As the Dodgers await the winner of the Phillies-Rockies series (currently at 2-1 Phillies), let's take a look back at my checklist for beating the Cardinals, and how well the Dodgers did in each area.
1) Get at least a split at home.
Check.
In fact, it was better than a check, because they won both. Granted, they were handed a gift error in Game 2 because of Matt Holliday's error, but they still needed big at-bats from Casey Blake, Ronnie Belliard, and Mark Loretta to get the win.
The Dodgers took all of the momentum in this series by taking both games, and the Cardinals never recovered.
2) Get to the bullpen.
Check.
In Games 1 and 3, they chased Chris Carpenter and Joel Pineiro early. In Game 2, Adam Wainwright was dominant, but Ryan Franklin could not get the final out after Holliday's big error.
3) Let their own bullpen go to work.
Check.
Look at these stats:
Game 1 - 5 and 1/3 innings, one run
Game 2 - 2 and 1/3 innings, no runs
Game 3 - 2 innings, one run
That's a total of 9 and 2/3 innings and two runs. So much credit goes to names like Ronald Belisario, Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton. All four are flamethrowers who are capable of getting big outs at any time.
4) Either Pujols or Holliday have to be contained.
Check.
Pujols was held to a .300 average and only one RBI. The Dodgers made sure he did not beat them. Holliday's error has already become legendary, and at the plate, he hit a measly .167 with a solo homer.
So in the end, both men were more than contained. A major bonus.
5) Manny needs to be the shinning star.
Check, because of Game 3.
Through the first two games, Manny was 2-for-8 with a double. But Game 3 is the type of game he was re-signed for. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. His first inning RBI double set the tone for the rest of the night. At the same time, he silenced many critics that he couldn't catch up to the fastball anymore.
Showing posts with label 2009 NLDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2009 NLDS. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Another year, another NLDS sweep!!!
Ladies and gentlemen, the Dodgers are going nowhere anytime soon.
For the second straight season, the Dodgers came into the Division Series as the underdogs, and they once again turned doubters into believers by getting a sweep. This year it was three straight over the Cardinals after beating them on Saturday night, 5-1.
The Dodgers jumped on Joel Pineiro in the first, as they established that they would be the aggressors. Matt Kemp legged out an infield single to short with one out. After Andre Ethier flied out, Manny Ramirez lined a first-pitch fastball for an RBI double to go up 1-0.
With the way Vicente Padilla pitched, who knew at the time that getting one run of support would be enough. It didn't start off easily, as Ryan Ludwick and Albert Pujols hit singles with one down. Matt Holliday grounded out, but Colby Rasmus walked to load the bases. It was looking like the Cardinals might break through.
But in what was most likely the turning point of this game, Yadier Molina weakly grounded out to short, and the threat was over. The air was already getting sucked out of Busch Stadium, and the Dodgers made sure it stayed that way.
In the third, Raffy singled with one out, which added to his .500 average these last three games. With two outs, Ethier crushed one to deep right for a two-run homer, making it 3-0. Ethier also hit .500 to go along with two home runs.
The next inning brought another run, and again with two outs. Ronnie Belliard singled to lead off. Following two groundouts, Furcal hit an RBI single down the left field line to get the lead up to 4-0. Little by little, the Dodgers increased their lead and kept the Cards in check.
With Padilla still dealing, Ethier tripled with... you guessed it, two outs in the seventh. He scored on Manny's RBI single, and it was 5-0. Manny ended up 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs, silencing critics saying he wouldn't hit this postseason. So much for that!
Padilla was pulled to start the eighth, as Joe Torre went with the George Sherrill-Jonathan Broxton combination to close it out. Sherrill walked Julio Lugo with one out, then got Ryan Ludwick to fly out.
Torre went with Broxton to get Pujols with two down, but Pujols lined an RBI single into right, cutting the lead to 5-1. Holliday had one last chance to atone for a lousy series, but he instead flew out lazily to Ethier in right, ending the inning.
Broxton stayed on to finish it off in the ninth. Molina got an infield single with one out, but Rick Ankiel pinch-hit and struck out to end the game and the season for the Cards.
There were many heroes for the Dodgers this game, but who would have thought Padilla would lead the charge? Quite simply put, he was brilliant. He went seven innings for four hits, no runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. His fastball and control was top-notch all night. Wow, was he nasty when it counted the most.
This was a hard game for the Dodgers to win, as the Cardinals rightfully should have been sitting at a 1-1 tie with a chance to win two at home. Once again, the Dodgers found ways to get a win against a good team, and the Cardinals are one of the best.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers will now take on the winner of the Phillies-Rockies series. That's currently tied at one each, with Game 3 snowed out on Saturday. It'll be pushed back to Sunday night, with Game 4 Monday, and Game 5 on Tuesday if needed.
The Dodgers will now wait until Thursday, October 15 for Game 1 of the National League Championship series. Keep in mind, they'll have home-field advantage this round as well. It's a 2-3-2 format.
For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy scouting the competition the next few days. Then get ready for the Dodgers to resume their quest for a ring on Thursday!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Dodgers get a Holliday gift to win Game 2
Matt Holliday squeaked the door open in the ninth, and the Dodgers kicked it down.
Facing a bases empty, two-out situation in the last inning, the Dodgers took advantage of a dropped liner by Holliday to walk-off with the win in Game 2, 3-2. The Dodgers lead the best-of-five series 2-0, with Game 3 Saturday in St. Louis.
It was quite the improbable win for the Dodgers, as they were baffled for the first eight innings by the wicked stuff of Adam Wainwright. Unlike Chris Carpenter the night before, Wainwright was on the money all night long, giving up only a solo homer to Andre Ethier in eight strong innings.
Still, it was the Dodgers who once again sent the home fans home happy with another dramatic, comeback win. Somehow, someway, time and again they find a way to get the win. It's been unbelievable to watch all year long.
Clayton Kershaw started for the Dodgers, and he got through the Cardinals' order with ease to start the game. But, to start the second, Holliday sent a hanging breaking ball just over the left field wall to go up 1-0.
The Dodgers didn't get their first hit until the fourth, but it was a good one. With two outs, Ethier cranked one out to center for his first postseason homer to tie it 1-1. He hit a miserable .188 last postseason, so like Matt Kemp last night, it was great to see him break through in October.
Each team would go down easily in the fifth, provide a little spark in the sixth, but couldn't come through. To start the seventh, Mark DeRosa singled to center. Colby Rasmus then hit a long double off the center field wall to score DeRosa, going up 2-1.
The problem for the Cardinals on that play was that as DeRosa scored, James Loney made a leaping catch to cut off the throw, then fire to Casey Blake at third to tag Rasmus out advancing by a mile. Tony LaRusa was visibly upset at Rasmus for such a baserunning blunder, and it came back to bite them in the end.
Ethier, Manny Ramirez, and Loney went down in order in the eighth, and hope was looking lost. The best thing that could have happened for the Dodgers was that Troy Glaus pinch-hit for Wainwright and flew out to center to end the eighth.
With Wainwright out of there, Trevor Miller came on to get Ethier popping up to start the ninth. Closer Ryan Franklin then got Manny to fly out, and the air was sucked out of Dodger Stadium.
It was up to Loney to keep the game going, and he hit a liner out to Holliday in right. Holliday looked like he was unsure how to make the easy play, and it eventually hit his... um, midsection, putting Loney on second. Juan Pierre then came in to pinch-run.
Blake had a long at-bat in which he worked a walk, further showcasing how valuable he is to the team. With a chance to justify his starting position over Orlando Hudson at second, Ronnie Belliard hit an RBI single up the middle, knotting the game at two.
The Dodgers weren't done yet, as Russell Martin walked on four pitches to load the bases with two down. Joe Torre sent up old reliable to pinch-hit, Mark Loretta. In the biggest moment of his 15-year career, Loretta hit a soft walk-off single to center, giving the Dodgers the game.
The reality of this game is that the series should be tied at one. If Holliday makes the routine play, then the Cardinals grabbed some momentum back. Now, they have to find a way to hold the fort down at home before going for the win next week in L.A.
Who knows how this series will end up, but the Dodgers are obviously in cruise control, needing only one of the next three. Now we all can see just how important home-field advantage is in the postseason. All of those wins early in the season paid off tonight.
For the Dodgers, it's time to smell blood and put the game away this weekend. Getting a win in St. Louis would show how they are for real. The Cardinals are still a very good team, as they were 46-35 at home. But the Dodgers were 45-36 on the road, one of the best in the NL.
Vicente Padilla has gotten the call to start Game 3, and he'll go against Joel Pineiro. Padilla is 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA in seven starts (eight appearances) with the Dodgers, while Pineiro has struggled since August. The Dodgers have to like the pitching matchup and their chances to wrap it up on Saturday.
Kemp's blast leads Dodgers to Game 1 win
Before Randy Wolf could even blink, he found himself in a worst-case scenario: bases loaded, nobody out, and Game 1 of the Division Series against the Cardinals looking to be a disaster.
Fortunately for him, he only surrendered one run. And fortunately for the Dodgers, Matt Kemp put the Dodgers ahead to stay in no time.
Kemp cranked a pitch right down the heart of the plate for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first off of Chris Carpenter, and the Dodgers found ways to hang on all game as took the win, 5-3.
It certainly wasn't looking good in the first, as Skip Schumaker walked and Brendan Ryan hit a ground rule double to left. Joe Torre didn't even hesitate to put four fingers up and walk Albert Pujols to get to Matt Holliday. It worked, as Holliday struck out looking.
The Cardinals did manage one run, though it probably shouldn't have happened. Ryan Ludwick blooped one into center that Ronnie Belliard tried to make a backwards catch on. He missed, though Kemp should have called him off and made the play himself. Belliard made up for it by starting a sweet double play off of Yadier Molina to end it.
The Dodgers were fortunate to only be down one, and Rafael Furcal added to the momentum with a single leading off. That's when Kemp crushed one out to center for the 2-1 lead. After driving in only one run in eight games last postseason, it was great to see him get off to such a great start this time around.
What followed the first inning was basically a collection of a lot of hits, shaky pitching, yet even shakier hitting with runners in scoring position. Believe it or not, both teams combined to leave an amazing 30 men on base, far surpassing the previous record of 22 for the Division Series back in 1995. It was just one of those nights.
In the third, the Dodgers increased their lead a bit. Andre Ethier was hit in the foot to lead off, and Manny Ramirez drew a walk. Casey Blake hit an RBI single, making it 3-1. A walk to Russell Martin loaded the bases with two outs, but Wolf popped up.
Wolf gave one back in the fourth, as that would ultimately be his last inning. A walk to the eighth hitter Colby Rasmus set up an RBI double from Schumaker, and it was 3-2. An intentional walk to Pujols again gave Holliday a chance, only this time Wolf beaned him.
That was it for Wolf, as Torre called on Jeff Weaver to get the final out. It sure was a close one, as Ludwick just barely missed a surefire three-run hit down the left field line, landing foul. Ludwick then bounced back to the mound to end it. Talk about baseball being a game of inches.
The Dodgers tacked on a couple more in the fifth and sixth. Belliard singled, Martin walked, and Juan Pierre sacrificed them both over. In a tough at-bat against Carpenter, Raffy eventually hit a sac-fly RBI to right to make it 4-2.
The sixth was another wild inning, which saw the Dodgers again threatened to break the game open. Martin got the only RBI, as he was beaned with the bases juiced to make it 5-2. Jim Thome had a chance for a big hit, but struck out.
After Ronald Belisario got the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for either side in the sixth, the Dodgers turned to Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton to close it out. And that's exactly what happened.
Kuo did give up a couple of two-out singles, but struck out pinch-hitter Troy Glaus to end the threat. Sherrill got two outs, beaned Schumaker, then Broxton was fortunately able to get Pujols to ground out to close the eighth. Broxton gave up an RBI double by Mark DeRosa in the ninth, but struck out Rick Ankiel for the game's final out.
It was quite an interesting ride, as the teams also combined to set a nine-inning Division Series record for length of game at 3 hours and 52 minutes. It seemed like each team had a reason to believe they could grab the lead each inning, only to strand runners over and over.
The Wolf-Carpenter matchup was supposed to be a pitcher's duel, but it was anything but that. Wolf lasted 3 and 2/3 innings for six hits, two runs, five walks, and two strikeouts. He was constantly behind hitters all night. Carpenter only went five innings for nine hits, four runs, four walks, and three strikeouts. It was shocking to see him get hit around so much.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers wanted a lead for their bullpen, and they did just that. They combined to only give up one run in 5 and 1/3 innings. Against hitters like the Cards, that's impressive.
Now the pressure is on the Cardinals to get one before leaving L.A. For the Dodgers, it's time to get greedy and want more than just a split. They've got their best pitcher of the second half of the season in Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Cardinals counter with Adam Wainwright, who would be a Game 1 starter on so many other teams.
Kershaw can't be like Wolf and play with fire from the get-go. If he can get into a groove, then the Dodgers have to like their chances. After all, they hit Carpenter very well yesterday, why not Wainwright today? That's the attitude they have to take to be successful.
Fortunately for him, he only surrendered one run. And fortunately for the Dodgers, Matt Kemp put the Dodgers ahead to stay in no time.
Kemp cranked a pitch right down the heart of the plate for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first off of Chris Carpenter, and the Dodgers found ways to hang on all game as took the win, 5-3.
It certainly wasn't looking good in the first, as Skip Schumaker walked and Brendan Ryan hit a ground rule double to left. Joe Torre didn't even hesitate to put four fingers up and walk Albert Pujols to get to Matt Holliday. It worked, as Holliday struck out looking.
The Cardinals did manage one run, though it probably shouldn't have happened. Ryan Ludwick blooped one into center that Ronnie Belliard tried to make a backwards catch on. He missed, though Kemp should have called him off and made the play himself. Belliard made up for it by starting a sweet double play off of Yadier Molina to end it.
The Dodgers were fortunate to only be down one, and Rafael Furcal added to the momentum with a single leading off. That's when Kemp crushed one out to center for the 2-1 lead. After driving in only one run in eight games last postseason, it was great to see him get off to such a great start this time around.
What followed the first inning was basically a collection of a lot of hits, shaky pitching, yet even shakier hitting with runners in scoring position. Believe it or not, both teams combined to leave an amazing 30 men on base, far surpassing the previous record of 22 for the Division Series back in 1995. It was just one of those nights.
In the third, the Dodgers increased their lead a bit. Andre Ethier was hit in the foot to lead off, and Manny Ramirez drew a walk. Casey Blake hit an RBI single, making it 3-1. A walk to Russell Martin loaded the bases with two outs, but Wolf popped up.
Wolf gave one back in the fourth, as that would ultimately be his last inning. A walk to the eighth hitter Colby Rasmus set up an RBI double from Schumaker, and it was 3-2. An intentional walk to Pujols again gave Holliday a chance, only this time Wolf beaned him.
That was it for Wolf, as Torre called on Jeff Weaver to get the final out. It sure was a close one, as Ludwick just barely missed a surefire three-run hit down the left field line, landing foul. Ludwick then bounced back to the mound to end it. Talk about baseball being a game of inches.
The Dodgers tacked on a couple more in the fifth and sixth. Belliard singled, Martin walked, and Juan Pierre sacrificed them both over. In a tough at-bat against Carpenter, Raffy eventually hit a sac-fly RBI to right to make it 4-2.
The sixth was another wild inning, which saw the Dodgers again threatened to break the game open. Martin got the only RBI, as he was beaned with the bases juiced to make it 5-2. Jim Thome had a chance for a big hit, but struck out.
After Ronald Belisario got the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for either side in the sixth, the Dodgers turned to Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton to close it out. And that's exactly what happened.
Kuo did give up a couple of two-out singles, but struck out pinch-hitter Troy Glaus to end the threat. Sherrill got two outs, beaned Schumaker, then Broxton was fortunately able to get Pujols to ground out to close the eighth. Broxton gave up an RBI double by Mark DeRosa in the ninth, but struck out Rick Ankiel for the game's final out.
It was quite an interesting ride, as the teams also combined to set a nine-inning Division Series record for length of game at 3 hours and 52 minutes. It seemed like each team had a reason to believe they could grab the lead each inning, only to strand runners over and over.
The Wolf-Carpenter matchup was supposed to be a pitcher's duel, but it was anything but that. Wolf lasted 3 and 2/3 innings for six hits, two runs, five walks, and two strikeouts. He was constantly behind hitters all night. Carpenter only went five innings for nine hits, four runs, four walks, and three strikeouts. It was shocking to see him get hit around so much.
At the end of the day, the Dodgers wanted a lead for their bullpen, and they did just that. They combined to only give up one run in 5 and 1/3 innings. Against hitters like the Cards, that's impressive.
Now the pressure is on the Cardinals to get one before leaving L.A. For the Dodgers, it's time to get greedy and want more than just a split. They've got their best pitcher of the second half of the season in Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The Cardinals counter with Adam Wainwright, who would be a Game 1 starter on so many other teams.
Kershaw can't be like Wolf and play with fire from the get-go. If he can get into a groove, then the Dodgers have to like their chances. After all, they hit Carpenter very well yesterday, why not Wainwright today? That's the attitude they have to take to be successful.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Game 1 lineup
Here's the lineup the Dodgers will go with against a tough matchup in Chris Carpenter:
1) Rafael Furcal - SS
2) Matt Kemp - CF
3) Andre Ethier - RF
4) Manny Ramirez - LF
5) James Loney - 1B
6) Casey Blake - 3B
7) Ronnie Belliard - 2B
8) Russell Martin - C
9) Randy Wolf - P
Don't forget, first pitch is at 9:37 ET, or 6:37 PT for those of you out in sunny California. All NLDS games are on TBS.
1) Rafael Furcal - SS
2) Matt Kemp - CF
3) Andre Ethier - RF
4) Manny Ramirez - LF
5) James Loney - 1B
6) Casey Blake - 3B
7) Ronnie Belliard - 2B
8) Russell Martin - C
9) Randy Wolf - P
Don't forget, first pitch is at 9:37 ET, or 6:37 PT for those of you out in sunny California. All NLDS games are on TBS.
Dodgers set their NLDS roster
Joe Torre has submitted his roster for the first round of the playoffs. You can it out here.
Basically, all you have to do is look at my suggested roster a couple of posts down. The only difference is that Jeff Weaver made it over Guillermo Mota. That surprised me at first, but I'm sure Torre likes that Weaver has pitched deep into the postseason before, so he got the nod. Plus, with a 3.65 ERA in 79 innings this season, he's done pretty darn well anyway.
Basically, all you have to do is look at my suggested roster a couple of posts down. The only difference is that Jeff Weaver made it over Guillermo Mota. That surprised me at first, but I'm sure Torre likes that Weaver has pitched deep into the postseason before, so he got the nod. Plus, with a 3.65 ERA in 79 innings this season, he's done pretty darn well anyway.
Monday, October 5, 2009
How the Dodgers can beat the Cardinals
Welcome to the playoffs. The Dodgers have home-field advantage throughout after posting an NL-best 95 wins. Their reward for a season of hard work?
Playing the Cardinals in the NLDS. Ugh.
After watching the "experts" on ESPN unanimously pick the Cards (the same ones that picked the Cubs last season), I got thinking how the Dodgers can pull this off. It technically wouldn't be an upset, but in most people's minds, it would be. So here's what I can up with.
5 Keys to an Upset
1) Get at least a split at home.
Normally when a team has home-field, they want to win all home games. But, when facing Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, I don't think it's fair to say the Dodgers need to win both. That's really hard to do, and that's to the the Cardinals' credit.
Carpenter is 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA, and Wainwright is 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA. Those numbers speak for themselves. But if the Dodgers can have at least one good hitting night, then they should be happy with that.
2) Get to the bullpen.
This is not to say that they don't have some good arms in the 'pen, because they do. Dennys Reyes, Trevor Miller, and Kyle McClellen are the top ones. But if asked which set of pitchers they'd rather face, the starters or the relievers, the Dodgers will gladly take on the relief core.
3) Let their own bullpen go to work.
On the flip side, the Dodgers need to get their bullpen in a situation to be successful. If they can let their top three guys - Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton - work the last three innings, it's a great sign.
How will that happen? The starters will need between 5-6 solid innings. They can do that.
4) Either Pujols or Holliday have to be contained.
Simply put, both of these guys cannot go nuts. If they do, this thing could be over in three. If one of them does well, fine. But not both.
In 63 games with the Cards, Holliday is hitting .353 with 13 homers. I'd say he's been a good addition. As for Pujols... well, he's Pujols. No explanation needed. It won't be easy, but shutting down one of those guys is important.
5) Manny needs to be the shinning star.
We all know how valuable Manny Ramirez was last postseason. He was red hot from the first to last game. This September, it's been a different tune. He hit a mere .229 and .486 SLG%, far below his career averages. To say the least, he limped to the finish line.
This series will most likely come down to Manny vs. Pujols. Manny needs to prove that he's still the most feared right-handed hitter in the game. If he leads the way in the middle of the order, then the Dodgers can advance to the NLCS.
Playing the Cardinals in the NLDS. Ugh.
After watching the "experts" on ESPN unanimously pick the Cards (the same ones that picked the Cubs last season), I got thinking how the Dodgers can pull this off. It technically wouldn't be an upset, but in most people's minds, it would be. So here's what I can up with.
5 Keys to an Upset
1) Get at least a split at home.
Normally when a team has home-field, they want to win all home games. But, when facing Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, I don't think it's fair to say the Dodgers need to win both. That's really hard to do, and that's to the the Cardinals' credit.
Carpenter is 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA, and Wainwright is 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA. Those numbers speak for themselves. But if the Dodgers can have at least one good hitting night, then they should be happy with that.
2) Get to the bullpen.
This is not to say that they don't have some good arms in the 'pen, because they do. Dennys Reyes, Trevor Miller, and Kyle McClellen are the top ones. But if asked which set of pitchers they'd rather face, the starters or the relievers, the Dodgers will gladly take on the relief core.
3) Let their own bullpen go to work.
On the flip side, the Dodgers need to get their bullpen in a situation to be successful. If they can let their top three guys - Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton - work the last three innings, it's a great sign.
How will that happen? The starters will need between 5-6 solid innings. They can do that.
4) Either Pujols or Holliday have to be contained.
Simply put, both of these guys cannot go nuts. If they do, this thing could be over in three. If one of them does well, fine. But not both.
In 63 games with the Cards, Holliday is hitting .353 with 13 homers. I'd say he's been a good addition. As for Pujols... well, he's Pujols. No explanation needed. It won't be easy, but shutting down one of those guys is important.
5) Manny needs to be the shinning star.
We all know how valuable Manny Ramirez was last postseason. He was red hot from the first to last game. This September, it's been a different tune. He hit a mere .229 and .486 SLG%, far below his career averages. To say the least, he limped to the finish line.
This series will most likely come down to Manny vs. Pujols. Manny needs to prove that he's still the most feared right-handed hitter in the game. If he leads the way in the middle of the order, then the Dodgers can advance to the NLCS.
Who should make the NLDS roster
As we sit and wait for the NLDS to start on Wednesday night, we all know that Joe Torre will have to submit his 25-man roster for the first round by Wednesday morning. I put some thought into what the roster should be, so here's my thoughts:
Slam Dunks (20 total)
Infielders - Russell Martin, Brad Ausmus, James Loney, Orlando Hudson, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake
Outfielders - Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre
Pinch-Hitter - Jim Thome
Starting Pitchers - Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley
Relief Pitchers - Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso
The Rest (5 total, with reasons why)
Juan Castro - Can play both short and second off the bench. Committed only three errors in 57 games. Hit .277, but can lay down a bunt.
Mark Loretta - Only hit .232, but is still Torre's favorite to pinch-hit. Gives a calm, veteran presence in big at-bats. Can play second or third, and is a very good glove like Castro.
Vicente Padilla - Ended the season on a high, with 10 strikeouts in six innings against the Rockies. Is 4-0 with a 3.22 ERA with the Dodgers, far exceeding all expectations. Could very well find himself getting a start down the line.
Jon Garland - Like Padilla, has been a great addition late in the year. Is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA. Won a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005. Could either start or come in for long relief.
Guillermo Mota - Gets the slight edge over James McDonald based on numbers against righties. Mota's BAA is .238, McDonald's is .282.
The only obvious names left off would be Doug Mientkiewicz, Jeff Weaver, and James McDonald.
Mientkiewicz would be expendable because they have Thome as a lefty off the bench, plus Castro and Loretta are far more versatile. Weaver isn't needed because Garland and/or Padilla can throw long relief. McDonald doesn't have quite the experience or numbers against righties.
Slam Dunks (20 total)
Infielders - Russell Martin, Brad Ausmus, James Loney, Orlando Hudson, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake
Outfielders - Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre
Pinch-Hitter - Jim Thome
Starting Pitchers - Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley
Relief Pitchers - Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso
The Rest (5 total, with reasons why)
Juan Castro - Can play both short and second off the bench. Committed only three errors in 57 games. Hit .277, but can lay down a bunt.
Mark Loretta - Only hit .232, but is still Torre's favorite to pinch-hit. Gives a calm, veteran presence in big at-bats. Can play second or third, and is a very good glove like Castro.
Vicente Padilla - Ended the season on a high, with 10 strikeouts in six innings against the Rockies. Is 4-0 with a 3.22 ERA with the Dodgers, far exceeding all expectations. Could very well find himself getting a start down the line.
Jon Garland - Like Padilla, has been a great addition late in the year. Is 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA. Won a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005. Could either start or come in for long relief.
Guillermo Mota - Gets the slight edge over James McDonald based on numbers against righties. Mota's BAA is .238, McDonald's is .282.
The only obvious names left off would be Doug Mientkiewicz, Jeff Weaver, and James McDonald.
Mientkiewicz would be expendable because they have Thome as a lefty off the bench, plus Castro and Loretta are far more versatile. Weaver isn't needed because Garland and/or Padilla can throw long relief. McDonald doesn't have quite the experience or numbers against righties.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
NLDS schedule
Some of the times are still being worked out, but here's the setup for the Dodgers vs. Cardinals in the NLDS:
Game 1: Wednesday, October 7 @ Los Angeles, 9:37 EST
Game 2: Thursday, October 8 @ Los Angeles, 6:07 EST
Game 3: Saturday, October 10 @ St. Louis, 6:07 EST
*Game 4: Sunday, October 11 @ St. Louis, TBD
*Game 5: Tuesday, October 13 @ Los Angeles, TBD
* If necessary
When the rest of the times are determined, I will post them. All Division Series games will be shown on TBS.
Game 1: Wednesday, October 7 @ Los Angeles, 9:37 EST
Game 2: Thursday, October 8 @ Los Angeles, 6:07 EST
Game 3: Saturday, October 10 @ St. Louis, 6:07 EST
*Game 4: Sunday, October 11 @ St. Louis, TBD
*Game 5: Tuesday, October 13 @ Los Angeles, TBD
* If necessary
When the rest of the times are determined, I will post them. All Division Series games will be shown on TBS.
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