In case you didn't see last night's game and only looked at the box score, you were probably mad that Andre Ethier was benched in favor of Juan Pierre. Turns out, Ethier wasn't even there.
Ethier flew home to Chandler, Arizona to be with his wife on the birth of their first child. Joe Torre said that he will definitely miss today's game as well, and then who knows from there. The Dodgers fly to Pittsburgh for 4 starting Monday.
In his place, Pierre will probably get the start again. He is 7-17 lifetime against starting pitcher Aaron Cook, so I guess it's the logical thing to do. I like that he's not hitting leadoff and in the #2 hole instead. I hope that's the case again today.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Kershaw steps up
Clayton Kershaw made sure that the horrors of pitching in Coors Field would not resurface, as he led the Dodgers over the Colorado Rockies, 5-1. It was a doubly good night, as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in 10 innings, meaning the NL West lead for LA is now at 4.5 games. And getting larger by the day.
The Dodgers never trailed in this game, but they were tied at 1 after 3 innings. Casey Blake started the 2nd inning by hitting one out to left, his 9th as a Dodger. Clint Barmes responded an inning later with a 2 out single to score Willy Taveras and knot the score at 1.
From there, it was all Dodgers, as they put up a 3 spot in the 4th inning that was more than enough to put this game away. Matt Kemp led off with a single, and Blake DeWitt walked for 2 on. Angel Berroa, who is somehow giving the Dodgers great production in the #8 hole, doubled home Kemp to regain the lead. After Kershaw grounded out, Russell Martin hit an RBI single and Juan Pierre hit a sac-fly RBI for the 4-1 lead.
The real story on this night, however, was Kershaw, who really gave the Dodgers a huge start. His final line was 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Giving up 4 hits is great, but the real key is that he kept the walks to a mere 2. Even with some starts up and down lately, he's largely been able to keep his walks in check, which is a great sign that he's adjusting to pitching in the Majors. He definitely earned his 4th win of the season.
I had said a day before that I hoped Kershaw could give around 5 innings, and he gave a solid 6. Chad Ho Park was terrific in relief, pitching 2 scoreless innings and K'ing 4. Jonathan Broxton pitched the 9th and K'd 2. You can't ask for better pitching in a tough park than that.
Now let's flip over to Arizona, who lost in about the most humiliating way possible (and laughable for that matter). Tied at 1 in the 7th, Adam Dunn was beaned with the bases loaded to take the lead. Leading 2-1 in the 9th, the DBacks did the unthinkable. You guessed it... the bullpen blew the lead. The first 2 men reached on singles, then Corey Patterson flew out to Justin Upton in right. Upton fired it home on a strong throw to force Danny Richar back to 3rd, but catcher Miguel Montero could not handle it, allowing Richar to score and tie the game.
But here's the funny part. The first 2 hitters went down for the Reds in the 10th, but Chris Dickerson walked. Enter Micah Owings, the same guy who was traded from the DBacks to the Reds the day before to complete the Adam Dunn deal. Known for being a great hitting pitcher, he didn't disappoint by doubling home Dickerson to take the lead. Francisco Cordero retired the side in order for the win.
Wow, I'm not sure where the DBacks go from there. Then again, the Dodgers were swept by the Washington Nationals, and have since gone on to win 12 of 13, so it's not over yet. The DBacks just looked fried, though. They have a lot of work to do to catch up.
Today is a big day for Greg Maddux, as he has the chance to pass Roger "It WASN'T Steroids!" Clemens for sole possession of 8th place in the all-time wins list. He'll be opposed by Aaron Cook, who has a nice record of 16-9, but has struggled since August. In Arizona, it's a battle of youngsters of Johnny Cueto against Max Scherzer.
The Dodgers never trailed in this game, but they were tied at 1 after 3 innings. Casey Blake started the 2nd inning by hitting one out to left, his 9th as a Dodger. Clint Barmes responded an inning later with a 2 out single to score Willy Taveras and knot the score at 1.
From there, it was all Dodgers, as they put up a 3 spot in the 4th inning that was more than enough to put this game away. Matt Kemp led off with a single, and Blake DeWitt walked for 2 on. Angel Berroa, who is somehow giving the Dodgers great production in the #8 hole, doubled home Kemp to regain the lead. After Kershaw grounded out, Russell Martin hit an RBI single and Juan Pierre hit a sac-fly RBI for the 4-1 lead.
The real story on this night, however, was Kershaw, who really gave the Dodgers a huge start. His final line was 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Giving up 4 hits is great, but the real key is that he kept the walks to a mere 2. Even with some starts up and down lately, he's largely been able to keep his walks in check, which is a great sign that he's adjusting to pitching in the Majors. He definitely earned his 4th win of the season.
I had said a day before that I hoped Kershaw could give around 5 innings, and he gave a solid 6. Chad Ho Park was terrific in relief, pitching 2 scoreless innings and K'ing 4. Jonathan Broxton pitched the 9th and K'd 2. You can't ask for better pitching in a tough park than that.
Now let's flip over to Arizona, who lost in about the most humiliating way possible (and laughable for that matter). Tied at 1 in the 7th, Adam Dunn was beaned with the bases loaded to take the lead. Leading 2-1 in the 9th, the DBacks did the unthinkable. You guessed it... the bullpen blew the lead. The first 2 men reached on singles, then Corey Patterson flew out to Justin Upton in right. Upton fired it home on a strong throw to force Danny Richar back to 3rd, but catcher Miguel Montero could not handle it, allowing Richar to score and tie the game.
But here's the funny part. The first 2 hitters went down for the Reds in the 10th, but Chris Dickerson walked. Enter Micah Owings, the same guy who was traded from the DBacks to the Reds the day before to complete the Adam Dunn deal. Known for being a great hitting pitcher, he didn't disappoint by doubling home Dickerson to take the lead. Francisco Cordero retired the side in order for the win.
Wow, I'm not sure where the DBacks go from there. Then again, the Dodgers were swept by the Washington Nationals, and have since gone on to win 12 of 13, so it's not over yet. The DBacks just looked fried, though. They have a lot of work to do to catch up.
Today is a big day for Greg Maddux, as he has the chance to pass Roger "It WASN'T Steroids!" Clemens for sole possession of 8th place in the all-time wins list. He'll be opposed by Aaron Cook, who has a nice record of 16-9, but has struggled since August. In Arizona, it's a battle of youngsters of Johnny Cueto against Max Scherzer.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Dodgers continue surge with win in Coors
The Dodgers got all the right hits at all the right times as they continued to roll by beating the Colorado Rockies, 7-2. The Arizona Diamondbacks survived a rocky 9th inning by barely beating the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2. At the end of the night, we're all back to where we started with the Dodgers up 3.5 games in the NL West.
Matt Holliday hit his first homer in 79 AB's in the 1st inning to give the Rockies an early lead. The Dodgers bounced right back in the 2nd when Nomar Garciaparra, getting the start at 1st base in place of James Loney with a lefty on the mound, took a walk with 1 down. Matt Kemp then cracked a double that scored Nomar, and let Kemp go to 3rd on an error from Brad Hawpe. Blake DeWitt hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 2-1.
The bottom of the 2nd saw Clint Barmes single home Troy Tulowitzki to tie the game at 2. At the time, it looked like a big scoring night from both teams. But that would be it for the Rockies on this night, as they would leave 9 on base. Other than Holliday and Brad Hawpe, nobody else would do much of anything.
Nomar got the scoring going again in the 4th with a leadoff double, and then scored on a single from Kemp to take the lead for good. Later on in the game in the 7th, a long single off of the right field wall by Manny Ramirez would score Angel Berroa, and the lead went up to 4-2.
Entering the 9th up 4-2, it wasn't a bad idea to tack on some insurance runs considering that this is Coors Field, where simple fly balls can leave the yard. Chin-lung Hu started it with a walk (why they didn't just attack him is beyond me). With 1 out, Andre Ethier and Manny hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Juan Pierre pinch-hit, and of course popped up to 3rd, because he sucks. Loney pinch-hit for Nomar and came through big-time with a bases clearing double, blowing the game way open.
While the hitting came through, it was the pitching that yet again paced the victory. Chad Billingsley was a little shaky for himself, but still posted a great start at 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. After the first couple of innings, it looked like a rough night, but he settled down very effectively after that. Teams facing Derek Lowe and Billingsley in consecutive games basically stand no chance these days.
The Dodgers will look to pad their lead in the West even more by sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound today. His last start in Coors was his first start from being recalled for good on July 22, and he was pounded for 5 runs on 10 hits in 3 innings. He went on a great roll in his 6 starts after that, giving up only 5 runs in the process, but has been up and down in his last 4. It's typical for a young pitcher, so I'm not surprised.
This start kind of scares me, but I hope Kershaw can at least keep the Dodgers in the game and maybe give them around 5 innings. With Hong-Chih Kuo and Brad Penny available, they can give them a couple of innings if need be.
Over in Arizona, it's a good matchup of Edinson Volquez and Randy Johnson. Johnson hasn't started since September 1 because of a sore shoulder, so who knows what to expect from him. With Brandon Lyon in a complete mess, they're anything but a sure bet to beat even a bad team like the Reds.
Matt Holliday hit his first homer in 79 AB's in the 1st inning to give the Rockies an early lead. The Dodgers bounced right back in the 2nd when Nomar Garciaparra, getting the start at 1st base in place of James Loney with a lefty on the mound, took a walk with 1 down. Matt Kemp then cracked a double that scored Nomar, and let Kemp go to 3rd on an error from Brad Hawpe. Blake DeWitt hit a sac-fly RBI to make it 2-1.
The bottom of the 2nd saw Clint Barmes single home Troy Tulowitzki to tie the game at 2. At the time, it looked like a big scoring night from both teams. But that would be it for the Rockies on this night, as they would leave 9 on base. Other than Holliday and Brad Hawpe, nobody else would do much of anything.
Nomar got the scoring going again in the 4th with a leadoff double, and then scored on a single from Kemp to take the lead for good. Later on in the game in the 7th, a long single off of the right field wall by Manny Ramirez would score Angel Berroa, and the lead went up to 4-2.
Entering the 9th up 4-2, it wasn't a bad idea to tack on some insurance runs considering that this is Coors Field, where simple fly balls can leave the yard. Chin-lung Hu started it with a walk (why they didn't just attack him is beyond me). With 1 out, Andre Ethier and Manny hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Juan Pierre pinch-hit, and of course popped up to 3rd, because he sucks. Loney pinch-hit for Nomar and came through big-time with a bases clearing double, blowing the game way open.
While the hitting came through, it was the pitching that yet again paced the victory. Chad Billingsley was a little shaky for himself, but still posted a great start at 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. After the first couple of innings, it looked like a rough night, but he settled down very effectively after that. Teams facing Derek Lowe and Billingsley in consecutive games basically stand no chance these days.
The Dodgers will look to pad their lead in the West even more by sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound today. His last start in Coors was his first start from being recalled for good on July 22, and he was pounded for 5 runs on 10 hits in 3 innings. He went on a great roll in his 6 starts after that, giving up only 5 runs in the process, but has been up and down in his last 4. It's typical for a young pitcher, so I'm not surprised.
This start kind of scares me, but I hope Kershaw can at least keep the Dodgers in the game and maybe give them around 5 innings. With Hong-Chih Kuo and Brad Penny available, they can give them a couple of innings if need be.
Over in Arizona, it's a good matchup of Edinson Volquez and Randy Johnson. Johnson hasn't started since September 1 because of a sore shoulder, so who knows what to expect from him. With Brandon Lyon in a complete mess, they're anything but a sure bet to beat even a bad team like the Reds.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
2 bombs from Manny carry Dodgers
Manny Ramirez conquered perhaps the hardest ballpark in baseball to hit home runs by blasting 2 to lift the Dodgers in Petco Park, 7-2. The homers were measured at 435 feet and 405 feet to the deepest part of the park in center field.
Earlier in the day, the Arizona Diamondbacks played a typical game that summed up their season. They were losing 2-1 in the 9th when they scored twice off of Giants closer Brian Wilson. How did they respond to their new lead? By giving it right back as Brandon Lyon was shelled, and the Giants won, 4-3. All of that means the Dodgers are now up 3.5 games in the NL West.
The Dodgers went down in order to begin the game, then the Padres got one on Kevin Kouzmanoff's RBI groundout to score Brian Giles. Much like the night before, the Dodgers found themselves in a brief hole, but were more than ready to battle back.
It all started in the 2nd. James Loney hit a solo shot with 1 out, his 12th and first since August 27. Matt Kemp walked, and Blake DeWitt doubled him home for the lead at 2-1. With 2 outs, Shawn Estes issued a horrible walk to Derek Lowe, which set the stage for Russell Martin's RBI single, scoring DeWitt and pushing the lead to 3-1.
From there, the Padres never were a serious threat, mostly because of their inability to take advantage of men on base. Sounds an awful lot like the Dodgers for much of the season, but the difference is that now they are coming through. It's amazing what a few hits with RISP can do.
The rest of the game was the Manny Show, as he hit 2, 2-run home runs, scoring Andre Ethier both times. Ethier had singled ahead of him to finish 2-4, and getting his average to .301. For a guy hitting .278 at the start of September, he's sure on an incredible run. I hope he doesn't burn himself out. He's played out of his mind lately.
Lowe gave another great start, which is no surprise. I had my fun ripping his inconsistency at the start of the year, but I'll be the first to admit that he's been fantastic this year. Sure, he'll have his occasional hiccup, but for a guy who had a 4.10 ERA at the start of August to a 3.48 ERA now, he's more than proven his value. I guess enjoy it while it lasts, because everything I read about him resigning appears to be unlikely.
The Dodgers return to Colorado on Friday, and we all know those games are an adventure to say the least. The Rockies were making a small push to get back in the NL West race, but at 8 games back because of poor play lately, that's pretty much squashed. Chad Billingsley goes in the first game against Jeff Francis, who has finally settled down lately to pitch very well.
The DBacks host the Cincinnati Reds for 3 on Friday as well. The Reds are terrible, but at least Edinson Volquez goes on Saturday, so hopefully that's one win. No matter what, the Dodgers will come out of this still in first place, but it could be as large as 6.5 games or as little as .5. I like the former much better.
Earlier in the day, the Arizona Diamondbacks played a typical game that summed up their season. They were losing 2-1 in the 9th when they scored twice off of Giants closer Brian Wilson. How did they respond to their new lead? By giving it right back as Brandon Lyon was shelled, and the Giants won, 4-3. All of that means the Dodgers are now up 3.5 games in the NL West.
The Dodgers went down in order to begin the game, then the Padres got one on Kevin Kouzmanoff's RBI groundout to score Brian Giles. Much like the night before, the Dodgers found themselves in a brief hole, but were more than ready to battle back.
It all started in the 2nd. James Loney hit a solo shot with 1 out, his 12th and first since August 27. Matt Kemp walked, and Blake DeWitt doubled him home for the lead at 2-1. With 2 outs, Shawn Estes issued a horrible walk to Derek Lowe, which set the stage for Russell Martin's RBI single, scoring DeWitt and pushing the lead to 3-1.
From there, the Padres never were a serious threat, mostly because of their inability to take advantage of men on base. Sounds an awful lot like the Dodgers for much of the season, but the difference is that now they are coming through. It's amazing what a few hits with RISP can do.
The rest of the game was the Manny Show, as he hit 2, 2-run home runs, scoring Andre Ethier both times. Ethier had singled ahead of him to finish 2-4, and getting his average to .301. For a guy hitting .278 at the start of September, he's sure on an incredible run. I hope he doesn't burn himself out. He's played out of his mind lately.
Lowe gave another great start, which is no surprise. I had my fun ripping his inconsistency at the start of the year, but I'll be the first to admit that he's been fantastic this year. Sure, he'll have his occasional hiccup, but for a guy who had a 4.10 ERA at the start of August to a 3.48 ERA now, he's more than proven his value. I guess enjoy it while it lasts, because everything I read about him resigning appears to be unlikely.
The Dodgers return to Colorado on Friday, and we all know those games are an adventure to say the least. The Rockies were making a small push to get back in the NL West race, but at 8 games back because of poor play lately, that's pretty much squashed. Chad Billingsley goes in the first game against Jeff Francis, who has finally settled down lately to pitch very well.
The DBacks host the Cincinnati Reds for 3 on Friday as well. The Reds are terrible, but at least Edinson Volquez goes on Saturday, so hopefully that's one win. No matter what, the Dodgers will come out of this still in first place, but it could be as large as 6.5 games or as little as .5. I like the former much better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
No stopping Ethier as Dodgers increase lead
Whatever Andre Ethier is drinking these days, I hope he has plenty more of it. In the month of September, there isn't another player in the Majors playing as well as he is.
Ethier drove in 4 of LA's 6 runs, and Manny Ramirez hit a solo homer to give the Dodgers the victory over the San Diego Padres, 6-2. The San Francisco Giants complied and beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, so the lead in the NL West has been upped to 2.5 games.
For the first half of the game, it was the Padres who were slowly building a lead. It wasn't much of one, but it was 2-0 after 5 innings. The Dodgers only managed 3 hits during that span, so it sure looked as if Monday's game was being carried over.
In the 6th, the momentum started to turn. Brian Giles led off with a double and went to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt. Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded out, and after an intentional pass to Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley grounded out to end it. Right away, Manny hit a laser homer to left, and the lead was slashed to 2-1.
Following a scoreless 7th, the Dodgers had their top of the order due up in the 8th. Russell Martin didn't waste any time by doubling, and Ethier drove him in with a triple. Manny then hit a sac-fly RBI, and the Dodgers grabbed the lead at 3-2.
Joe Beimel and Cory Wade kept the Pads in check in the bottom of the 8th, and the Dodgers went to work again in the 9th. Blake DeWitt and Matt Kemp singled, and Martin drew a walk. With 2 outs, Ethier continued his unbelievable play by hitting a bases clearing double to blow the game open. Jonathan Broxton finished things off for the win.
It was another huge night for the Dodgers, thanks in large part to Ethier, who pretty much put this team on his shoulders to win. Hiroki Kuroda wiggled out of trouble all night to finish at 6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. 11 runners is way too much, but he still found a way to get the job done.
One person who did not get the job done is Andruw Jones. Playing in his first game since August 9, he was 0-4 with 2 K's. He sucks.
Now back to the positive, and that's the Dodgers ability to take advantage of the DBacks' recent futility. It can certainly continue tonight, as Derek Lowe takes the mound. He'll be opposed by Shawn Estes (remember him?), who is coming off a solid start in a win at Milwaukee. There's no Jake Peavy, so the Dodgers dodged a bullet there. Do you feel badly about that? Nah, neither do I.
Ethier drove in 4 of LA's 6 runs, and Manny Ramirez hit a solo homer to give the Dodgers the victory over the San Diego Padres, 6-2. The San Francisco Giants complied and beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, so the lead in the NL West has been upped to 2.5 games.
For the first half of the game, it was the Padres who were slowly building a lead. It wasn't much of one, but it was 2-0 after 5 innings. The Dodgers only managed 3 hits during that span, so it sure looked as if Monday's game was being carried over.
In the 6th, the momentum started to turn. Brian Giles led off with a double and went to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt. Kevin Kouzmanoff grounded out, and after an intentional pass to Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Headley grounded out to end it. Right away, Manny hit a laser homer to left, and the lead was slashed to 2-1.
Following a scoreless 7th, the Dodgers had their top of the order due up in the 8th. Russell Martin didn't waste any time by doubling, and Ethier drove him in with a triple. Manny then hit a sac-fly RBI, and the Dodgers grabbed the lead at 3-2.
Joe Beimel and Cory Wade kept the Pads in check in the bottom of the 8th, and the Dodgers went to work again in the 9th. Blake DeWitt and Matt Kemp singled, and Martin drew a walk. With 2 outs, Ethier continued his unbelievable play by hitting a bases clearing double to blow the game open. Jonathan Broxton finished things off for the win.
It was another huge night for the Dodgers, thanks in large part to Ethier, who pretty much put this team on his shoulders to win. Hiroki Kuroda wiggled out of trouble all night to finish at 6 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. 11 runners is way too much, but he still found a way to get the job done.
One person who did not get the job done is Andruw Jones. Playing in his first game since August 9, he was 0-4 with 2 K's. He sucks.
Now back to the positive, and that's the Dodgers ability to take advantage of the DBacks' recent futility. It can certainly continue tonight, as Derek Lowe takes the mound. He'll be opposed by Shawn Estes (remember him?), who is coming off a solid start in a win at Milwaukee. There's no Jake Peavy, so the Dodgers dodged a bullet there. Do you feel badly about that? Nah, neither do I.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Bats go quiet in loss to Padres
The Dodgers came into a 3 game set in San Diego in first place and ready to take on some guy named Cha Seung Baek. With 8 consecutive wins and momentum largely on their side, things were looking good.
Turns out that "random guy" named Baek pitched his best game of the year in shutting down the Dodgers for 7 innings, as the Padres took this one, 4-0. Thankfully for LA, Arizona got slapped around in San Francisco as they continue to look awful, so the lead in the NL West for the Dodgers remains at 1.5 games.
There really isn't a whole lot to say about this one, other than the Dodgers were either jet lagged (hard to believe since they were flying in state) or forgot to bring the lumber with them. They did have to grind out a tough one on Sunday in LA against the Diamondbacks, so perhaps it was a good time for the Padres to get a win over them.
Greg Maddux got his 4th start with the Dodgers, and only has 1 good start to show for it (hence his 1-3 record). Brian Giles started things with a double, but the next 2 hitters could not advance him. Didn't matter as Adrian Gonzalez launched a 2-run shot that in effect put the game out of reach right then and there.
The first hit of the game for the Dodgers didn't come until the 4th on a single by Andre Ethier. In fact, Ethier's the only one who really showed up, going 3-4 with 2 doubles. After hitting a paltry .195 in June, he's been steadily rising ever since. In September, he's 16-24 (.667 AVG), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 2B, 1 3B. Hitting in front of Manny Ramirez has done wonders for his confidence.
The only other positive was that Maddux did last 6 innings, so the bullpen only needed to work 2 innings. Scott Elbert pitched a scoreless 7th and Scott Proctor and Joe Beimel combined to shut down the 8th. Well... at least most of the pitchers got to rest. And that's about it for the positives.
Hiroki Kuroda goes tonight against Wade LeBlanc in a rematch of last Wednesday's game won by Kuroda. The Dodgers had their loss, so how will they now respond? Can they regain momentum by beating an inferior team, or will the DBacks get back into this thing? We'll all know the answer soon.
Turns out that "random guy" named Baek pitched his best game of the year in shutting down the Dodgers for 7 innings, as the Padres took this one, 4-0. Thankfully for LA, Arizona got slapped around in San Francisco as they continue to look awful, so the lead in the NL West for the Dodgers remains at 1.5 games.
There really isn't a whole lot to say about this one, other than the Dodgers were either jet lagged (hard to believe since they were flying in state) or forgot to bring the lumber with them. They did have to grind out a tough one on Sunday in LA against the Diamondbacks, so perhaps it was a good time for the Padres to get a win over them.
Greg Maddux got his 4th start with the Dodgers, and only has 1 good start to show for it (hence his 1-3 record). Brian Giles started things with a double, but the next 2 hitters could not advance him. Didn't matter as Adrian Gonzalez launched a 2-run shot that in effect put the game out of reach right then and there.
The first hit of the game for the Dodgers didn't come until the 4th on a single by Andre Ethier. In fact, Ethier's the only one who really showed up, going 3-4 with 2 doubles. After hitting a paltry .195 in June, he's been steadily rising ever since. In September, he's 16-24 (.667 AVG), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 5 2B, 1 3B. Hitting in front of Manny Ramirez has done wonders for his confidence.
The only other positive was that Maddux did last 6 innings, so the bullpen only needed to work 2 innings. Scott Elbert pitched a scoreless 7th and Scott Proctor and Joe Beimel combined to shut down the 8th. Well... at least most of the pitchers got to rest. And that's about it for the positives.
Hiroki Kuroda goes tonight against Wade LeBlanc in a rematch of last Wednesday's game won by Kuroda. The Dodgers had their loss, so how will they now respond? Can they regain momentum by beating an inferior team, or will the DBacks get back into this thing? We'll all know the answer soon.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Advantage LA
The Dodgers took advantage of 2 big errors by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 7th inning to score 2 runs, and they held on late to take the game and the sweep, 5-3. With the win, the Dodgers are now up 1.5 games in the NL to go along with 8 wins in a row. The DBacks have now dropped 6 of their last 8.
It was kind of funny how this pitching matchup came to be. It was originally supposed to be a battle of first ballot Hall of Famers with Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson. But, Joe Torre elected to go with Clayton Kershaw and push Maddux back a day, and Johnson rested with a sore shoulder. So, enter 2 young phenoms in Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. Talk about going from one dynamic to the other.
Both didn't last into the 6th, but it was Scherzer getting the better of the battle with 11 K's in 5 innings. Kershaw went 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He somehow threw 92 pitches in only 4 innings, but walked 1. Weird. Not one of his better days, but it's not like he got bombed either.
After Arizona left the bases loaded with 1 down in the 1st, the Dodgers then struck. Andre Ethier singled and Manny Ramirez doubled for 2 on. James Loney then hit a 2-run single for the 2-0 lead. More 1st inning scoring for the Dodgers - not too shabby.
The DBacks tied it after 3 with solo homers by Chris Snyder and Adam Dunn. In the 4th, Snyder struck again with a double to score Mark Reynolds and go up 3-2. The Dodgers would knot it up at 3 in the 6th when Ethier walked, Manny singled, and Loney hit a sac-fly RBI.
The bottom of the 7th just killed the DBacks, as they handed the Dodgers chances to score, which they did. Blake DeWitt greeted new pitcher Chad Qualls with a ground rule double. Angel Berroa was looking for a sacrifice bunt, but Adam Dunn bobbled it, allowing runners to get to 1st and 3rd with no outs. Nomar hit a sac-fly to score DeWitt, and Berroa advanced to 2nd on an error by Justin Upton (not his best 2 games defensively this weekend). Berroa went to 3rd on Russell Martin's groundout, and scored on Ethier's infield single to go up 5-3.
Things got quite interesting in the 9th. Jonathan Broxton was on and had no trouble getting the first 2 out. Then Chad Tracy doubled and Adam Dunn walked. Conor Jackson hit an absolute rocket that was snared on a dive by Nomar, who was playing 1st base on a defensive switch. A terrific play to end the game with style.
The bullpen for LA deserves a ton of credit for this win. The combination of Scott Proctor, Chan Ho Park, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Broxton went 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. You really can't do a whole lot better than that. It's good to see Proctor pitch well in his 2 outings since returning from injury.
Here's a couple of stats that are hard to believe. In games where the Dodgers score at least 5 runs, they're 52-6. WOW. The other is that on August 29, the DBacks held a 4.5 games lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. My how times have changed just like that.
So now the Dodgers find themselves in an interesting spot. 13 of their remaining 19 games are on the road, but every single one of them is against teams under .500 (Padres x2, Rockies, Pirates, Giants x2). I'd say that's a pretty favorable schedule. The DBacks really don't have to sweat much either, but they do have 4 in St. Louis right near the end, which is always tough. Like the title says, Advantage LA.
It's right back to work for the Dodgers, as they hit the road for 10, starting with San Diego Monday night for 3. Greg Maddux goes against his old team just like last Monday where he got the win. The Padres are terrible, but they did split 4 games in Milwaukee, including a 10-1 romping today. In recent years, the Dodgers haven't played well in San Diego, so these games cannot be overlooked.
It was kind of funny how this pitching matchup came to be. It was originally supposed to be a battle of first ballot Hall of Famers with Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson. But, Joe Torre elected to go with Clayton Kershaw and push Maddux back a day, and Johnson rested with a sore shoulder. So, enter 2 young phenoms in Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. Talk about going from one dynamic to the other.
Both didn't last into the 6th, but it was Scherzer getting the better of the battle with 11 K's in 5 innings. Kershaw went 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. He somehow threw 92 pitches in only 4 innings, but walked 1. Weird. Not one of his better days, but it's not like he got bombed either.
After Arizona left the bases loaded with 1 down in the 1st, the Dodgers then struck. Andre Ethier singled and Manny Ramirez doubled for 2 on. James Loney then hit a 2-run single for the 2-0 lead. More 1st inning scoring for the Dodgers - not too shabby.
The DBacks tied it after 3 with solo homers by Chris Snyder and Adam Dunn. In the 4th, Snyder struck again with a double to score Mark Reynolds and go up 3-2. The Dodgers would knot it up at 3 in the 6th when Ethier walked, Manny singled, and Loney hit a sac-fly RBI.
The bottom of the 7th just killed the DBacks, as they handed the Dodgers chances to score, which they did. Blake DeWitt greeted new pitcher Chad Qualls with a ground rule double. Angel Berroa was looking for a sacrifice bunt, but Adam Dunn bobbled it, allowing runners to get to 1st and 3rd with no outs. Nomar hit a sac-fly to score DeWitt, and Berroa advanced to 2nd on an error by Justin Upton (not his best 2 games defensively this weekend). Berroa went to 3rd on Russell Martin's groundout, and scored on Ethier's infield single to go up 5-3.
Things got quite interesting in the 9th. Jonathan Broxton was on and had no trouble getting the first 2 out. Then Chad Tracy doubled and Adam Dunn walked. Conor Jackson hit an absolute rocket that was snared on a dive by Nomar, who was playing 1st base on a defensive switch. A terrific play to end the game with style.
The bullpen for LA deserves a ton of credit for this win. The combination of Scott Proctor, Chan Ho Park, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Broxton went 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. You really can't do a whole lot better than that. It's good to see Proctor pitch well in his 2 outings since returning from injury.
Here's a couple of stats that are hard to believe. In games where the Dodgers score at least 5 runs, they're 52-6. WOW. The other is that on August 29, the DBacks held a 4.5 games lead over the Dodgers in the NL West. My how times have changed just like that.
So now the Dodgers find themselves in an interesting spot. 13 of their remaining 19 games are on the road, but every single one of them is against teams under .500 (Padres x2, Rockies, Pirates, Giants x2). I'd say that's a pretty favorable schedule. The DBacks really don't have to sweat much either, but they do have 4 in St. Louis right near the end, which is always tough. Like the title says, Advantage LA.
It's right back to work for the Dodgers, as they hit the road for 10, starting with San Diego Monday night for 3. Greg Maddux goes against his old team just like last Monday where he got the win. The Padres are terrible, but they did split 4 games in Milwaukee, including a 10-1 romping today. In recent years, the Dodgers haven't played well in San Diego, so these games cannot be overlooked.
After 5 long months, the Dodgers regain first place
The Dodgers came into yesterday's game with a tall order. They were going to face Cy Young favorite Brandon Webb, and first place hung in the balance. They've been here before, teetering on the edge of first, only to lose and fall back.
But that was then, and this is now.
Manny Ramirez drove in 5 with a 2-run shot and a double, and Chad Billingsley went 6 plus innings to shut down the Diamondbacks, 7-2. With the win, it's the Dodgers who finally find themselves in first place again since virtually the start of the season by 1/2 a game.
Much like Friday night, this game was surprisingly easy. Actually, the last 4 games against the DBacks were so easy, the Dodgers practically never broke a sweat. For as poorly as the Dodgers played for a couple of weeks, it was Arizona that blew a great opportunity to put this division away. They're the ones who look completely lost right now.
Both Billingsley and Webb were throwing blanks through the first 4 innings, and it looked for awhile that the first mistake made by either man would mean a loss. The Dodgers had 2 on in the 3rd, but Manny struck out to end the inning. Other than that, there were little to no threats.
Fortunately for LA, it was Webb who made the first mistake. In the bottom of the 5th, Angel Berroa led off with a single (I can't believe how often I've talked about his hitting lately - it's like a completely different person). After Billingsley and Russell Martin failed to reach, there would be more 2 out magic for the Dodgers. Andre Ethier drew a walk, and Manny unloaded on a 3-run bomb to go up 3-0. I can't imagine just how much Ethier is loving life right now hitting in front of Manny.
From there, Webb just seemed to fall apart, as he uncharacteristically just handed the Dodgers walk after walk. The bottom of the 6th started with a walk to Casey Blake, and 2 more would soon be added. Too bad for Webb that both of those walks to Martin and Ethier would force in runs. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Manny lifted a deep fly ball to Justin Upton in right, who lost that ball in the sun, landing near him and bouncing into the stands for a ground rule double. Even if that was caught, the Dodgers were still comfortably ahead, so it didn't matter.
The DBacks didn't score until the 9th when the game was well in hand, as Scott Elbert let a couple of guys on. I'm not worried - he's still got nasty stuff, so he'll be ok. Billingsley had another ace-like start, going 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. I just wish the offense could have scored more runs for him in the beginning of the season so his record would be more impressive, because if that was the case, he'd certainly be in the Cy Young chase right now.
Today's game is just like yesterday, where the winner gets first place. As great as the Dodgers have played, a loss would mean they're right back to where they started (granted, not in as bad a spot). Clayton Kershaw gets the call, as Joe Torre likes how he looks against the DBacks. Randy Johnson was supposed to start, but has been scratched with a sore shoulder. So, it's another young fireballer, Max Scherzer, who will go. That'll be fun to watch.
But that was then, and this is now.
Manny Ramirez drove in 5 with a 2-run shot and a double, and Chad Billingsley went 6 plus innings to shut down the Diamondbacks, 7-2. With the win, it's the Dodgers who finally find themselves in first place again since virtually the start of the season by 1/2 a game.
Much like Friday night, this game was surprisingly easy. Actually, the last 4 games against the DBacks were so easy, the Dodgers practically never broke a sweat. For as poorly as the Dodgers played for a couple of weeks, it was Arizona that blew a great opportunity to put this division away. They're the ones who look completely lost right now.
Both Billingsley and Webb were throwing blanks through the first 4 innings, and it looked for awhile that the first mistake made by either man would mean a loss. The Dodgers had 2 on in the 3rd, but Manny struck out to end the inning. Other than that, there were little to no threats.
Fortunately for LA, it was Webb who made the first mistake. In the bottom of the 5th, Angel Berroa led off with a single (I can't believe how often I've talked about his hitting lately - it's like a completely different person). After Billingsley and Russell Martin failed to reach, there would be more 2 out magic for the Dodgers. Andre Ethier drew a walk, and Manny unloaded on a 3-run bomb to go up 3-0. I can't imagine just how much Ethier is loving life right now hitting in front of Manny.
From there, Webb just seemed to fall apart, as he uncharacteristically just handed the Dodgers walk after walk. The bottom of the 6th started with a walk to Casey Blake, and 2 more would soon be added. Too bad for Webb that both of those walks to Martin and Ethier would force in runs. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Manny lifted a deep fly ball to Justin Upton in right, who lost that ball in the sun, landing near him and bouncing into the stands for a ground rule double. Even if that was caught, the Dodgers were still comfortably ahead, so it didn't matter.
The DBacks didn't score until the 9th when the game was well in hand, as Scott Elbert let a couple of guys on. I'm not worried - he's still got nasty stuff, so he'll be ok. Billingsley had another ace-like start, going 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K. I just wish the offense could have scored more runs for him in the beginning of the season so his record would be more impressive, because if that was the case, he'd certainly be in the Cy Young chase right now.
Today's game is just like yesterday, where the winner gets first place. As great as the Dodgers have played, a loss would mean they're right back to where they started (granted, not in as bad a spot). Clayton Kershaw gets the call, as Joe Torre likes how he looks against the DBacks. Randy Johnson was supposed to start, but has been scratched with a sore shoulder. So, it's another young fireballer, Max Scherzer, who will go. That'll be fun to watch.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
5's are wild for Ethier
It was Andre Ethier night at Dodger Stadium, as he turned what should have been a close battle into a blowout. On the night, he went 5-5 with a homer and 2 doubles. 5 also represented the number of RBI's he had, as the Dodgers beat up Dan Haren to win, 7-0. The lead for the DBacks is now only half a game.
What a difference a week makes. Last Friday night, they lost 9-3 to Arizona, and were looking like a big, heaping pile of dog crap. That loss made their roadtrip 8 losses in a row, 10 of 11 losses overall, and 4.5 games in back of Arizona. But here's the thing - the DBacks weren't exactly lighting the world on fire either. After last night's game, they've lost 8 of 11, and are looking completely beatable.
Haren got pounded in his last start against the Dodgers (which started the winning streak), and in the 1st inning, Ethier drilled a solo shot to right for the early lead. Little did we know at the time that that's all the scoring the Dodgers would need.
The 2nd inning is when the game was broken open, and most encouragingly, it was all done with 2 outs. Angel Berroa doubled, as he's finally starting to show why he was once AL Rookie of the Year, and Derek Lowe worked a walk from Haren on some very strange pitches (like throwing a breaking ball when he's behind in the count... hello! Throw a fastball!). Russell Martin doubled home a run, and Ethier scored 2 on his double.
The rest of the night, much like the beginning, would belong to Ethier. In the 4th with 2 outs, Martin singled and stole 2nd. Ethier hit a ground rule double to score him for his 4th RBI. Then in the 6th, again with Martin on, another double scored him, giving him RBI #5. What a night.
Just like last Sunday in Arizona, the offense was putting up big runs, and Lowe was untouchable. He finished at 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Along with Chan Ho Park tossing a scoreless 9th, the DBacks managed only 4 baserunners all night. Lowe has been absolutely brilliant in 8 of his last 9 starts, and it's nice to see the offense give him plenty of cushion for a change. Even with reports out there saying his is probably his last year in LA, the Dodgers will take it while they can.
The only bad thing about last night's game was that Steve Phillips (ASS) was one of the announcers. Man, you would think the Dodgers have won no games this year and are the worst organization on Earth. This from a guy that got fired from a team that has countless millions to spend. How's that Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir deal working out? Ya...
Anyway, he did say one thing that made sense (in between all the idiotic ones), and that's what will happen when the Dodgers do lose a game. Will they crumble again like last time, or continue to play solidly? Time will tell, but they have yet another great opportunity to win this division. In any other division, they'd be toast, but who cares? With the way they've been pitching and driving in runs, a playoff run is definitely possible.
For now, the Dodgers need to concentrate on this weekend, and at least getting 1 more win. Another great pitching matchup today, as Chad Billingsley takes on Brandon Webb. Webb was pounded in his last outing against LA, so let's hope for more of the same today. It's a Fox game today, and I've got the Phillies and Mets (at least it's a good game), so for those of you that can watch, enjoy.
What a difference a week makes. Last Friday night, they lost 9-3 to Arizona, and were looking like a big, heaping pile of dog crap. That loss made their roadtrip 8 losses in a row, 10 of 11 losses overall, and 4.5 games in back of Arizona. But here's the thing - the DBacks weren't exactly lighting the world on fire either. After last night's game, they've lost 8 of 11, and are looking completely beatable.
Haren got pounded in his last start against the Dodgers (which started the winning streak), and in the 1st inning, Ethier drilled a solo shot to right for the early lead. Little did we know at the time that that's all the scoring the Dodgers would need.
The 2nd inning is when the game was broken open, and most encouragingly, it was all done with 2 outs. Angel Berroa doubled, as he's finally starting to show why he was once AL Rookie of the Year, and Derek Lowe worked a walk from Haren on some very strange pitches (like throwing a breaking ball when he's behind in the count... hello! Throw a fastball!). Russell Martin doubled home a run, and Ethier scored 2 on his double.
The rest of the night, much like the beginning, would belong to Ethier. In the 4th with 2 outs, Martin singled and stole 2nd. Ethier hit a ground rule double to score him for his 4th RBI. Then in the 6th, again with Martin on, another double scored him, giving him RBI #5. What a night.
Just like last Sunday in Arizona, the offense was putting up big runs, and Lowe was untouchable. He finished at 8 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K. Along with Chan Ho Park tossing a scoreless 9th, the DBacks managed only 4 baserunners all night. Lowe has been absolutely brilliant in 8 of his last 9 starts, and it's nice to see the offense give him plenty of cushion for a change. Even with reports out there saying his is probably his last year in LA, the Dodgers will take it while they can.
The only bad thing about last night's game was that Steve Phillips (ASS) was one of the announcers. Man, you would think the Dodgers have won no games this year and are the worst organization on Earth. This from a guy that got fired from a team that has countless millions to spend. How's that Victor Zambrano for Scott Kazmir deal working out? Ya...
Anyway, he did say one thing that made sense (in between all the idiotic ones), and that's what will happen when the Dodgers do lose a game. Will they crumble again like last time, or continue to play solidly? Time will tell, but they have yet another great opportunity to win this division. In any other division, they'd be toast, but who cares? With the way they've been pitching and driving in runs, a playoff run is definitely possible.
For now, the Dodgers need to concentrate on this weekend, and at least getting 1 more win. Another great pitching matchup today, as Chad Billingsley takes on Brandon Webb. Webb was pounded in his last outing against LA, so let's hope for more of the same today. It's a Fox game today, and I've got the Phillies and Mets (at least it's a good game), so for those of you that can watch, enjoy.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Power comes from unlikely sources
Quick, name the combination of players that hit the first back-to-back homers for the Dodgers this season last night?
If you were to guess Blake DeWitt and Angel Berroa... well, you cheated, because you already knew the answer.
No matter how many times I look at that above sentence, it still doesn't seem true. The only thing that matters is that it is, as the Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres by winning, 6-4. The win gets them back up to .500 after being 5 games under a week ago. 5 also is the number of games in a row won by them as they are now 1.5 games back of Arizona.
The 3rd inning marked the first run of the game for either team, though the Dodgers had a chance to blow it open but couldn't. Russell Martin singled home Berroa, who had doubled. The bases were loaded with 1 out, but Casey Blake hit into a fielder's choice and James Loney flied out. Still, it was 1-0 LA.
The Padres got 3 in the 4th, and at the time made the Dodgers blowing it with the bases loaded look a lot worse. Kevin Kouzmanoff led off with a home run, and Josh Bard doubled home 2 with 2 outs. After the pitcher Wade LeBlanc singled to put 2 on, the game could have gotten quickly out of hand, but Brian Giles grounded into a fielder's choice.
DeWitt and Berroa got right to work next, as DeWitt's homer scored Matt Kemp, and Berroa followed with his 1st shot of the year. After failing with RISP last time, Blake came through by singling home Andre Ethier. The lead was 5-3, and they would not look back.
Bard got the Pads within 1 with an RBI single, but Blake tacked on a homer to close out the scoring. Hitting in the cleanup spot for the first time in blue, Blake was 2-4 with a homer and 2 RBI. Even Berroa was 2-4 with 2 runs. I'll give credit where credit is due: he's finally starting to look like a solid player. The defense has always been there, but it's his offense that has come through lately. That's now 7 hits in his last 8 games, raising his AVG 25 points to .235. It's still low, but at least he's coming on.
Hiroki Kuroda wasn't sharp at all, but thankfully the offense gave him the win anyway. He went 5.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. The bullpen of Scott Proctor, Scott Elbert, Cory Wade, and Jonathan Broxton shut the door the remainder of the way. With Proctor healthy (and hopefully not pitching like he was at the start of the year) and more additions to the 'pen like Elbert, the back end of the game is looking really good.
It's an off day today before hosting Arizona for 3. Man oh man do the pitching matchups look good. Friday: Derek Lowe vs. Dan Haren, Saturday: Chad Billingsley vs. Brandon Webb, Sunday: Clayton Kershaw vs. Randy Johnson. Wow. Don't miss a minute of those games... I know I won't.
If you were to guess Blake DeWitt and Angel Berroa... well, you cheated, because you already knew the answer.
No matter how many times I look at that above sentence, it still doesn't seem true. The only thing that matters is that it is, as the Dodgers swept the San Diego Padres by winning, 6-4. The win gets them back up to .500 after being 5 games under a week ago. 5 also is the number of games in a row won by them as they are now 1.5 games back of Arizona.
The 3rd inning marked the first run of the game for either team, though the Dodgers had a chance to blow it open but couldn't. Russell Martin singled home Berroa, who had doubled. The bases were loaded with 1 out, but Casey Blake hit into a fielder's choice and James Loney flied out. Still, it was 1-0 LA.
The Padres got 3 in the 4th, and at the time made the Dodgers blowing it with the bases loaded look a lot worse. Kevin Kouzmanoff led off with a home run, and Josh Bard doubled home 2 with 2 outs. After the pitcher Wade LeBlanc singled to put 2 on, the game could have gotten quickly out of hand, but Brian Giles grounded into a fielder's choice.
DeWitt and Berroa got right to work next, as DeWitt's homer scored Matt Kemp, and Berroa followed with his 1st shot of the year. After failing with RISP last time, Blake came through by singling home Andre Ethier. The lead was 5-3, and they would not look back.
Bard got the Pads within 1 with an RBI single, but Blake tacked on a homer to close out the scoring. Hitting in the cleanup spot for the first time in blue, Blake was 2-4 with a homer and 2 RBI. Even Berroa was 2-4 with 2 runs. I'll give credit where credit is due: he's finally starting to look like a solid player. The defense has always been there, but it's his offense that has come through lately. That's now 7 hits in his last 8 games, raising his AVG 25 points to .235. It's still low, but at least he's coming on.
Hiroki Kuroda wasn't sharp at all, but thankfully the offense gave him the win anyway. He went 5.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. The bullpen of Scott Proctor, Scott Elbert, Cory Wade, and Jonathan Broxton shut the door the remainder of the way. With Proctor healthy (and hopefully not pitching like he was at the start of the year) and more additions to the 'pen like Elbert, the back end of the game is looking really good.
It's an off day today before hosting Arizona for 3. Man oh man do the pitching matchups look good. Friday: Derek Lowe vs. Dan Haren, Saturday: Chad Billingsley vs. Brandon Webb, Sunday: Clayton Kershaw vs. Randy Johnson. Wow. Don't miss a minute of those games... I know I won't.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Padres put up little fight in loss
Last night's performance by the Padres was pretty much an exact replica of how the Dodgers looked for much of their road trip. That is, they offered little to no resistance in rolling over dead.
The Dodgers were up 7-0 by the end of the 4th, and Clayton Kershaw gave 7 great innings as the Dodgers won, 8-3. The Arizona Diamondbacks fell to the St. Louis Cardinals last night... but then had a late rally today to win, so the lead is 2 games in the NL West.
It's pretty much perfect timing that the Dodgers drew the Padres at this time of the year, because the Pads really stink. They've been lousy hitters all year long, but when they have some guy named Cha Seung Baek starting, you pretty much know their chances of winning are slim and none, and slim just took a hike! Ya, it's good to play the Pads.
Manny Ramirez (who else?) got things going in the 1st with a no-doubter to left to score 2. In the 3rd, Andre Ethier continued his stellar play by tripling down the left field line (not Brian Giles as the Yahoo recap says... idiots). A sac-fly by Manny gave them a 3-0 lead.
The 4th was when the door was slammed shut, starting with a solo homer from Blake DeWitt, his 6th and first since way back on May 29. Walks to Angel Berroa and Ethier, as well as Kershaw reaching on a fielder's choice loaded the bases with 2 down. James Loney came through with a 2-run single, and Russell Martin hit an RBI single for the 7 run lead.
Kershaw redeemed himself from 2 really bad outings to go 7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Ramon Troncoso couldn't get an out before giving up a run, but Joe Beimel went 2 innings of scoreless ball to end the game. It was good to see the relievers have a chance to rest, as they have tonight's game, a day off, then a big 3 game set with the Diamondbacks Friday-Sunday. They'll need all the strong arms they can get.
Hiroki Kuroda goes tonight, as he takes on some guy named Wade LeBlanc. I've never heard of him, but that's par for the course considering I've never heart of half of the Padres anymore. The DBacks got 2 runs each in the 7th and 9th to beat the Cardinals today, 4-3. Gotta love that Cards bullpen. Jackasses. So, a win keeps the Dodgers under 2 games back.
The Dodgers were up 7-0 by the end of the 4th, and Clayton Kershaw gave 7 great innings as the Dodgers won, 8-3. The Arizona Diamondbacks fell to the St. Louis Cardinals last night... but then had a late rally today to win, so the lead is 2 games in the NL West.
It's pretty much perfect timing that the Dodgers drew the Padres at this time of the year, because the Pads really stink. They've been lousy hitters all year long, but when they have some guy named Cha Seung Baek starting, you pretty much know their chances of winning are slim and none, and slim just took a hike! Ya, it's good to play the Pads.
Manny Ramirez (who else?) got things going in the 1st with a no-doubter to left to score 2. In the 3rd, Andre Ethier continued his stellar play by tripling down the left field line (not Brian Giles as the Yahoo recap says... idiots). A sac-fly by Manny gave them a 3-0 lead.
The 4th was when the door was slammed shut, starting with a solo homer from Blake DeWitt, his 6th and first since way back on May 29. Walks to Angel Berroa and Ethier, as well as Kershaw reaching on a fielder's choice loaded the bases with 2 down. James Loney came through with a 2-run single, and Russell Martin hit an RBI single for the 7 run lead.
Kershaw redeemed himself from 2 really bad outings to go 7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Ramon Troncoso couldn't get an out before giving up a run, but Joe Beimel went 2 innings of scoreless ball to end the game. It was good to see the relievers have a chance to rest, as they have tonight's game, a day off, then a big 3 game set with the Diamondbacks Friday-Sunday. They'll need all the strong arms they can get.
Hiroki Kuroda goes tonight, as he takes on some guy named Wade LeBlanc. I've never heard of him, but that's par for the course considering I've never heart of half of the Padres anymore. The DBacks got 2 runs each in the 7th and 9th to beat the Cardinals today, 4-3. Gotta love that Cards bullpen. Jackasses. So, a win keeps the Dodgers under 2 games back.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Maddux ties Clemens for 8th on career wins list
After 2 very encouraging victories against 2 of the NL's best in Dan Haren and Brandon Webb, the Dodgers came home today and took care of business in defeating the San Diego Padres, 5-2. The DBacks had a big win of their own, overcoming a 5-1 hole to beat the Cardinals earlier today, so the margin is still 2.5 games in the NL West.
The Padres wasted no time in getting to Greg Maddux, as the first 3 hitters of the game singled, with Kevin Kouzmanoff singling home Brian Giles for the early lead. 2 runners were stranded though with nobody out. The Dodgers responded in the bottom half with a James Loney single to score Andre Ethier to tie the game up.
From there, the Dodgers simply took over little by little. The bottom part of the order got in on the action in the 2nd, starting with a single from Casey Blake. He stole 2nd, and Angel Berroa of all people hit a big RBI double for the lead. Maddux then hit a single to score Berroa, and it was 3-1 after 2.
Blake continued his hot streak (7 game hit streak) with a homer in the 4th for the 4-1 lead. The Padres added a run in the 6th, but the Dodgers got it back in the 7th on a sac-fly RBI by Manny Ramirez.
4 runs in the first 3 innings was good, but this game was more about the pitching. Maddux went 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K for his first win as a Dodger (well, since the last time he was there). More importantly, he's now on the verge of passing Roger Clemens into 7th on the all-time wins list. I think it'll happen, mostly because I'm going out on a limb and predicting that Clemens won't be pitching anytime soon...
The bullpen was great after he left in the 6th. Joe Beimel walked his only batter he faced, but Cory Wade picked him up by retiring catcher Nick Hundley. I thought Hong-Chih Kuo wouldn't pitch tonight, but I guess I'm not giving his arm enough credit. He went 2 flawless innings, K'ing 3 along the way. That's now 93 K's in 78.1 IP this season. Wow. Jonathan Broxton got the save, his 11th.
It's hard to believe just how bad the Padres are, but at 53-84, it's no wonder I barely recognize their lineup tonight. They're doing the right thing in giving some unknowns a shot - you never know what good might come out of it. Still, for a team that was that close to the playoffs last year to this, it's one of their most disappointing seasons in a long time.
The Dodgers get 2 more against the Pads before Arizona is back in town this weekend. For now, it's time to win the winnables, as they thankfully avoid Jake Peavy, the Dodger Killer. Clayton Kershaw returns from a brief demotion to get the start. He's been horrible lately, as the Phillies and Nationals have pounded him into the ground. Time to get back on track.
The Padres wasted no time in getting to Greg Maddux, as the first 3 hitters of the game singled, with Kevin Kouzmanoff singling home Brian Giles for the early lead. 2 runners were stranded though with nobody out. The Dodgers responded in the bottom half with a James Loney single to score Andre Ethier to tie the game up.
From there, the Dodgers simply took over little by little. The bottom part of the order got in on the action in the 2nd, starting with a single from Casey Blake. He stole 2nd, and Angel Berroa of all people hit a big RBI double for the lead. Maddux then hit a single to score Berroa, and it was 3-1 after 2.
Blake continued his hot streak (7 game hit streak) with a homer in the 4th for the 4-1 lead. The Padres added a run in the 6th, but the Dodgers got it back in the 7th on a sac-fly RBI by Manny Ramirez.
4 runs in the first 3 innings was good, but this game was more about the pitching. Maddux went 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K for his first win as a Dodger (well, since the last time he was there). More importantly, he's now on the verge of passing Roger Clemens into 7th on the all-time wins list. I think it'll happen, mostly because I'm going out on a limb and predicting that Clemens won't be pitching anytime soon...
The bullpen was great after he left in the 6th. Joe Beimel walked his only batter he faced, but Cory Wade picked him up by retiring catcher Nick Hundley. I thought Hong-Chih Kuo wouldn't pitch tonight, but I guess I'm not giving his arm enough credit. He went 2 flawless innings, K'ing 3 along the way. That's now 93 K's in 78.1 IP this season. Wow. Jonathan Broxton got the save, his 11th.
It's hard to believe just how bad the Padres are, but at 53-84, it's no wonder I barely recognize their lineup tonight. They're doing the right thing in giving some unknowns a shot - you never know what good might come out of it. Still, for a team that was that close to the playoffs last year to this, it's one of their most disappointing seasons in a long time.
The Dodgers get 2 more against the Pads before Arizona is back in town this weekend. For now, it's time to win the winnables, as they thankfully avoid Jake Peavy, the Dodger Killer. Clayton Kershaw returns from a brief demotion to get the start. He's been horrible lately, as the Phillies and Nationals have pounded him into the ground. Time to get back on track.
Kent out for now with knee surgery
Jeff Kent has decided to undergo minor knee surgery, which will sideline him for the time being. However, the early word is that he will be able to return in time for the end of the season. The surgery will take place on Tuesday.
You know, Kent's season was really starting to turn around when Manny Ramirez came aboard. He was hitting in the #3 hole, was seeing plenty of pitches to hit, and was really starting to come through again. All was looking good.
And then he decided to run his mouth about Vin Scully, and he has looked dreadful since then. For those of you that have forgotten, Kent took exception to Scully claiming that having Manny protect him has really upped his production. In fact, he said that Scully "talks to much" and went on to claim that Scully is never around the players and shouldn't say things like that. Needless to say, those comments made him look like a total jackass, or an even bigger one than normal.
With Kent down, Chin-lung Hu was recalled. Hu has a very solid glove, but is lost at the plate, compiling a meager .159 AVG in 49 games earlier this year. Basically, he's another version of Angel Berroa, accept he's actually a worse hitter if you can believe that.
You know, Kent's season was really starting to turn around when Manny Ramirez came aboard. He was hitting in the #3 hole, was seeing plenty of pitches to hit, and was really starting to come through again. All was looking good.
And then he decided to run his mouth about Vin Scully, and he has looked dreadful since then. For those of you that have forgotten, Kent took exception to Scully claiming that having Manny protect him has really upped his production. In fact, he said that Scully "talks to much" and went on to claim that Scully is never around the players and shouldn't say things like that. Needless to say, those comments made him look like a total jackass, or an even bigger one than normal.
With Kent down, Chin-lung Hu was recalled. Hu has a very solid glove, but is lost at the plate, compiling a meager .159 AVG in 49 games earlier this year. Basically, he's another version of Angel Berroa, accept he's actually a worse hitter if you can believe that.
Callups and returns for September
The start of September means it's roster expansion time, and here's what the Dodgers have cooking:
Callups:
I've long since given up on Jones, mostly because he's a joke who has turned out to be the biggest free agent bust this season, and possibly in a long time. Young can provide a good bat late in games when they need some pop. Who knows what to expect from Repko, but if he truly is healthy, he'll give the team good energy.
Callups:
- Eric Stults, left-handed pitcher
- James McDonald, right-handed pitcher
- Jason Repko (remember him?), outfielder
- Andruw Jones, outfielder and overall letdown
- Delwyn Young, outfielder
- Scott Proctor, right-handed reliever
I've long since given up on Jones, mostly because he's a joke who has turned out to be the biggest free agent bust this season, and possibly in a long time. Young can provide a good bat late in games when they need some pop. Who knows what to expect from Repko, but if he truly is healthy, he'll give the team good energy.
Dodgers jump all over Webb early
So I think this weekend's games officially makes the Dodgers the weirdest team in baseball to figure out.
The Dodgers had probably their most complete effort of the season, pummeling Brandon Webb early and often as they easily won, 8-1. The win makes the margin 2.5 games, as the Dodgers took 2 of 3 in Arizona. Not bad for a team that was absolutely pitiful in the other 8 road games.
It was really amazing to see just how lost Webb looked, and how great the Dodgers were in pounding the ball all night. Even their outs were mostly hit hard. In all, they had 12 hits (including a double and 2 homers), stole 2 bases, and took 7 walks. True, they still left 10 men on base, but that's bound to happen to some extent when so many men get on base. It was obviously the type of clutch performance they've desperately been waiting for.
It all started in the 1st when Andre Ethier launched an 0-2 pitch to right-center for a solo shot. Manny Ramirez took the first of his 3 walks and James Loney singled. Matt Kemp hit into a fielder's choice, and 2 were on with 2 down. Casey Blake then continued on his solid weekend by hammering a 3-run shot to dead center, and the game was pretty much over after that.
Blake DeWitt contributed with a sac-fly RBI in the 3rd for a 5 run lead, and the scoring continued in the 4th. Ethier started it with a long double to score Russell Martin. With Ethier on 3rd and Manny on 2nd, Kemp's dribbler along the 3rd base line was misplayed by Mark Reynolds, and both runs scored. It capped a pretty miserable night overall for the DBacks.
The offense was on fire, but Derek Lowe made sure the lead would never even come close to being threatened. He went 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. His stuff was nasty, as the DBacks really stood no chance against him. Another good sign was the 2nd appearance from lefty Scott Elbert, who despite giving up a solo shot to Reynolds, looked really good. He and Kershaw are pretty much clones, with wicked fastballs and good breaking stuff. Look out for him.
With rosters expanding and some of the DL guys being healthy, the Dodgers will be given more options to find the right combination. I'm sure Martin will be kept at leadoff, more because they're 2 for 3 with him there. The key will continue to be guys like Ethier, Kemp, Loney, and Blake. The team cannot afford to watch them go through hitting slumps again if they want to make their move.
It's a lot of division play from here on out, starting tonight with a 3 game set at home against San Diego. After a 2-8 road trip, getting home will be a very welcome sight. Greg Maddux will try again for his first win as a Dodger against the returning Chris Young, who hasn't pitched since August 10. The DBacks play St. Louis, who are battling for a playoff spot themselves.
The Dodgers had probably their most complete effort of the season, pummeling Brandon Webb early and often as they easily won, 8-1. The win makes the margin 2.5 games, as the Dodgers took 2 of 3 in Arizona. Not bad for a team that was absolutely pitiful in the other 8 road games.
It was really amazing to see just how lost Webb looked, and how great the Dodgers were in pounding the ball all night. Even their outs were mostly hit hard. In all, they had 12 hits (including a double and 2 homers), stole 2 bases, and took 7 walks. True, they still left 10 men on base, but that's bound to happen to some extent when so many men get on base. It was obviously the type of clutch performance they've desperately been waiting for.
It all started in the 1st when Andre Ethier launched an 0-2 pitch to right-center for a solo shot. Manny Ramirez took the first of his 3 walks and James Loney singled. Matt Kemp hit into a fielder's choice, and 2 were on with 2 down. Casey Blake then continued on his solid weekend by hammering a 3-run shot to dead center, and the game was pretty much over after that.
Blake DeWitt contributed with a sac-fly RBI in the 3rd for a 5 run lead, and the scoring continued in the 4th. Ethier started it with a long double to score Russell Martin. With Ethier on 3rd and Manny on 2nd, Kemp's dribbler along the 3rd base line was misplayed by Mark Reynolds, and both runs scored. It capped a pretty miserable night overall for the DBacks.
The offense was on fire, but Derek Lowe made sure the lead would never even come close to being threatened. He went 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. His stuff was nasty, as the DBacks really stood no chance against him. Another good sign was the 2nd appearance from lefty Scott Elbert, who despite giving up a solo shot to Reynolds, looked really good. He and Kershaw are pretty much clones, with wicked fastballs and good breaking stuff. Look out for him.
With rosters expanding and some of the DL guys being healthy, the Dodgers will be given more options to find the right combination. I'm sure Martin will be kept at leadoff, more because they're 2 for 3 with him there. The key will continue to be guys like Ethier, Kemp, Loney, and Blake. The team cannot afford to watch them go through hitting slumps again if they want to make their move.
It's a lot of division play from here on out, starting tonight with a 3 game set at home against San Diego. After a 2-8 road trip, getting home will be a very welcome sight. Greg Maddux will try again for his first win as a Dodger against the returning Chris Young, who hasn't pitched since August 10. The DBacks play St. Louis, who are battling for a playoff spot themselves.
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