Key games in the Dodgers' 2015 season

Spring Training is humming along without much news to report of.  About the only exciting things to have happened were Will Farrell pitching a perfect 1/3 of an inning, and Aroldis Chapman throwing behind Justin Turner for God knows what reason.  Other than that, not much going on.

So, let's get ourselves excited for when the games count for good.  Here's a look at some key/big/fun games in the Dodgers' 2015 schedule.

Monday, April 6 vs. Padres - Home opener, and the return of Matt Kemp
Monday, April 13 vs. Mariners - First Interleague set
Tuesday, April 21 at Giants - First tilt against the defending World Series champs
Monday, May 11 at Marlins - First matchup with old friends Dee Gordon and Dan Haren
Friday, May 29 at Cardinals - First matchup with the team that knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs... again
Monday, June 22 at Cubs - Four-game set again Jon Lester, Joe Maddon, and a suddenly relevant Cubs team
Friday, July 17 at Nationals - First game after the All-Star break against a preseason World Series contender
Friday, July 31 vs. Angels - Freeway Series begins
Thursday, August 13 vs. Reds - First time seeing Chapman since Spring Training...
Monday, September 14 vs. Rockies - Last big homestand of the season, a 10-game set with the Rockies, Pirates, and Diamondbacks
Sunday, October 4 vs. Padres - Final game of the regular season, coming full circle

There you have it.  In examining the schedule, there are a heck of a lot of division games to start the season, and of course the last couple of weeks as well.  Then they have this quirk: they start July by playing the DBacks, end August with the Giants, and have no other division games in between.  That's right - there's virtually no games within the NL West for two straight months.  That seems very unusual.

The Interleague games are with the AL West.  The Freeway Series is always fun, and a bit more so this year with Howie Kendrick in Dodger blue.  Who knows what the A's will look like, but they always find a way.  The Mariners have two stars in Robinson Cano and King Felix.  The Rangers were just dealt a huge blow by losing Yu Darvish for the season.  And the Astros?  Well, they do have young talent, so we'll see.

When the Dodgers are clicking, they're hard to beat

I'm not sure many people saw this coming, especially after getting smacked around by the Angels on Monday.  And after Clayton Kershaw suffered through a rough start to Tuesday's game.

Then the Dodgers decided to flick that switch, and when they did, they proved why they have the best record in the National League.

The latest example was Thursday night, as Hyun-Jin Ryu absolutely took over, holding the Angels scoreless in seven innings, giving up only two hits.  The offense stepped up, the defense was fantastic, and the result was an easy 7-0 win in Anaheim.

I made this comment during the Cubs' series, which was pretty much a disaster: "You never know which Dodger team will show up."  They swept the Giants, swept the Braves, then dropped two of three to the lowly Cubs.  Then they followed that up by taking three of four in the Freeway Series.  Go figure.

So what was the big difference between this series and the last one?  Energy, pitching, defense, and timely hitting.  Pretty much your recipe for any win, but all of that stuff was a notch better against the crosstown rivals.

The Dodgers had their big three pitchers going, but it was actually Dan Haren who may have shined the brightest.  Here's a breakdown of each pitcher's performance the last four games:

Greinke: 7 IP, 3 ER, 5 K
Kershaw: 7 IP, 3 ER, 7 K
Haren: 7 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 4 K
Ryu: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 K
Total: 28 1/3 IP, 7 ER, 20 K

There's also the defense, which was flawless the last three games (all wins).  The only errors the Dodgers committed were on Monday, when Hanley Ramirez decided to throw the ball all over the place.  He was the DH last night, and Miguel Rojas put on a great display with his glove at short, with an assist to some slick grabs at first by Adrian Gonzalez.

Yasiel Puig again showed why he's fit for center field, as the only real threat the Angels put together was in the sixth.  With Mike Trout and Albert Pujols on, Josh Hamilton lifted a long fly to center that Puig caught ranging to his right against the wall.  Nothing against Matt Kemp, but it's hard to imagine he'd make the same play.  It was a great catch.

And let's not ignore the fact that the Dodgers got a hit with the bases loaded!  Yes, I did just type that.  It almost didn't happen, as Puig struck out in the seventh to make it two down, but A-Gon stroked a two-run single to left, really breaking the game open at 6-0.  With that hit, the Dodgers are now hitting .171 with the bases juiced... still dead last in the majors.  But hey, that can only go up, right?

The Dodgers certainly still have their question marks, as they lack power, good bullpen depth, and who knows if Haren can keep this up and if Roberto Hernandez is the answer at the back end of the rotation.  But, if they can play with this type of energy and spirit, they're able to overcome all of that.  This is a team that truly needs contributions from so many different parts, and in the Freeway Series, that's what they got.

The next 10 games will be just as tough, as they face the Brewers away for three, the Braves away for four, and the Brewers back home for three.  The Brew Crew are holding off the Cardinals by a game in the NL Central, and the Braves are 4 1/2 in back of the Nationals in the East.  In other words, these are big games for everyone.

New friend Hernandez gets the call in Milwaukee.  It looks like he'll be sticking around the rotation for awhile, as Josh Beckett could be gone for quite awhile with his hip problems.

Haren finally finds his groove

It's been awhile (a LONG while), but Dan Haren turned back the clock to April on Wednesday night in Anaheim.  And after Kenley Jansen struck out Josh Hamilton to end the game, the Dodgers had one of their biggest wins of the season.

Haren pitched very well into the eighth inning, including setting down the first 16 batters of the game, as the Dodgers beat the Angels for the second straight night, 2-1.  The Giants ran away from the Brewers, so the lead in the NL West remains at 2 1/2 games.

I'm not sure it's possible to say just how good and effective Haren was, as he completely baffled the mighty Angels' hitters all night long.  In fact, when he was yanked in the eighth, he was only at 87 pitches, and the bullpen of J.P. Howell and Brandon League came dangerously close to handing the lead right back.  Thankfully only one run was surrendered.

Coming into this start, Haren was as bad as bad could be.  With numbers that said 0-5 and a 10.03 ERA in his last five starts, there was no way in the world even the biggest Dodger fans could be confident about this start.  Heck, even Haren admitted after the game that he "tried almost everything" in this start, pretty much saying that he was willing to do anything to shake out of his slump.

It worked.

With a mixture of a sharp breaking ball and great fastball location, he ended up tossing 7 1/3 innings for three hits, one run, no walks, and four strikeouts.  This one start alone lowered his ERA from 4.76 to 4.57.  And more importantly for him, earned him more starts going forward.

Who would've thought that Haren would overshadow Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw the last three days?  That's how unlikely this start was.  Heck, I hope he keeps having unlikely starts going forward.  The Dodgers could sure use more quality starts from the end of the rotation going forward.

Other thoughts from the game:

* Two other guys who've been slumping (a lot) are Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford, and they each had two hits to contribute to the win.  Ethier's RBI double scored Crawford in the second for the 2-0 lead.  Throw in Justin Turner getting on base three times, and the bottom part of the order had a big game.

* The other run came from a Matt Kemp solo home run to continue his recent run.  He's slowed down a bit in August by hitting .217, but he still has three homers to up his total to 14 on the season.  On a team that sorely lacks power, I think the Dodgers will sacrifice his average for the power.

* Jansen faced a rocky road in the ninth, as Kole Calhoun led off with a single to center, then soon stole second with nobody out.  But, Jansen got Mike Trout swinging, Albert Pujols to fly to center, and Hamilton swinging to end the game.  That could have easily gone the other way, and all the work the Dodgers did to lead the entire game would've gone up in smoke.  Instead, Jansen threw smoke to earn his 32nd save.  That's tied for third in the majors with Craig Kimbrel and Greg Holland, some pretty impressive company.

* Yasiel Puig doubled and walked, but his biggest contribution was gunning down Hank Conger at third in the sixth.  It looked like Conger had it made going to third, but Puig once again showed the world why his arm strength is on another level.  Kudos to Turner for the slick catch and tag as well.  That was awesome.

This didn't seem possible after Monday's game, and after Kershaw was hit around to start the next game, but the Dodgers have a chance to take three of four in the Freeway Series.  Hyun-Jin Ryu will be the man on the mound Thursday, as he takes on C.J. Wilson.

Dodgers need Uribe more than ever

The Dodgers are in the midst of a rough stretch, with a very tough schedule against good teams and injuries on the pitching staff mounting.  Even the great Clayton Kershaw was roughed up a bit on Tuesday night against the Angels.

That's where Juan Uribe stepped in and stepped up, as his three-run homer in the second soon led to a single and game-winning run in the ninth, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 walk-off win over the Angels.

Then it became obvious to me - if the Dodgers want to survive this hard stretch in the schedule in which the next 12 games are against contending teams, they need someone like Uribe to play well.  And by "play well," I mean have nights where he's the hero just like Tuesday.

We all know the Dodgers' troubles - poor back end of the rotation, lack of good options in the bullpen, inconsistent offense.  So when you look at the box score and see Uribe's line of 2-for-4 with two runs, three RBIs, and a home run, you know they have a chance of winning anyway.  Take away his night, and it's another easy win for the Halos.

Uribe is capable of breaking out and having big nights.  Remember last season on July 5 when he hit a double, triple, and homer against the Giants for seven RBIs?  That was a big win that gave the Dodgers a two-game lead over their rivals.  Of course, we can't forget his game-winning homer to clinch the NLDS against the Braves.

Through it all, on good nights at the plate or bad, he's always bringing it at the hot corner with the glove.  I still feel that he was robbed of a Gold Glove last year, so maybe this year he gets his just due.  You never know with the voting on that damn award, so we'll see.

Tuesday night definitely made me appreciate what Uribe brings each game even more.  I'm not sure many people realize he's hitting .300, as he's hitting .313 since the All-Star break.  Those are numbers the Dodgers need, as it would be great to count on his consistency on a team surrounded by so much uncertainty.

Other thoughts from the game:

* Things didn't look so hot at first, but it was a tale of two Kershaws as the game progressed.  Fortunately for the Dodgers, he was unhittable in innings 4-7, making up for giving up three runs and being hit hard through three.  Overall, he finished at seven innings, seven hits, three runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts.  He'll take that.

* Then there's Brian Wilson, who might be among the game's worst setup men.  Albert Pujols tied the game in the eighth with a towering solo shot.  Granted, Pujols has done that to a lot of people, but it was predictable nonetheless.  Wilson's ERA is up to 5.05, and there's really no reason to keep running him out there in the setup role.  Enough already!

* Dee Gordon bounced back from a tough night at the plate on Monday by getting two hits, including a double.  He also made a fantastic play at second, scooping a low throw from Kershaw and flipping to first from his knees for a double play in the first.  His defense at second continues to be excellent.

* Let's also show some love to Matt Kemp, who made the most of his one single in the sixth.  He then stole second, beat out Mike Trout's throw to third on the overthrow, and came home on Scott Van Slyke's sac-fly RBI.  I don't think we're used to seeing him make noise with his legs anymore, so that was a great sign.

* Also was great to see Van Slyke in left, and not Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier.  Anyone is better than those two bums.

* Yes, I know Ethier was at the plate when Uribe scored the winning run, but his little dribbler to third pretty much summed out how little he has left to give at the plate.  It's kind of sad to watch.

Dan Haren gets the start tonight, as the series shifts to Anaheim for two.  It's probably a good thing the Dodgers were able to find a way to win this one, as Haren's stock has just plummeted.  This might not be pretty...

In playoff-like test, Dodgers flunk big time

Monday night at Dodger Stadium was about what you'd expect from a playoff game.  Sellout crowd of over 53,000; two contending teams clashing; and two good starting pitchers on the mound.

Well, if that was a test, the Dodgers earned themselves a big fat F.

Just about nothing went right, from the horrific defense, to Greinke getting hit around early, to an offense that generated zip at the plate.  The result was a sloppy 5-0 loss in which the Dodgers' lead in the NL West is down to 1 1/2 games thanks to the Giants beating the Mets.

You just never know which Dodger team will show up, and in this game it was the one that was made to look silly against the Cubs.  Not the team that swept the Giants.  Not the team that swept the Braves.  More like the team that looked lost against a last place team this past weekend.

Let's start with the defense.  It sucked.  I'll get to Hanley Ramirez's exploits in a second, but let's look at Carl Crawford, who continues to show that not only has he lost a step, but more like two or three.  To start the game off, he missed on two straight sliding catches off the bats of Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout, making it 1-0 before you could blink.  I guess the effort was there, but the execution most certainly was not.  Oh by the way, Crawford is hitting .236.

Then there's Ramirez, who continues to embarrass himself at short more and more each game.  With the Dodgers already down 2-0 and Greinke scuffling, Howie Kendrick bounced one to short that should have been the third out.  Instead, Ramirez did his best Tim Tebow impersonation by throwing it away.  Two runs later, the Dodgers were already down 4-0 before they even came to bat.

Lastly, there's good old Yasiel Puig, who was made to look silly by snail slow Albert Pujols later in the game.  Pujols singled leading off the eighth.  Josh Hamilton then flew out to Puig in center, and as Puig was once again acting way too arrogant and nonchalant, Pujols actually tagged up and went to second, mocking Puig in the process.

I actually loved seeing that, especially since Puig still acts way too cool whenever he catches a fly ball.  There's been a whole lot of good about Puig this year, but little things like that are beyond annoying, especially when his team is getting crushed on the field.  The teacher taught the student a lesson there.

All of that aside, it's not like it mattered much when the offense continues to look lost.  Garrett Richards is having a very good season with a 2.58 ERA, as he went the distance.  No disrespect to him, but the Dodgers made him look like a combination of David Price and Clayton Kershaw, as they stood no chance against him.

In fact, the Dodgers managed only five singles, and were 0-for-7 with RISP.  Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez struck out twice, and Matt Kemp three times.  There was a whole lot of swinging, and a whole lot of nothing to show for it.

The bottom line is that the Dodgers have three more games against the Angels to prove they belong in their class.  Last night, that wasn't the case at all.  At least they have Kershaw on the mound tonight, who's the ultimate guy to turn to when things are down.  Now if they still lose, then we have problems...

Ryu takes control with dominant two-hitter

Hyun-Jin Ryu would like everyone to know that he's pretty darn good, too.

On a staff where Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke get most of the attention, it was Ryu who put together a remarkable two-hit shutout of the Angels on Tuesday.  Even more remarkable?  Luis Cruz finally got on the board with a two-run homer, leading the Dodgers to a 3-0 victory.

With lots of the attention most likely at Staples Center where the Kings won a thrilling Game 7 over the Sharks to advance to the Western Conference Finals, Ryu put on a show of his own.  He walked no one and struck out seven.  The only hits surrendered were a single by Howie Kendrick in the second and double by Chris Iannetta in the eighth.

The Angels countered with old friend Joe Blanton, who's had an atrocious year coming into this game.  Well, it was almost inevitable that he'd start turning things around at some point, and the Dodgers obliged for most of the way.  The game was scoreless through 4 1/2.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Dodgers finally got things going.  Juan Uribe got another start at third and singled leading off.  In stepped Cruz, who could not have possibly started this season off any worse.  Seriously, I could make the case that he was the worst player in all of baseball.  He was red hot to end last season, and limped into this one hitting under .100.  Yet, he once again avoided a demotion, with Dee Gordon getting the honors when Jerry Hairston was reinstated from the DL a couple days ago.

Cruz took an inside fastball from Blanton and hammered it out to left, giving him his first homer and only his fourth RBI.  And you know what?  Good for him.  Nobody deserves that much frustration, so even if he is sent down when Hanley Ramirez makes his return soon, at least he has something positive to build on.

Another guy looking for something... ANYTHING, to build on is Matt Kemp.  Don Mattingly made some waves before the game for moving Kemp to the fifth spot, instead of his usual #3 or #4.  In the sixth, Kemp doubled with one out thanks to a lot of hustle getting to second.  He then scored on A.J. Ellis's RBI single, and it was 3-0.

That was more than enough to support Ryu, who was absolutely phenomenal.  I know the Angels haven't played as well as they hoped (sounds like another team I know...), but they still have Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Mark Trumbo in their lineup (Josh Hamilton was a late scratch).  For Ryu to shut them down on only 113 pitches showed just how in control he was.

For all of the offensive and fielding woes this team has gone through, just take a look at their top three in the rotation: Kershaw, Greinke, and Ryu.  We all know what Kershaw is all about, so no need to discuss him.  Greinke is still working his way back from a broken collarbone, so give him some time.  And now Ryu seems to get a little better with each start.  I'm not sure many teams would want to line up against them in a playoff series.

That's obviously getting way ahead of ourselves, especially since the Dodgers are still dead last in the NL West.  But just imagine if the offense EVER starts to score runs more consistently.  Then the wins will start to come more often.  Hey, I'm trying to keep hope alive here.

Next up is two more against the Angels with the location in Anaheim.  I refuse to refer to them by the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" or whatever the hell they call themselves these days.  That just sounds ridiculous.  Chris Capuano takes the hill against the returning Jered Weaver.

Angels attack Lindblom to claim the Freeway Series

For the second straight outing, Josh Lindblom watched his numbers skyrocket.  It also cost his team another game.

The Angels broke a three-all tie with two runs off Lindblom in the seventh, and the Dodgers couldn't respond in dropping another one, 5-3.  The Angels took two of three this weekend, and combined with losing two more against them a couple weeks ago, the Dodgers once again could not top their crosstown rivals.

About the only good news is that the Giants lost to the A's on a walk-off homer, so the lead remains at three in the NL West.

The Dodgers scored in the first inning in each game of this series.  In this one, it started with a bloop double by Andre Ethier with one out.  Old Angel Bobby Abreu again burned his old mates with an RBI single and 1-0 lead.

After Tony Gwynn made a great catch off Mark Trumbo's deep drive to right center to end the first, the Dodgers got another run in the second.  Adam Kennedy singled leading off, and Gwynn followed with one as well.  Matt Treanor laid down a great bunt to advance both men to scoring position.  Dee Gordon grounded out, but was plenty good for an RBI to make it 2-0.

Erick Aybar started the comeback by taking a walk with one out in the bottom of the second.  Peter Bourjos, who only had one homer coming into this game, hit one out to left to tie the game at two.

The Dodgers shot themselves in the foot with double play balls to end the third and fifth, the first by James "Double Play" Loney and the next by Abreu.  The Angels took advantage of that, as Mike Trout singled leading off the fifth.  After he stole second with one out, Albert Pujols grounded one through the middle for the RBI, making it 3-2.

Juan Rivera's double to start the sixth showed the Dodgers weren't going to roll over.  Loney lined one back to Garrett Richards on the mound, who couldn't quite glove it in time, allowing Rivera to get to third.  Kennedy's sac-fly RBI to center made it a whole new game at 3-3.

Harang made it through six, so Don Mattingly turned to Lindblom to try and redeem himself from last Thursday's meltdown against the A's.  Simply put, it didn't happen.

What made this outing even more frustrating was that he got the first two hitters with ease.  Then he walked Pujols and beaned Kendrys Morales.  Sure enough, those mistakes were costly, as Trumbo's RBI single made it 4-3, and Howie Kendrick hit one as well to give the Angels a 5-3 lead.

Not much happened for the Dodgers from there.  Ivan De Jesus was caught stealing to end the eighth, and Jerry Hairston, Jr.'s single to start the ninth went nowhere as Gordon struck out to end the game.

After winning two of three from the White Sox last weekend, the Dodgers have scuffled ever since, losing five of six.  Make no mistake about it, even though they're 13 games over .500, they're definitely slumping now.  In these last six, they're scored 13 runs, so the offense isn't driving in runners like they have all season long.

Then there's the Lindblom issue, who had an ERA of 2.12 two appearances ago, and now it's 3.81.  Five runs in 2/3 of an inning will do that to you.  Perhaps it's just one of those things.  Or, just maybe, he's starting to show some signs of fatigue.  I think we all have to remember that he was never meant to even be with the big club this year, but has managed to survive thanks to a variety of injuries, and because he started off the year red hot.  It looks like Ronald Belisario will now serve as the setup man, and rightfully so.

The upcoming schedule doesn't get any easier.  First up is three games in San Francisco, followed by four at home against the resurgent Mets.  The first half of the season will then conclude with three at home against the NL Central leading Reds, and four on the road in Arizona, which is never easy.  What does this all mean?  There's no gimmes, and the Dodgers could easily see their lead in the West slip away if they don't start hitting again.

You don't get to be 13 games over .500 by not responding to some adversity over the course of the season, so let's give the Dodgers the benefit of the doubt that they can do this again.  It's not like they're getting blown out, it's more like all the clutch plays are being made by the other team.  Maybe now it's time to swing that momentum back their way.

Monday night starts a big three-game set with the Giants.  I don't think the Dodgers will be shedding any tears because Matt Cain won't be getting a start.  The Dodgers took two of three from them in early May, but the Giants are a much better team now.  This should be fun.  Nathan Eovaldi goes against Barry Zito on Monday night.

The mastery of Capuano continues

The Dodgers are learning very quickly that when in doubt, turn to Chris Capuano.

Once again, Capuano put forth a fantastic effort, limiting the Angels to one run over seven innings, as the Dodgers ended a four-game slide with a win, 3-1.  The Giants survived a late charge by the A's to win again, so the lead for the Dodgers in the NL West remains at three games.

A combination of the speed of Dee Gordon and some shoddy fielding by the Angels got the boys in blue going in the first.  Gordon led off the game with a single.  He then stole second on a pitchout, which is a good measure of just how fast he is.  Jerry Hairston, Jr. grounded one to Albert Pujols at first, who tried to nail Gordon at third, only to have the ball bounce away and allow the hustling Gordon to score to make it 1-0.

Hairston soon went to third on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Juan Rivera was able to reach on Maicer Izturis's error, and the Dodgers had the early 2-0 lead.

Unlike the bumbling Chad Billingsley a day ago, Capuano made sure not to blow the early advantage.  He still let hitters reach, but came away from it unharmed for the most part thanks to some strikeouts and a couple double play balls.

In the fifth, the Angels did break through for a run.  Howie Kendrick hit a leadoff double.  Izturis then bounced one near the mound, which was gloved on a dive by Capuano for the out at first.  Kendrick easily got to third on the play, and soon scored on Erick Aybar's RBI infield single, making it 2-1.

To start the sixth, the Dodgers got that run right back.  The outfield was playing shallow with Gordon up, and he made them pay by smacking a triple to the wall.  Hairston ripped one off the third base bag for the RBI, and it was now 3-1.

Capuano exited after seven innings, turning the ball over to Ronald Belisario in the eighth, and not Josh Lindblom.  Lindblom, as you may recall, was crushed on Thursday in Oakland, surrendering the walk-off three-run shot to Yoenis Cespedes.  So, Belisario got his chance for a hold, and he immediately watched Mike Trout single and steal second.  The heart of the Angels' order, however, did nothing with it, as Torii Hunter, Pujols, and Mark Trumbo failed to score a run.

Kenley Jansen came on to record his 12th save in 15 chances, setting the Angels down in order.

After losing in a variety of different ways during the week, the Dodgers were waiting to finally get something positive going their way.  Capuano turned out to be just what they needed.  Over seven strong innings, he gave up seven hits, one run, no walks, and four strikeouts.  He had to pitch with runners on in every inning but the second, but showed how to bare down and make big pitches when needed.  Plus, he didn't walk anybody, which is always a big plus.

Even though the Mets have looked great this season, they still have to be kicking themselves to some degree for letting Capuano walk.  Right now he's 9-2 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 84 K's in 93 1/3 innings.  Also, opposing hitters have a .221 average against him.  That's pretty filthy.  He just continues to get better and better.

Someone else who left a big impact on this game was Gordon.  This was one of those reminders of just how good he could be... if he could ever get on base more.  He went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.  He actually should've been 3-for-4, but was called out on what looked like a bunt single.  Nonetheless, his speed and aggressiveness on the bases gave the Dodgers the early jump they needed, and they never looked back.  That's how good he could be.

Like last weekend, a winning effort on Sunday would equal an Interleague series win.  Aaron Harang will get the call, and he's coming off a horrendous start against the A's that resulted in eight walks in just over three innings.  Um, yuck.  Fortunately, he says he discovered a mechanical flaw, so he seems ready to go.  Let's hope so.

Rivera's blast lifts Dodgers over Angels

Tuesday night was a good one for a couple outfielders filling in the space left by Matt Kemp.

Andre Ethier got a new deal and a game-tying RBI.  Juan Rivera took the lead for good.

Rivera's three-run homer in the eighth proved to be enough, ending the Dodgers' five-game home skid with a win over the Angels, 5-2.  They're now the first team in the majors with 40 wins.

The Angels got the win in the first game, and they started out on top in this one.  In the third, pitcher Jerome Williams smacked a double to center with one out.  Now with two outs, Torii Hunter drew a walk and Albert Pujols singled.  Kendrys Morales grounded an easy one to second, but Adam Kennedy booted it, allowing a run to score.

Rivera started off his big night by tying the game in the fourth.  A.J. Ellis hit in the #2 hole and singled leading off.  Ethier also singled, which led to an RBI single from Rivera to make it 1-1.

The score remained locked until the sixth, when another infield error burned the Dodgers.  Morales walked and Mark Trumbo singled to start.  Aaron Harang got the next two outs, but Hank Conger singled to load the bases.  This time it was Dee Gordon who made the error, scoring Morales to put the Angels up 2-1.

With Williams rolling on the mound, he was left in to pitch the eighth.  Elian Herrera entered the game for Kennedy at second the inning before, and he walked with an out.  Gordon's grounder forced him for two down.  Gordon then took off for second and was called safe for his third stolen base of the night, but in all reality, was probably out after looking at the replay.

The Dodgers took the break, as Ellis got on base again with a walk for two on.  Ethier then tied the game with RBI single.  Mike Scioscia, who was celebrating his own bobblehead night from his great career with the boys in blue, chose to leave Williams in to pitch to Rivera.

Uh, bad move.  Rivera smoked the first pitch he saw into left for a three-run tater, and the Dodgers were now up 5-2. 

Kenley Jansen struck out the first two hitters he faced, then got Pujols to line out to center for this 10th save.

The Angels definitely have a reason to think they could've won this one had Gordon's last steal gone in their favor.  But, there were still two outs, so the Dodgers still had to make things happen in order to win.  That's exactly what happened.  Like it or not, the Dodgers were given an opportunity, and they pounced all over it.

Harang had his fourth straight solid start, and is really turning into a good option in the back end of the rotation.  He went seven innings for six hits, two runs (none earned), four walks, and five strikeouts.  He did load the bases a couple of times, which is obviously dangerous, but his defense let him down as well.  Still, he more than gave his team a chance to win, and that's what eventually happened.

Like I said before, the day belonged to the guys in the outfield, even though Rivera started at first in this one.  Ethier and Rivera combined for four hits, two runs, and five RBIs.  I'm sure Ethier is relieved to have his deal all taken care of, but was naturally a little nervous to show his worth right away.  Rivera continues to find ways to drive in runs, and by being versatile enough to play first base.  And that's another reason why the Dodgers keep winning.

Also worth noting is that Juan Uribe made his first start since going on the DL in mid-May.  It's always good when players are healthy, but now Don Mattingly has to juggle guys like Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Elian Herrera, who both have played so well this season.  For Uribe's sake, he better start hitting, or he won't be an everyday starter, that's for sure.

The rubber match of the Freeway Series is Wednesday night, and it's a good pitching matchup.  Nathan Eovaldi makes his fourth start with a sparkling 1.93 ERA... and an 0-2 record.  Winning won't be easy this time either, as C.J. Wilson goes for the Angels.

At long last, Kuroda gets some support

For the first time since May 17, Hiroki Kuroda can actually thank his offense.

The Dodgers scattered 13 hits, stole four bases, and Kuroda went seven strong in shutting out the Angels, 5-0. He had been on a six-game losing streak, which was in large part due to incredibly poor run support. Single runs in the first four innings were all he needed to win this one.

Tony Gwynn led off the game with a double, part of his huge 3-for-3 night with three walks. Casey Blake sacrificed him over to third, and Andre Ethier lifted a sac-fly RBI to center for the early 1-0 lead.

Aaron Miles started the second with a single, and he too had a big game by going 4-for-4 with a walk. Trent Oeltjen and A.J. Ellis both got out, but Dee Gordon kept the inning alive with a single to left. Gwynn collected an RBI with a single to shallow left, and it was 2-0.

The Dodgers just kept adding to the score the next couple of innings. In the third, Ethier singled leading off and went to second on Matt Kemp's groundout. Miles came through with an RBI single, making it 3-0.

The score became 4-0 in the fourth. Gwynn legged out a beautiful bunt with one down. Blake then grounded one to Alberto Callaspo at short, and his throw was off the mark, allowing Gwynn to hustle to third. Ethier was then beaned in the leg to load 'em up. Kemp got enough of one for a sac-fly RBI to score a run.

The last run was scored in the seventh, and it was all thanks to some great baserunning by the speedy Gordon and Gwynn. Ellis led off and was drilled. Gordon's grounder forced him at second, but Gordon soon stole second. After Gwynn drew another walk, Gordon went to third on an attempted throw behind for runners on the corners. On a double steal attempt, Gwynn avoided a tag in a rundown as Gordon scampered home to steal a run and make it a 5-0 lead.

All the while, Kuroda was magnificent, never letting any baserunner to cause any damage. He finished at seven innings pitched for three hits, no runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. It's almost laughable that his record is only 6-9 with a sparkling 2.90 ERA. If the National League is looking at more pitchers for the All-Star game, he still deserves some serious attention. It's not his fault that his offense hasn't backed him up on numerous occasions.

Mike MacDougal came on in the eighth and things got a bit dicey for a little. Macier Izturis and Callaspo each singled with one out. Bobby Abreu grounded into a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. On a 3-0 count, Vernon Wells swung away and grounded to second.

Javy Guerra gave up a leadoff single in the ninth, but struck out Hank Conger to end the game in the non-save situation. His ERA is now down to 2.20 after another successful appearance.

While Kuroda was awesome, the combination of Gwynn and Miles were literally perfect all night. 11 plate appearances, 11 times on base. Can it get any better? Doesn't seem so. Gwynn has enjoyed life as a leadoff hitter in recent games. He had three hits last Sunday, four on Monday, two walks on Tuesday, and now six times on base on Friday. His OBP at the start of June was .244, and now it's shot all the way up to .318. Great stuff.

As for Miles, he just continues to do everything the Dodgers can ask of him. He's hit in many spots at the top and bottom of the lineup, plays second and third base, and starts or comes off the bench. All the while, he's hitting .324 with only three errors. As a non-roster invitee coming into the season, he's been one of the most valuable players on the team. Much like Jamey Carroll, his versatility has been clutch.

It's no secret that the Dodgers haven't enjoyed much success in the Freeway Series, so getting any win against the hated Angels is a positive. Shutting them out in their own house is even better. Now, the key is to not turn this into a Twins situation, in which the Dodgers won the first game easily (remember 15-0?) and then dropped the next two. Getting a weekend game will be key.

Saturday's matchup will be a rematch of the great duel last Sunday between Clayton Kershaw and Jared Weaver. The Dodgers eeked that one out... with a little assist from the guys calling the game. Hopefully this time they won't be needed for a win.

Dodgers fight back for a W... with some help

Dee Gordon used his legs to get the Dodgers back into the game in the ninth inning on Sunday.

He also used the help of the boys in blue calling the game.

Two very close calls went the Dodgers' way, as Gordon's steal of second and scamper to home on a sacrifice fly tied the game, and Tony Gwynn's walk-off single gave the Dodgers a victory over the Angels, 3-2. The win closes out the homestand at 4-8.

The game featured a matchup of two stud aces in Clayton Kershaw and Jared Weaver, and boy did they not disappoint. Unless you're a fan of hitting, that is. You can take the opening six frames and throw them out since nobody could score.

The Angels were the first team to break through in the seventh. Erik Aybar led off with a double. Howie Kendrick then lifted a sinking liner to Matt Kemp in center, but Kemp's dive was unsuccessful as Aybar scored to go up 1-0. Playing the ball straight up would have held him at third, but you can't fault Kemp's effort.

In the bottom of the inning, the Dodgers tied it right up. With two down, Kershaw was given the go-ahead to hit, even though this would normally be a pinch-hitting situation. It was the right call from Don Mattingly, as Kershaw singled to keep the inning alive. Gwynn was the leadoff hitter in this game, and he stroked an RBI triple to tie the game.

With the game still deadlocked heading into the ninth, Mattingly stuck with his ace. It worked for two outs, but then Vernon Wells stepped up and deposited a pitch into deep left for a solo homer and 2-1 advantage.

In came closer Jordan Walden, and Juan Uribe greeted him with a walk. Gordon got the day off until this point when he was summoned to pinch-run. With Dioner Navarro up, Gordon took off for second and was called safe on a play in which it looked like he may have slid right off the bag. Navarro then walked to put two on.

Jamey Carroll laid down a great sacrifice to put runners in scoring position with one down. Aaron Miles hit for Kershaw, and on a two-strike count, lifted a fly ball to center fielder Peter Bourjos. As Gordon came home, Jeff Mathis had the plate blocked and Gordon had to slide through him. Once again, it looked like he was out, but instead, was called safe and the game was tied.

Trent Oeltjen ran for Navarro at second, and Gwynn gathered his third hit of the day with a single to left to give the Dodgers a feel-good moment to close out the long homestand.

The Dodgers only won four games in a span of two weeks, so it's not like they can be happy about how they played. They started off by losing five straight to the Reds and Astros, then won three straight, including two of three against the Tigers, then dropped two more against the Angels. They just can't find any sort of consistency.

But, Sunday was a great win in that they had to fight back to win it. Granted, the calls in the ninth could have (maybe should have?) gone against them, but the Dodgers still had to earn this one. It was good to see guys not named Andre Ethier or Kemp do the damage.

Kershaw has battled like crazy all year long, and once again showed why he needs to be one of the top pitchers selected for the upcoming All-Star game. He lasted the whole game for six hits, two runs, no walks, and 11 strikeouts. He's now at 8-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. That's just fantastic.

With Gordon's recent struggles at the plate, it was good to see Gwynn get his shot and come through with flying colors leading off. He's only hitting .230 on the season, but has yet to receive any consistent playing time in left. He's certainly been used as a defensive replacement on many occasions, and has done very well in that role. Maybe now that Jerry Sands is in the minors and Marcus Thames has a bad leg, he can get more starts and show what he can do.

The Dodgers have a lot of work to do if they plan on getting back into the race in the NL West, as they remain 9 1/2 games in back of the Giants. They now venture off to Minnesota to play the lifeless Twins, who have tumbled to the bottom of the AL Central with five straight loses. Chad Billingsley will go against Nick Blackburn on Monday.

Angels run away from Dodgers

Those signs of the life the Dodgers showed against the Tigers have quickly faded away.

For the second straight game, the Angels turned it on late to pull away from the Dodgers. This time it was on a late three-run homer by Vernon Wells to get the win, 6-1. The Angels have outscored the Dodgers 14-4 in the first couple of games.

Hiroki Kuroda got the start, and he's been stuck in a miserable slump where he's pitched well, but his team hasn't supported him for a win since May 17. He got through the first eight hitters in order before pitcher Tyler Chatwood singled to keep the third inning alive. Leadoff hitter Eric Aybar stroked an RBI triple to make it 1-0.

The following inning, Marc Trumbo made some more noise for the Angels with two outs, this time on a solo shot for a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers got their first hit of the game on a single by Jamey Carroll with one out, but was quickly erased on a double play ball from Andre Ethier.

The fifth inning was interesting for a couple of reasons. Matt Kemp led off and struck out looking. As he was in the dugout, he continued jawing to home plate umpire Chris Conroy and was given the boot. It looked like Don Mattingly brought up the age old debate if umpires should just ignore conversations from the dugout, but Kemp seemed to earn this one.

James Loney and Aaron Miles each singled next, and both advanced a base on an error by Bobby Abreu. Chatwood then walked Trent Oeltjen to load the bases and A.J. Ellis to force in a run, making it 2-1. Casey Blake pinch-hit for Kuroda, ripped one that would have scored a couple, but instead it was snagged at second by Howie Kendrick, who then flipped to first for the double play. So it goes for the Dodgers.

You got the feeling that that play deflated any hope of the Dodgers coming back, as they went into an offensive shell the rest of the way. It's not Kenley Jansen's fault, as he did a great job getting through the sixth and seventh in order with a couple of strikeouts to keep the score as is. Since making a return from injury, he's pitched 4 2/3 innings in three appearances without a run and seven strikeouts. Now that's more like it.

You definitely can blame Matt Guerrier and Hong-Chih Kuo, who combined go surrender four runs in the eighth to send Dodger fans to the exits. It started on a double with an out by Russell Branyan. Now with two outs, Kendrick hit an RBI single, and it was 3-1. Kuo came in, walked Abreu, then watched Wells crush a three-run homer for the 6-1 lead.

The Dodgers put a couple of runners on in the ninth on a walk by Tony Gwynn and single by Loney, but as usual, couldn't drive them in, and mercifully the game was over.

Kuroda pitched well, as he went five innings for three hits, two runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. In fact, he's pitched well enough in his last five starts to earn wins, yet never gets the offensive support. It's pretty embarrassing that he has a 3.10 ERA and only a 5-9 record. It should be the other way around.

The offense managed only five hits and four walks the entire game. They were completely shut down by Chatwood, who must love this Interleague stuff considering he's pitched 14 innings of one-run ball against the Mets and Dodgers combined. Plus, you eliminate a couple more at-bats from the ejected Kemp, and it's an uphill battle to say the least.

The biggest disappointment was watching Guerrier and Kuo get smacked around in the eighth. Before the season, these were two of your top guys penciled in to get big outs late in the game. 78 games into the season, Guerrier's ERA is 4.50, and Kuo's is 12.79. It's no wonder this team is 10 games back in the NL West. What appeared to be their calling card has instead turned into a disaster.

The final game of this series will be on Sunday afternoon before the two meet again next weekend in Anaheim. The matchup on the mound will be awesome, as Clayton Kershaw goes against Jared Weaver. Two of the best young hurlers in the game should make scoring runs at a premium.

At long last, Dodgers beat the Angels

The Dodgers slugged their way past Scott Kazmir and the bullpen in finally beating the Angels after five losses, 10-6. The game featured an odd delay in which some of the lights went out. Thankfully it didn't matter.

Facing the embarrassment of getting swept for the season by the Angels, the bats came alive in a big fourth after being down 1-0 on Bobby Abreu's RBI single in the first.

Matt Kemp started the rally with a single. James Loney was then beaned. Casey Blake flew out to deep center on a nice catch by Torii Hunter, which allowed Kemp to tag to third. Russell Martin walked to load the bases, and Reed Johnson's infield single tied the game at 1-1.

Rafael Furcal has been through a roller coaster of emotions lately, so he really needed something positive to happen. It did, as he laced a two-run double to go up 3-1. Jamey Carroll followed with an RBI single and Andre Ethier an RBI fielder's choice to make it 5-1.

Of course, the inning wouldn't be complete without another boneheaded baserunning blunder. When Ethier grounded back to the mound, the throw to second to get Carroll was late. For reasons only known to him, Carroll then walked off the base thinking he was out, and was tagged trying to get back.

Mike Napoli launched a solo shot to cut the lead to 5-2. Loney reached on an error in the fifth, went to third on Blake's single, and scored on Martin's sac-fly RBI.

The Angels made a run in the bottom of the fifth to make it interesting again. It all came with two outs, as Charlie Haeger gave up a single and walk. Ramon Troncoso came on, and he surrendered RBI singles to Hunter and Hideki Matsui to make it 6-4. Napoli grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

In the seventh, Ethier doubled to lead off. Manny Ramirez came through with an RBI single for a 7-4 lead. Loney eventually walked, and Blake's RBI single increased the score to 8-4.

Manny again hit an RBI single in the eighth to score Carroll. Their final run was scored on Loney's RBI single.

Justin Miller got through the eighth and was kept on to finish the game. That didn't go so well, as Kevin Frandsen's RBI double kept hope alive. George Sherrill came in, and you didn't think he'd actually get a big out, did you? Of course not! Abreu singled home a run to make it 10-6.

Jonathan Broxton was brought in, and he got some help when Martin gunned down Abreu trying to go to third on a pitch in the dirt. Hunter and Matsui struck out swinging to put this game in the books.

Haeger didn't exactly have a great start, as he lasted 4 2/3 innings for five hits, four runs, four walks, and five strikeouts. He had a great chance to get a win, but crumbled in the fifth after getting two outs. His ERA stands at a whopping 8.40.

The real star of the night was Martin, who looked great in nailing three runners trying to steal, in addition to Abreu in the ninth. Plus, he had a sac-fly RBI, took a couple walks, and scored a run. It was an all-around good effort for him.

Other than Martin, every batter had at least a hit. Blake and Carroll had three each, and Furcal, Manny, and Kemp had two each. I've talked before about the need for production throughout the lineup, and that was certainly the case on Thursday. I'd say 15 hits and four walks counts as a big night at the plate.

One day after suffering through about the worst baserunning I've ever seen in my life, it's good the Dodgers didn't have a hangover. They swung the bats like they were determined to win. Granted, the Angels clearly got the better of them this year. The Dodgers desperately needed this one, and they got it.

Next up should be a fun three-game set in Dodger Stadium as the Yankees come to town. I'm surprised the schedule makers didn't plan this one for New York with Joe Torre making his return. But either way, it'll be great to watch.

The rotation sets up well for the Dodgers, as it'll be Vicente Padilla tonight, followed by Hiroki Kuroda and Clayton Kershaw this weekend. The Yankees can say the same with C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte.

3-0 lead doesn't hold up

The Dodgers were cruising through five innings on Tuesday night in Anaheim. Matt Kemp homered, Clayton Kershaw was dealin', and the losing streak looked like it would come to an end.

Then the sixth inning came, and all those good vibes got washed away.

Clayton Kershaw surrendered a big three-run homer to Bobby Abreu to tie the game, and the Angels got three more runs the next inning to take the win, 6-3. The Dodgers have now lost five straight.

The third inning started what appeared to be a good night for the Dodgers. Jamey Carroll singled with one down and eventually went to third on a throwing error by Jeff Mathis. Russell Martin then drew a walk for runners on the corners. Needing some sort of big hit to get him going, Andre Ethier delivered with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.

Manny Ramirez struck out, but James Loney picked him up with an RBI single, and it was 2-0.

Speaking of people needing a big hit, Matt Kemp was one as well. He looked like his old self (not that he's close to being old yet, but you know what I mean) by taking a pitch to right-center for a solo shot in the fourth. He didn't try to do too much to it by pulling the ball - he simply went with it and powered it out.

The Angels threatened in the bottom of the fourth when Kevin Frandsen and Abreu walked leading off. But, a big double play ball from Torii Hunter and lazy fly ball from Hideki Matsui squashed the threat.

Unfortunately, Kershaw didn't get better as the game went on, he only got worse.

Brandon Wood walked and Howie Kendrick singled to open the sixth. On a 2-1 pitch, Abreu hit a three-run homer to dead center to tie the game. After all the momentum the Dodgers had built up throughout the game, it vanished in one swing. That's the way it's been going lately.

The bottom of the seventh started with a double by Juan Rivera. Mike Napoli struck out next. Rivera was given third on a balk, but was then picked off for two outs. Needing one more big out, Kershaw just couldn't do it, giving up consecutive singles to Mathis and Wood.

That would be it for Kershaw, who was no doubt scuffling at 103 pitches. Ronald Belisario was brought in, and this is a spot he would have gotten out of last year. Not this time, as Kendrick hit an RBI single and Frandsen a two-run double for the 6-3 lead.

The Dodgers tried to mount a comeback in the eighth, but came up empty. Garret Anderson singled leading off, and Casey Blake reached on an error. Lo and behold, Kemp hit into a double play and Blake DeWitt lined out to end the inning.

Manny flied out to end the game and give Brian Fuentes his 11th save.

This would have been a good win for the Dodgers had they held on. Instead, they only showed up for half a game. That's just not good enough against a solid team like the Angels. The Angels have plenty of injuries themselves, most notably Kendry Morales being out for the season with a broken leg. But they still produce when given the opportunity. The Dodgers aren't doing nearly enough of that right now.

After starting off June with a 7-2 record, the Dodgers are now in a 2-8 tailspin. I talked a week or so ago about the tough schedule they'd have the rest of the month (Red Sox, Angels, Yankees, and Giants). To be honest, I was hoping they'd play at least .500 ball. Instead, they're playing .000 ball.

Maybe all they need is one win to get them going again. But they'll need to earn it, as they can't execute poorly in big situations and expect to beat good teams. Leaving nine men on base, including five with two outs in scoring position like last night, is not going to cut it.

Someone has to stop the bleeding, and John Ely will give it his best shot tonight. He's been whacked around himself lately, so we'll see what kind of resiliency he has. Hopefully the bats will back him up as well.

Dodgers swept at home by the Angels

The Dodgers put up a late fight, but it wasn't meant to be. An early 5-1 lead helped the Angels claim their first sweep ever in Dodger Stadium, 6-5. The loss dropped the Dodgers' homestand record to 8-5. Also, they remain a game back in the NL West to the Padres.

Carlos Monasterios got his final spot start (at least for now) and had a rough start. Eric Aybar singled and stole second to begin the game. An RBI single from Bobby Abreu made it 1-0. After a walk to Torii Hunter, Hideki Matsui's RBI single put the score at 2-0.

Rafael Furcal quickly cut that lead in half by hitting a leadoff homer for the Dodgers. That was his first leadoff shot of the season.

Following a second inning that ended with Aybar grounding into a double play, the Angels got right back to work in the third. It came with two outs, a theme that killed the Dodgers these three games. Hunter hit a solo shot to center for a 3-1 lead. Matsui then doubled and Howie Kendrick hit another double, and it was 4-1.

With Jeff Weaver now in, Abreu singled and stole second with one out. Now with two down, the Angels again had a big at-bat, this time an RBI single from Matsui to make it 5-1.

It sure looked like the Dodgers were going to pack it in and call it a game. But, they did just the opposite. For the first time in three games, their offense showed signs of life. Even though it was an eventual loss, at least they made a game out of it.

It all started in the seventh. Manny Ramirez doubled for the second time to lead off. James Loney hit an RBI double to go down 5-2. Ronnie Belliard struck out, and Reed Johnson's groundout advanced Loney to third. Blake DeWitt then hit an RBI single to right, and it was 5-3.

Only down two runs, Justin Miller came on to start the eighth. He got Kendrick out, but then gave up a solo homer to Mike Napoli to put the score up to 6-3 for the Angels.

Fernando Rodney then entered, and he immediately walked Russell Martin. Andre Ethier popped up, but Manny singled for runners on the corners. Loney scored them both on a two-run double that seemed to roll forever to the wall.

Now down 6-5, the Dodgers had a perfect chance to score Loney from second with one out. The Angels would have cashed in with this opportunity. The Dodgers, however, did not. Belliard struck out again and Johnson popped to short.

Still down a run in the ninth, Casey Blake pinch-hit and walked. Now up came Matt Kemp, who did not start this game because of his recent slump. Well, it didn't get any better, as he again struck out. A game-ending double play from Raffy put this game in the books.

As I talked about after the last game, the loss doesn't mean the Dodgers had a bad homestand. 8 wins in 13 games is pretty good. But, obviously knowing that they could have had one or two more makes it slightly bittersweet.

Couple a sweep with the fact that the rest of this month brings a really tough schedule, and the Dodgers certainly have their work cut out for them. After visiting the Reds for three, they then go play the Red Sox and Angels for three more each. Their reward for coming back home? The Yankees for three. Then they close June by visiting the Giants for three. Ouch.

As of today, the Reds, Red Sox, Angels, Yankees, and Giants have a combined record of 187-136. Each team is either at the top of near the top of their respective division. Simply put, these teams are really good.

With the Dodgers pretty much at full strength, we're about to see what they're made of. Can they handle the rigorous schedule? Or, will they come up short in key situations like they did against the Angels? Time will tell.

Following a day off on Monday, they will be in Cincinnati starting Tuesday. Hiroki Kuroda goes the first game against Aaron Harang.

Offense stays quiet in loss

For the second straight night, it was the Angels getting the big hits, as they defeated the Dodgers, 4-2. The loss combined with a Padres' win means the Padres have a one game lead in the NL West.

The Dodgers were looking to get the bad taste out of their mouths from getting trampled 10-1 the night before. The opening three innings were scoreless as John Ely and Scott Kazmir were comfortably settling in.

The fourth inning was different, as Ely scuffled and the Angels pounced. It started with a double by Howie Kendrick. After advancing to third on Bobby Abreu's groundout, Torii Hunter's RBI double made it 1-0. Two hitters later, Juan Rivera crushed a two-run shot to left to put the score at 3-0.

Another double by Kendrick the following inning made it 4-0. At this point, it sure looked like the Dodgers might be done, as their offense couldn't put much of anything together.

The lone highlight of the game came in the fifth when the Dodgers finally got some runs. Jamey Carroll was the spark plug, as he doubled to lead off. One out later, Rafael Furcal drew a walk for two on. Russell Martin came through in an RBI spot, as his double scored two by slash the deficit to 4-2.

Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Belisario did a nice job of holding the Angels down for the rest of the game. But, the bats blew a big opportunity to at least tie the game in the seventh. Once again, it was Carroll who started the inning in a good way by walking. Garret Anderson pinch-hit and singled with nobody out. Raffy tried to bunt, but popped up instead for one out. Martin then drew a walk to load the bases.

With Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp due up, it sure looked like the runs would follow. But, that just didn't happen. Ethier struck out and Kemp grounded into a forceout to end the inning. The Dodgers would never recover.

This was not a night for Kemp to remember, as he pulled the big 0-for-4 hitting in the fourth spot in the order. He doesn't have a hit since June 7 against the Cardinals. After hitting .291 in May, he's now 8-for-45 in June for a .178 average and two extra-base hits. Simply put, the Dodgers need to get more production and less strikeouts out of him.

Ely suffered his second straight rough start, going five innings for six hits, four runs, three walks, and two strikeouts. It's not like he got bombed, but fell victim to the longball again. He's still getting used to the whole major league thing, so tough starts like this are to be expected.

With one game to go in the homestand, their record stands at 8-4. Even with a loss today, winning 8 of 13 games is pretty good. But, they were 8-2 at one point, so it would be a disappointment to end it by getting swept. For whatever reason, the Angels play really well in Dodger Stadium.

Once again, it's Carlos Monasterios earning a spot start on Sunday. This appears to be the final one with Vicente Padilla about a week away from returning. Monasterios will go against Jared Weaver, who's historically pitched very well against the Dodgers.

Kobe likes watching the Dodgers take the Freeway Series

Before the game even started, the Dodgers got a bit of luck on their side - Kobe Bryant showed up behind their dugout. His good vibes must have rubbed off, as the Dodgers got a big win to claim the Freeway Series, 5-3.

The win was especially big for young Clayton Kershaw, who showed the kind of dominance that can become a staple of his for years to come. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up four hits, four walks, and five strikeouts. It seems like he's either brilliant or lousy, and the last two starts have been the former with 12 and 2/3 scoreless innings.

Both Kershaw and John Lackey held the offenses in check over the beginning four innings. Of course, the Dodgers loaded the bases in the fourth, and in following with their tradition of taking a walk or not getting a hit, they didn't get a hit. At least James Loney lined out to third rather than striking out.

Juan Pierre had a big night, and it all started in the fifth. Matt Kemp lead off with a single and advanced on Brad Ausmus' bunt. Pierre then laced a double to right to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

The bottom of the fifth was the Angels' biggest chance to score, but they came up empty. Kershaw loaded the bases with nobody down on two walks and a fielder's choice that was botched. Bobby Abreu could've really made his mark on this game...

...and he did, by grounding into a double play, pitcher to home to first. Torii Hunter then popped out, and it was a huge bullet dodged. Kershaw cruised after that.

More runs were tacked on, starting with another RBI double by Pierre in the seventh to go up 2-0. Loney just hit a two-run homer that was held up by video replay to make it 4-0 in the eighth. Casey Blake's RBI single in the ninth was another insurance run.

Jonathan Broxton was asked to get a four-out save, and it wasn't an easy ride. Hunter's RBI double and Juan Rivera's run-scoring single slashed it to 5-3. Blake made a nice stop of a hot grounder from Matt Napoli to end the game.

After dropping Friday's game, one in which they had every chance to win, it's once again to the Dodgers' credit to fight back and win. To say they've had very little success in Anaheim would be an understatement. Watching them get two of three was fantastic.

A day off comes Monday, followed by more Interleague play in Chicago against the White Sox. Hiroki Kuroda looked for his second win of the year on Tuesday. He also looks to get back on track after two bad starts.

Jeff is the better Weaver on this night

The Battle of the Weavers wasn't quite the pitching duel that people thought it could be, but that was okay for Jeff. The older Weaver gave up two runs in five innings, and a two-run triple by Andre Ethier was the big blow as the Dodgers won, 6-4.

The Angels tacked on a couple of runs in the first two innings. A single by Chone Figgins and a throwing error by Jeff put him at third to start the game. Bobby Abreu, kind of an unusual choice for a #2 hitter, singled him home for the quick lead.

Kendry Morales lead off the second with a solo shot to make it 2-0. The younger Weaver cruised through the first six batters in the order.

The third is when something monumental happened: Russell Martin hit a home run. Yes, I did just say that. It wasn't a cheap one either, as he launched one to left to make it 2-1. Kudos to the Dodgers' dugout for giving him the silent treatment at first. I love seeing that!

That homer ignited the Dodgers, as they took over the game after that. Still in the third, the bases got loaded with one down on walks to Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal, and a single by Juan Pierre. A sac-fly RBI by Orlando Hudson, something he couldn't do the previous night, made it tied at two.

The fifth is when the Dodgers broke it open, all with two outs. With James Loney on first and Hudson on second, Casey Blake hit an RBI single to make it 3-2. The big blow was Ethier's triple that scored both, and it was 5-2.

A wild pitch scored Martin to tack on another run in the sixth. Gary Matthews Jr. took Jonathan Broxton deep for a two-run homer in the ninth, and that was it for scoring.

Give Jeff plenty of credit here, as it sure looked like Jared would get the better of him after two innings. Jeff didn't walk anybody over five innings, striking out four. The no walks is something Chad Billingsley could learn from. He let his defense do their job, and it worked.

Once again, Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso were great. How good was Belisario? All five of his outs were strikeouts. Wow.

About the only bad spot was Broxton's ninth, but he's still battling a sore right big toe. And when I say big, I mean really, really BIG. Seriously, just imagine that thing. Yikes.

I'm glad Martin has finally gotten on the board with a longball. A 3-for-4 night raised his average to .249. He's 5-for-9 his last three games, so maybe things are starting to click for him. His average is still only .173 in June, so it's not like it can get much worse.

The final game of the Freeway Series for 2009 is on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Clayton Kershaw will take on John Lackey. Kershaw was great in a no-decision against the A's last start. Lackey has pitched 21 straight scoreless innings against the Dodgers at home.

Blown chances doom Dodgers

A 4-1 lead heading into the sixth inning was not big enough for the Dodgers, as the Angels surged ahead to claim the 5-4 win. It was a game marked by many great defensive plays for the Dodgers, as well as missed opportunities at the plate.

The first run came in the second when Russell Martin singled, Mitch Jones was hit by a pitch, and Rafael Furcal walked to load the bases. It seems like this happens to the Dodgers quite often, which is obviously a good thing. But, as my friend pointed out to me during the the game, "They'd have 10 less wins if it wasn't for the bases loaded walk." Probably true.

So naturally, that's the only way they scored. Orlando Hudson popped up to second for two down, but Casey Blake drew a close walk. Still loaded, Andre Ethier grounded out.

"Bad" Vlad Guerrero tied it up in the third with an RBI single to right, scoring Chone Figgins. I've had Vlad in my keeper fantasy league since 2002, and it's nice to know he's still alive. With one homer and 10 RBIs, it's safe to say I'm leaning towards letting him go for next year. Just a thought.

The Dodgers reclaimed the lead via the long ball, something I don't get to say too much. James Loney took a hanging breaking ball and crushed it over the right field fence to go up 2-1. In the fifth, Raffy hit a two-run shot for the 4-1 lead. It was his first homer since June 6, which happened to tie the game in the ninth against the Phillies.

With Chad Billingsley on the mound, it sure looked like it would be a good night for L.A. And it was... for the posers that claim they play in that city, when they actually really don't.

Billingsley went back to some old habits, as he gave up two walks and a single to load the bases with one down. His control was never really there, and he paid for it. A single by Maicer Izturis scored a couple, and a sac-fly RBI by Matt Napoli tied the game at four. Just like that, we were back to even.

In the eighth, the Dodgers again had the bases loaded, and again couldn't get that big hit. Juan Pierre fouled out to third to end the threat. In the bottom half, Juan Rivera worked a long at-bat to eventually hit the game-winning homer to left off of Guillermo Mota, putting the Angels up for good.

Up eight games in the NL West, the Dodgers obviously can afford to drop some games like this. Still, this is one they should've had, with their top pitcher on the mound and a three run lead. The defense did its part, highlighted by a third to first to shortstop double play to end the second, and an incredible diving catch by Blake with the bases loaded the next inning.

But Billingsley ended up walking five in six innings, which is way too many. The bats left 11 on base, with seven in scoring position and two outs. You have to think that with just one more big hit, the Dodgers could've claimed this one.

Today's game will be the battle of the Weaver brothers, Jeff and Jared. Jeff gets the spot start with Eric Milton and Eric Stults still on the DL. Hopefully older bro will help the Dodgers get only their fifth win in their last 22 games at Angel Stadium.

Runs galore as Angels take the Freeway Series

The Dodgers and Angels split the first two games of the Freeway Series, as both teams had trouble driving in runners on base. That wouldn't be a problem today, as the Angels were able to do a little more, winning 10-7.

The second inning was great for L.A. (you know, the team that actually DOES play there, not the imitators). Rookie Jamie Hoffmann, getting his first ever start in the majors, launched a three-run shot to put the Dodgers up 4-0. With Chad Billingsley on the mound, all signs pointed to a victory.

The Angels, however, had other ideas. Frustrated by not being able to take advantage of runners on base the first couple of games, Torii Hunter lead the way in knocking around Billingsley.

It all started in the third with RBIs on Rob Quinlan's double and Chone Figgins' single. That slashed the lead to 4-2, but Billingsley was able to get through the next two innings unscathed.

With a low pitch count, Billingsley entered the sixth with some momentum. That was short-lived, as the Angles put up a three spot to take the lead. Four straight hitters reached base to start the inning, as Hunter and Juan Rivera hit RBI singles, and Kendry Morales hit a sac-fly RBI.

Billingsley left after six innings, and Cory Wade tried to keep it a one-run game. That didn't happen, as Hunter again struck with a two-run single, pushing their lead to 7-4.

Despite not scoring for five innings, the Dodgers refused to go quietly. Darren Oliver came on to pitch for the Angles, and Orlando Hudson and Casey Blake greeted him with singles. James Loney hit a sac-fly RBI, and it was now 7-5.

Hoffmann would continue his memorable day by doubling just in front of a sliding Bobby Abreu to score Matt Kemp, and it was now 7-6. Mark Loretta pinch-hit and was walked intentionally to load the bases, and it was now up to pinch-hitting Rafael Furcal and Pierre to get something done with one out.

Well, they did get something done, just not for the Dodgers. Raffy grounded into a fielder's choice to force Kemp at home, and Pierre grounded out. That was as close as the Dodgers would get.

Brent Leach and Ramon Troncoso were pretty much awful in the ninth, as the Angles added three more runs to make it 10-6. Blake hit an RBI double to close out the scoring on this day.

The offense certainly can't be faulted, as they were able to make plenty of things happen. The pitching never came through, though. Billingsley gave up five runs (four earned) in six innings, but did strike out six.

The bullpen was even worse. Wade could only get two outs while giving up two runs, Leach gave up one run 1/3 of an inning, and Troncoso gave up two runs in 2/3. Five runs in three innings for the bullpen just won't get it done.

The loss today gives the Dodgers only their second series loss at home out of eight total. That's still very impressive. The Angels, like always, are a very solid team, so it's not like they lost to some scrubs. It's a good thing for them that their players aren't as dumb as their team name is.

The Dodgers will now hit the road for seven games, starting with three in Colorado. Eric Stults will get the start on Memorial Day.