behind by Ethier. Juan Uribe grounded into a forceout to end the inning. Basically, it was another horrendous decision on the bases that cost his team dearly.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the seventh. Ethier and Kemp both singled, and Blake drew the intentional pass. Ronnie Belliard pinch-hit for DeWitt and struck out. Reed Johnson also fanned to squash any chance of adding more runs.
After Bengie Molina walked to start the bottom of the seventh. Renteria promptly... you guessed it, grounded into a double play. Aaron Rowand grounded out to end that inning.
Ely exited after seven great innings, and Ramon Troncoso worked around one single to close the door in the eighth.
With Jonathan Broxton (thankfully) getting another day off, whom would Joe Torre turn to as the temporary closer for the night? If you guessed Justin Miller, you're either cheating or are lucky.
It didn't start off so well for Miller, as Burrell homered leading off. Uribe and Travis Ishikawa were then retired for two down, but Renteria singled to keep hope alive.
Ronald Belisario then made an appearance, as he got Buster Posey lining out to end the game. It was Belisario's first career save in 103 games.
Ely was awesome, as he's rebounded very well from a rough stretch not too long ago. He went seven innings for five hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts. He got plenty of help from his defense, which turned two double plays and got the big outfield assist from Ethier in the sixth.
Quietly, Loney continues to put up some great numbers. It seems like he does this every year, but doesn't get the proper credit. He had the big two-run single in the fifth, and is now up to 54 RBIs, tops on the team. He won't power the ball out of the park, but finds ways to produce with hard-hitting liners.
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think the Dodgers would win the first two games, especially by close 4-2 scores. They looked mentally done late in the game against the Yankees on Sunday. It turns out that playing on the road the very next day was the best thing that could have happened. Give credit where it's due - they've stepped up and played great.
Vicente Padilla will look for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon. He pitched very well against the Yankees last Friday. He'll be opposed by Jonathan Sanchez, who has great numbers at home. It should be a good one.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Blake provides the power
Casey Blake is on the Dodgers for veteran leadership and solid defense at third. He also tosses in the occasional homer.
Blake's two-run homer in the eighth gave the Dodgers the lift they needed, as they went on to defeat the Giants, 4-2. It was a much-needed win for a team looking to rebound from Sunday night's debacle against the Yankees.
Chad Billingsley was making his return from the 15-day DL to make the start. His job was to pitch deep into the game while trying to erase the bad memories from the night before.
It didn't start off so well, as the Giants struck in the first. Andres Torres walked to lead off and stole second as Freddy Sanchez struck out. An RBI single by Aubrey Huff later, and it was 1-0 Giants.
The offense for the Dodgers got going in the third. With one out, Rafael Furcal doubled. Reed Johnson hit a single for runners on the corners. Andre Ethier lifted a sac-fly RBI to center to tie the game at 1-1. Manny Ramirez then just found some room in center for an RBI double and a 2-1 lead.
That score would hold up until the sixth. Travis Ishikawa pinch-hit for Barry Zito and hit a double with one down. Torres flew out for two down, so it was up Sanchez. He came through, as his RBI single knotted the game at 2-2.
At this point, it would have been easy for the Dodgers to roll over and play dead after all they went through on Sunday. To their credit, they didn't let that happen. They came into this game with a dominating 18-5 record against the NL West, and they made sure to play like that.
With Santiago Casilla and his 0.73 ERA on in the eighth, the Dodgers had their work cut out for them. Manny singled hard to right with one out. Ronnie Belliard grounded into a fielder's choice to force Manny at second. With two strikes on him, Blake then hit a two-run shot to left that would prove to be the difference. It was great clutch hitting.
Ronald Belisario pitched a scoreless eighth, thanks in large part to a double play ball from Torres. In fact, the Giants hit into an amazing FIVE DP's on the night. I'm not expert, but that's pretty shocking. Or pretty lousy hitting, if that's the way you look at it.
Fast forward to the ninth, and Joe Torre brought in Hong-Chih Kuo to get the save. It wasn't easy, as Juan Uribe walked with one down. Aaron Rowand then singled for two on. Here's something that I didn't think I'd say at the start of the season: Buster Posey pinch-hit for Pablo Sandoval. It didn't work, as Posey went out of the strike zone to strike out on a full count.
Edgar Renteria flied out lazily to right to end the game. It was Kuo's second save of the season.
The best part of this game was not seeing Jonathan Broxton in there. I'm sorry, I just can't easily forgot how terrible he was the night before. That one may take awhile to get over. Even if Kuo blew the save, I was so happy to see him get the chance and not Mr. Scared of the Spotlight. Thank you, Mr. Torre!
As for the Giants, they'll be kicking themselves for being so awful with men on base. The worst sequence came in the seventh. Pat Burrell and Sandoval singled to open the inning. Renteria then flied out to Ethier, who then fired home. Burrell stayed at third, but then Sandoval, for reasons only known to him, tried tagging to second. The ball was cut off, and Raffy easily tagged him out as Burrell went nowhere. Bengie Molina grounded out next, and the Giants completely ran themselves out of a scoring opportunity.
Billingsley put forth a great effort, as he finished with six innings for five hits, two runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. He didn't factor into the decision, but deserved a win. It was nice to see both he and Vicente Padilla pitch so well in coming back from injuries. It's a good sign going forward.
Perhaps most surprising was Matt Kemp sitting for a second straight game. Torre is obviously sending a message: if you're not producing, you're not playing. I like it. Kemp looks so completely lost right now, it's hard to watch. Maybe sitting him and clearing his head will work out for the best. I sure hope so.
Young John Ely will get the ball on Tuesday. He pitched very well against the Angels last start after doing zip in the previous three. He'll go against the powerful Matt Cain.
Blake's two-run homer in the eighth gave the Dodgers the lift they needed, as they went on to defeat the Giants, 4-2. It was a much-needed win for a team looking to rebound from Sunday night's debacle against the Yankees.
Chad Billingsley was making his return from the 15-day DL to make the start. His job was to pitch deep into the game while trying to erase the bad memories from the night before.
It didn't start off so well, as the Giants struck in the first. Andres Torres walked to lead off and stole second as Freddy Sanchez struck out. An RBI single by Aubrey Huff later, and it was 1-0 Giants.
The offense for the Dodgers got going in the third. With one out, Rafael Furcal doubled. Reed Johnson hit a single for runners on the corners. Andre Ethier lifted a sac-fly RBI to center to tie the game at 1-1. Manny Ramirez then just found some room in center for an RBI double and a 2-1 lead.
That score would hold up until the sixth. Travis Ishikawa pinch-hit for Barry Zito and hit a double with one down. Torres flew out for two down, so it was up Sanchez. He came through, as his RBI single knotted the game at 2-2.
At this point, it would have been easy for the Dodgers to roll over and play dead after all they went through on Sunday. To their credit, they didn't let that happen. They came into this game with a dominating 18-5 record against the NL West, and they made sure to play like that.
With Santiago Casilla and his 0.73 ERA on in the eighth, the Dodgers had their work cut out for them. Manny singled hard to right with one out. Ronnie Belliard grounded into a fielder's choice to force Manny at second. With two strikes on him, Blake then hit a two-run shot to left that would prove to be the difference. It was great clutch hitting.
Ronald Belisario pitched a scoreless eighth, thanks in large part to a double play ball from Torres. In fact, the Giants hit into an amazing FIVE DP's on the night. I'm not expert, but that's pretty shocking. Or pretty lousy hitting, if that's the way you look at it.
Fast forward to the ninth, and Joe Torre brought in Hong-Chih Kuo to get the save. It wasn't easy, as Juan Uribe walked with one down. Aaron Rowand then singled for two on. Here's something that I didn't think I'd say at the start of the season: Buster Posey pinch-hit for Pablo Sandoval. It didn't work, as Posey went out of the strike zone to strike out on a full count.
Edgar Renteria flied out lazily to right to end the game. It was Kuo's second save of the season.
The best part of this game was not seeing Jonathan Broxton in there. I'm sorry, I just can't easily forgot how terrible he was the night before. That one may take awhile to get over. Even if Kuo blew the save, I was so happy to see him get the chance and not Mr. Scared of the Spotlight. Thank you, Mr. Torre!
As for the Giants, they'll be kicking themselves for being so awful with men on base. The worst sequence came in the seventh. Pat Burrell and Sandoval singled to open the inning. Renteria then flied out to Ethier, who then fired home. Burrell stayed at third, but then Sandoval, for reasons only known to him, tried tagging to second. The ball was cut off, and Raffy easily tagged him out as Burrell went nowhere. Bengie Molina grounded out next, and the Giants completely ran themselves out of a scoring opportunity.
Billingsley put forth a great effort, as he finished with six innings for five hits, two runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. He didn't factor into the decision, but deserved a win. It was nice to see both he and Vicente Padilla pitch so well in coming back from injuries. It's a good sign going forward.
Perhaps most surprising was Matt Kemp sitting for a second straight game. Torre is obviously sending a message: if you're not producing, you're not playing. I like it. Kemp looks so completely lost right now, it's hard to watch. Maybe sitting him and clearing his head will work out for the best. I sure hope so.
Young John Ely will get the ball on Tuesday. He pitched very well against the Angels last start after doing zip in the previous three. He'll go against the powerful Matt Cain.
Monday, June 28, 2010
An excruciating loss for the Dodgers
It may take a long time for the Dodgers to get over this one.
With everything going their way through eight innings on Sunday, Jonathan Broxton couldn't hold the lead, as the Yankees tied it up and went on to win in 10 innings, 8-6. The loss erased a great start from Clayton Kershaw, who was dazzling for seven innings.
One day after putting together a great effort in winning 9-4, the Dodgers scored the first five runs of the game. They had every reason to believe they would take two of three from the Yankees. Instead, they fell to 4-11 in interleague play, which mercifully ended today.
The Yankees' own blunders handed the Dodgers a couple of runs in the third. Reed Johnson started in place of the slumping Matt Kemp and doubled leading off. Kershaw laid down a bunt that went to Andy Pettitte, who then fired wide of third to let Johnson score.
Ronnie Belliard then bunted as well, and Pettitte's throw was low to first, sailing away to allow Kershaw to score for a 2-0 lead. A sac-fly RBI from Andre Ethier made it 3-0.
The next inning brought more runs for the Dodgers. Again, it was Johnson doubling to start. Kershaw again sacrificed him over to third, and Rafael Furcal hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 4-0. A solo shot by Belliard increased it to 5-0, and the Dodgers were in firm control.
Kershaw's only blemish of the night was in the sixth. Derek Jeter led off and singled. Following a couple of outs, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-2. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but that hit would sure pay off later.
The Dodgers picked up an insurance run (at least at the time) in the eighth. Jamey Carroll pinch-hit and singled, then stole second. A double from Raffy made it 6-2.
At this point, Joe Torre had the option of bringing in Ramon Troncoso or Jonathan Broxton in a non-save situation. He chose to go with Broxton. It didn't work.
No matter how you slice it, Broxton was just flat-out atrocious in melting down once again in a big game situation. He actually struck out Mark Teixeira pretty easily to lead off. Then it all went downhill. Hard.
A-Rod singled, went to second on fielder's indifference, and scored on Robinson Cano's double. Following a single by Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases. Chad Huffman, who had all of one hit in eight career at-bats coming into this game, hit a two-run single to make it 6-5.
Next up was some guy named Colin Curtis. He had two hits in four career at-bats. Once again, the inexperience made no difference. But, it's not like home plate umpire Chris Guccione gave Broxton any help. With two strikes, there's no better way to describe the next pitch other than saying it was right down the middle and called a ball.
Curtis then grounded one to Loney at first. With Granderson streaking towards home, Loney must have had a temporary brain freeze by stepping on first for the out then trying to get the out at home. The throw was easily late, and the game was tied at 6-6.
Mariano Rivera got the Dodgers in order in the ninth. Teixeira singled off of Troncoso to start the 10th. Rodriguez forced him out at second for one out. In came George Sherrill to face Cano.
Do I even have to tell you if Sherrill got the big out? Well, I will anyway... he didn't. Cano launched a two-run shot that proved to be the game winner. Carroll grounded out to end the game.
The Dodgers have played like crap lately, but this has to be their worst loss this year. They had all the opportunities in the world to take two of three at home, and just choked it away. It was pathetic.
The Dodgers also have to be worried about Broxton. I don't care what his numbers say or how fast he throws. He just cannot close the door in big games. Twice in two years against the Phillies, and tonight against the Yankees. He throws hard stuff, but batters can foul them away because there's no movement. They just wait for him to make a mistake and pounce on it. And that's why he can't beat great teams.
Maybe people might think I'm overreacting to one bad outing, but if Broxton can't even hold a 6-2 lead against the bottom part of the order, that's just sad. He needs to shut the door in those situations, period. Not only does it take away a big win for a team desperately needing one, but it robs Kershaw of the win and recognition he deserves.
As for Sherrill, I think it may be time to pull the plug on him. He's proven that for whatever reason, he can't get hitters out anymore. He has a 6.75 ERA for crying out loud. With a perfect chance to keep the game tied, he gave up a monster homer. Inexcusable on his part.
I'm not sure how the Dodgers regroup from this, but they'll have to and fast. Next up is three games in San Francisco. The Giants are now in second place in the NL West. If there's any reason for optimism, it's that the Dodgers are 18-5 against the West. At this point, they'd rather see anyone other than the American League.
With everything going their way through eight innings on Sunday, Jonathan Broxton couldn't hold the lead, as the Yankees tied it up and went on to win in 10 innings, 8-6. The loss erased a great start from Clayton Kershaw, who was dazzling for seven innings.
One day after putting together a great effort in winning 9-4, the Dodgers scored the first five runs of the game. They had every reason to believe they would take two of three from the Yankees. Instead, they fell to 4-11 in interleague play, which mercifully ended today.
The Yankees' own blunders handed the Dodgers a couple of runs in the third. Reed Johnson started in place of the slumping Matt Kemp and doubled leading off. Kershaw laid down a bunt that went to Andy Pettitte, who then fired wide of third to let Johnson score.
Ronnie Belliard then bunted as well, and Pettitte's throw was low to first, sailing away to allow Kershaw to score for a 2-0 lead. A sac-fly RBI from Andre Ethier made it 3-0.
The next inning brought more runs for the Dodgers. Again, it was Johnson doubling to start. Kershaw again sacrificed him over to third, and Rafael Furcal hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 4-0. A solo shot by Belliard increased it to 5-0, and the Dodgers were in firm control.
Kershaw's only blemish of the night was in the sixth. Derek Jeter led off and singled. Following a couple of outs, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-2. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but that hit would sure pay off later.
The Dodgers picked up an insurance run (at least at the time) in the eighth. Jamey Carroll pinch-hit and singled, then stole second. A double from Raffy made it 6-2.
At this point, Joe Torre had the option of bringing in Ramon Troncoso or Jonathan Broxton in a non-save situation. He chose to go with Broxton. It didn't work.
No matter how you slice it, Broxton was just flat-out atrocious in melting down once again in a big game situation. He actually struck out Mark Teixeira pretty easily to lead off. Then it all went downhill. Hard.
A-Rod singled, went to second on fielder's indifference, and scored on Robinson Cano's double. Following a single by Jorge Posada, Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases. Chad Huffman, who had all of one hit in eight career at-bats coming into this game, hit a two-run single to make it 6-5.
Next up was some guy named Colin Curtis. He had two hits in four career at-bats. Once again, the inexperience made no difference. But, it's not like home plate umpire Chris Guccione gave Broxton any help. With two strikes, there's no better way to describe the next pitch other than saying it was right down the middle and called a ball.
Curtis then grounded one to Loney at first. With Granderson streaking towards home, Loney must have had a temporary brain freeze by stepping on first for the out then trying to get the out at home. The throw was easily late, and the game was tied at 6-6.
Mariano Rivera got the Dodgers in order in the ninth. Teixeira singled off of Troncoso to start the 10th. Rodriguez forced him out at second for one out. In came George Sherrill to face Cano.
Do I even have to tell you if Sherrill got the big out? Well, I will anyway... he didn't. Cano launched a two-run shot that proved to be the game winner. Carroll grounded out to end the game.
The Dodgers have played like crap lately, but this has to be their worst loss this year. They had all the opportunities in the world to take two of three at home, and just choked it away. It was pathetic.
The Dodgers also have to be worried about Broxton. I don't care what his numbers say or how fast he throws. He just cannot close the door in big games. Twice in two years against the Phillies, and tonight against the Yankees. He throws hard stuff, but batters can foul them away because there's no movement. They just wait for him to make a mistake and pounce on it. And that's why he can't beat great teams.
Maybe people might think I'm overreacting to one bad outing, but if Broxton can't even hold a 6-2 lead against the bottom part of the order, that's just sad. He needs to shut the door in those situations, period. Not only does it take away a big win for a team desperately needing one, but it robs Kershaw of the win and recognition he deserves.
As for Sherrill, I think it may be time to pull the plug on him. He's proven that for whatever reason, he can't get hitters out anymore. He has a 6.75 ERA for crying out loud. With a perfect chance to keep the game tied, he gave up a monster homer. Inexcusable on his part.
I'm not sure how the Dodgers regroup from this, but they'll have to and fast. Next up is three games in San Francisco. The Giants are now in second place in the NL West. If there's any reason for optimism, it's that the Dodgers are 18-5 against the West. At this point, they'd rather see anyone other than the American League.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Big offense helps Torre top the Yanks
One day after suffering through a 2-1 loss, the Dodgers quickly found themselves in a 3-0 hole. Rather than panicking, their offense went to work.
The Dodgers got production all throughout the lineup, highlighted by taking an amazing 10 walks, as they cruised over the Yankees, 9-4. The game took nearly four hours to complete, no doubt resembling a Yankees-Red Sox game.
Hiroki Kuroda has been a stud lately, and he started off the game with two quick strikes on Derek Jeter. But, Jeter eventually worked a walk, and that would be the beginning of trouble for Kuroda. Jeter stole second and went to third when Russell Martin's throw sailed into center.
Curtis Granderson drew a walk for two on and none out. Mark Teixeira then hit a three-run homer to right to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Already it was looking like a long night for the Dodgers.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, they were facing A.J. Burnett. When Burnett is one, he has some of the nastiest stuff in the game. But when he's not, he's a head case. Tonight was an off night, and the Dodgers capitalized.
Rafael Furcal led off with a single. After Matt Kemp struck out, Andre Ethier singled for runners on the corners. Manny Ramirez then lifted a ground rule double to right to make it 3-1. A sac-fly RBI by James Loney scored Ethier for a 3-2 game.
The top of the order again got to Kuroda in the third. Jeter and Granderson both singled to start. Last night's hero Alex Rodriguez then grounded one softly back to the mound. Kuroda hesitated for some reason, and Blake DeWitt's throw to second for the double play sailed away, scoring Jeter for a 4-2 lead.
It was another miserable miscue for a team that has made a habit of them lately. Whether botching plays on the bases or being unable to turn a simple double play, it's no wonder why the Dodgers have struggled lately.
How would the Dodgers respond to all of this? For a change, they actually did quite nicely. Starting in the bottom of third, they strung together seven unanswered runs to run away with this one.
The bases became loaded with no outs from walks to Kemp and Manny, and a single by Ethier. Loney hit a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. Martin grounded into a double play, but Manny still scored to take the lead at 5-4. The Dodgers never looked back.
Two more runs were scored in the fourth. Raffy started it again with a single, stole second, and soon scored on Loney's RBI single. Casey Blake added an RBI double for a 7-4 lead. Of course, the Dodgers still ran into an out when Kemp was gunned out at the plate. But it didn't matter.
The final runs were scored in the eighth. With two outs, Raffy singled home Martin, and the throw got away to allow Raffy to scamper to third. Kemp doubled to left for an RBI and a 9-4 lead.
Jonathan Broxton got the last out of the eighth and finished the game in a non-save situation. He walked A-Rod with two outs thanks to a very questionable slider called a ball (Mariano Rivera would've gotten the call). Raffy made a fantastic diving play and throw to first to nail Robinson Cano to end the game.
Today was a big game for the Dodgers, as they had a national TV audience on FOX to show what they've got. What they showed is the ability to bounce back and put runs on the board against the world champs. They also showed great patience and clutch hitting at the plate.
Kuroda didn't have his best stuff, but hung in there long enough to get the win. He finished at 5 1/3 innings, seven hits, four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. He did a good job of bouncing back after Teixeira's homer in the first.
Furcal was just awesome, as he once again showed how valuable he is when healthy. He went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a stolen base, and flashed his leather for the game's final out. Take him away from the top of the order, and the Dodgers are a completely different team.
Loney should also get plenty of credit, as he drove in four runs. It was his two-run single in the third that tied the game, and he kept it going with another RBI single the next inning. Toss in a sacrifice fly for a run earlier in the game, and he put together some great at-bats.
Thankfully, interleague play will end after Sunday. The Dodgers won't miss it, as they are a mere 4-10 against the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, and Yankees. But, if they can get Sunday's game, that'll be two of three against the defending champions. That would be a huge step in the right direction.
Clayton Kershaw will take on Andy Pettitte in a classic young vs. old matchup. Both have a legitimate shot at the All-Star game. Who knows the next time these teams will play each other, so enjoy it while it lasts.
The Dodgers got production all throughout the lineup, highlighted by taking an amazing 10 walks, as they cruised over the Yankees, 9-4. The game took nearly four hours to complete, no doubt resembling a Yankees-Red Sox game.
Hiroki Kuroda has been a stud lately, and he started off the game with two quick strikes on Derek Jeter. But, Jeter eventually worked a walk, and that would be the beginning of trouble for Kuroda. Jeter stole second and went to third when Russell Martin's throw sailed into center.
Curtis Granderson drew a walk for two on and none out. Mark Teixeira then hit a three-run homer to right to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Already it was looking like a long night for the Dodgers.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, they were facing A.J. Burnett. When Burnett is one, he has some of the nastiest stuff in the game. But when he's not, he's a head case. Tonight was an off night, and the Dodgers capitalized.
Rafael Furcal led off with a single. After Matt Kemp struck out, Andre Ethier singled for runners on the corners. Manny Ramirez then lifted a ground rule double to right to make it 3-1. A sac-fly RBI by James Loney scored Ethier for a 3-2 game.
The top of the order again got to Kuroda in the third. Jeter and Granderson both singled to start. Last night's hero Alex Rodriguez then grounded one softly back to the mound. Kuroda hesitated for some reason, and Blake DeWitt's throw to second for the double play sailed away, scoring Jeter for a 4-2 lead.
It was another miserable miscue for a team that has made a habit of them lately. Whether botching plays on the bases or being unable to turn a simple double play, it's no wonder why the Dodgers have struggled lately.
How would the Dodgers respond to all of this? For a change, they actually did quite nicely. Starting in the bottom of third, they strung together seven unanswered runs to run away with this one.
The bases became loaded with no outs from walks to Kemp and Manny, and a single by Ethier. Loney hit a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. Martin grounded into a double play, but Manny still scored to take the lead at 5-4. The Dodgers never looked back.
Two more runs were scored in the fourth. Raffy started it again with a single, stole second, and soon scored on Loney's RBI single. Casey Blake added an RBI double for a 7-4 lead. Of course, the Dodgers still ran into an out when Kemp was gunned out at the plate. But it didn't matter.
The final runs were scored in the eighth. With two outs, Raffy singled home Martin, and the throw got away to allow Raffy to scamper to third. Kemp doubled to left for an RBI and a 9-4 lead.
Jonathan Broxton got the last out of the eighth and finished the game in a non-save situation. He walked A-Rod with two outs thanks to a very questionable slider called a ball (Mariano Rivera would've gotten the call). Raffy made a fantastic diving play and throw to first to nail Robinson Cano to end the game.
Today was a big game for the Dodgers, as they had a national TV audience on FOX to show what they've got. What they showed is the ability to bounce back and put runs on the board against the world champs. They also showed great patience and clutch hitting at the plate.
Kuroda didn't have his best stuff, but hung in there long enough to get the win. He finished at 5 1/3 innings, seven hits, four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. He did a good job of bouncing back after Teixeira's homer in the first.
Furcal was just awesome, as he once again showed how valuable he is when healthy. He went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, a stolen base, and flashed his leather for the game's final out. Take him away from the top of the order, and the Dodgers are a completely different team.
Loney should also get plenty of credit, as he drove in four runs. It was his two-run single in the third that tied the game, and he kept it going with another RBI single the next inning. Toss in a sacrifice fly for a run earlier in the game, and he put together some great at-bats.
Thankfully, interleague play will end after Sunday. The Dodgers won't miss it, as they are a mere 4-10 against the Tigers, Angels, Red Sox, and Yankees. But, if they can get Sunday's game, that'll be two of three against the defending champions. That would be a huge step in the right direction.
Clayton Kershaw will take on Andy Pettitte in a classic young vs. old matchup. Both have a legitimate shot at the All-Star game. Who knows the next time these teams will play each other, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Haeger gets DFA'd, Link is back
Needing another fresh arm, the Dodgers have designated the struggling Charlie Haeger for assignment. Jon Link has been called up for the fourth time already this season.
Haeger's season started off beautifully, as he struck out 12 Marlins in a no-decision back on April 11. He certainly looked like the fifth starter the Dodgers were searching for. Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill, as he never posted another quality start again.
Link has a 4.15 ERA in four appearances. He last pitched June 7 against the Cardinals, going two scoreless innings. He'll be one of the last options out of the bullpen, but provides insurance.
Haeger's season started off beautifully, as he struck out 12 Marlins in a no-decision back on April 11. He certainly looked like the fifth starter the Dodgers were searching for. Unfortunately, things quickly went downhill, as he never posted another quality start again.
Link has a 4.15 ERA in four appearances. He last pitched June 7 against the Cardinals, going two scoreless innings. He'll be one of the last options out of the bullpen, but provides insurance.
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