In some pretty amazing news, Hiroki Kuroda somehow avoided being seriously hurt after being plunked in the head by a line drive on Saturday night.
He never lost consciousness and a CT scan was negative, meaning there's no internal bleeding or fractures. That's some great news. He was moving his arms even as he was being carted off the field, so that was immediately a good sign.
There's no timetable for his return. When there is one, I will share that with everyone.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Bad loss leaves Dodgers hurting all over
It was about the worst possible ending for an already bad night for the Dodgers.
Up 3-1 in the ninth, Jonathan Broxton gave up two long home runs, and the Diamondbacks went on to win the game in the 10th, 4-3. Not only did the Dodgers flat out blow this one, they also had to deal with a scary injury to Hiroki Kuroda.
Kuroda cruised through the first five innings, giving up only two hits and no runs. He looked like he had complete game stuff, as the DBacks were not getting good swings against him. Just when things were looking good, it all came to a crashing halt.
Pinch-hitter Rusty Ryal started the sixth by lining one off of Kuroda's head, causing the ball to ricochet all the way to the crowd for a double. Kuroda laid on the ground in obvious discomfort as all of the Dodgers looked on in concern.
Kuroda was carted off the field, but he was clearly moving his arms and appeared to be responsive. We'd all later find out that he actually was in pretty good shape for someone who took such a nasty shot to the head, as he never lost consciousness. Still, a totally scary sight that could have been much worse.
Back to the game, and James McDonald had the tough task of being thrown in there out of nowhere. After given all the time he needed to warm up, the Australian Trent Oeltjen hit a sac-fly RBI to go down 3-1.
The Dodgers scored all of their runs before Kuroda's injury. It started in the second when Matt Kemp walked to lead off. Another walk to Mark Loretta put two on with two down. Brad Ausmus went opposite field for an RBI single and 1-0 lead.
A bit of luck got the Dodgers another run in the third, as Doug Davis threw a pickoff throw away at first to let Rafael Furcal score from third. A sac-fly RBI in the sixth by Loretta scored Casey Blake, who tripled to lead off the inning.
All signs pointed to the Dodgers getting a win for Kuroda heading into the ninth. Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill pitched the seventh and eighth, respectively, and were fantastic. Then came Broxton in the ninth, and boy did he get smoked.
Broxton struck out Gerardo Parra to start it, though it was clearly ball four if Parra didn't swing. Mark Reynolds took a weak slider and slugged it to deep center for the solo shot. Miguel Montero followed that with a shot to right, and after all of that, the DBacks tied it at three.
Kemp tried to get the Dodgers back into it by walking and stealing both second and third. But, as was the case most of the game, the offense could not come through, stranding him at third. That was pretty much a sign that this game was going to slip away.
And lucky me, I was right. Ramon Troncoso came on and was terrible. A single, an intentional walk, and another walk loaded the bases with one down. With the outfield playing up, Parra smacked one to the wall in center for the walk-off.
With everything to happen in this game, it's a shame that the Dodgers couldn't win this. They had so many chances to get it done, and couldn't. Another late-inning loss, and the Dodgers are the ones taking it on the chin in close games lately, as they continue to be pretty much a .500 team since the All-Star break.
Kuroda deserved a win for this one, but Broxton couldn't come through. Broxton's last seven appearances have seen him blow three saves, as his ERA has gone from 2.89 to 3.25. Maybe his toe is still hurting, or something else is hurting, but he clearly isn't the same pitcher lately.
Hopefully it's just a bad stretch and he'll work through it. If not, Joe Torre seriously needs to consider letting Sherrill getting some shots at closing. Sherrill has not given up a run in 8 and 1/3 innings with a WHIP of 1.08. I'm not saying Broxton should be fully demoted, but Sherrill can at least get some cracks in the ninth inning.
With the lead in the NL West down to 4 and 1/2 games over the Rockies, the Dodgers send Randy Wolf to the mound this afternoon. If Kuroda's out an extended period of time, Wolf's starts become even more important. At the very least, the Dodgers just can't get swept in Arizona. That would be, uh, not good.
Up 3-1 in the ninth, Jonathan Broxton gave up two long home runs, and the Diamondbacks went on to win the game in the 10th, 4-3. Not only did the Dodgers flat out blow this one, they also had to deal with a scary injury to Hiroki Kuroda.
Kuroda cruised through the first five innings, giving up only two hits and no runs. He looked like he had complete game stuff, as the DBacks were not getting good swings against him. Just when things were looking good, it all came to a crashing halt.
Pinch-hitter Rusty Ryal started the sixth by lining one off of Kuroda's head, causing the ball to ricochet all the way to the crowd for a double. Kuroda laid on the ground in obvious discomfort as all of the Dodgers looked on in concern.
Kuroda was carted off the field, but he was clearly moving his arms and appeared to be responsive. We'd all later find out that he actually was in pretty good shape for someone who took such a nasty shot to the head, as he never lost consciousness. Still, a totally scary sight that could have been much worse.
Back to the game, and James McDonald had the tough task of being thrown in there out of nowhere. After given all the time he needed to warm up, the Australian Trent Oeltjen hit a sac-fly RBI to go down 3-1.
The Dodgers scored all of their runs before Kuroda's injury. It started in the second when Matt Kemp walked to lead off. Another walk to Mark Loretta put two on with two down. Brad Ausmus went opposite field for an RBI single and 1-0 lead.
A bit of luck got the Dodgers another run in the third, as Doug Davis threw a pickoff throw away at first to let Rafael Furcal score from third. A sac-fly RBI in the sixth by Loretta scored Casey Blake, who tripled to lead off the inning.
All signs pointed to the Dodgers getting a win for Kuroda heading into the ninth. Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill pitched the seventh and eighth, respectively, and were fantastic. Then came Broxton in the ninth, and boy did he get smoked.
Broxton struck out Gerardo Parra to start it, though it was clearly ball four if Parra didn't swing. Mark Reynolds took a weak slider and slugged it to deep center for the solo shot. Miguel Montero followed that with a shot to right, and after all of that, the DBacks tied it at three.
Kemp tried to get the Dodgers back into it by walking and stealing both second and third. But, as was the case most of the game, the offense could not come through, stranding him at third. That was pretty much a sign that this game was going to slip away.
And lucky me, I was right. Ramon Troncoso came on and was terrible. A single, an intentional walk, and another walk loaded the bases with one down. With the outfield playing up, Parra smacked one to the wall in center for the walk-off.
With everything to happen in this game, it's a shame that the Dodgers couldn't win this. They had so many chances to get it done, and couldn't. Another late-inning loss, and the Dodgers are the ones taking it on the chin in close games lately, as they continue to be pretty much a .500 team since the All-Star break.
Kuroda deserved a win for this one, but Broxton couldn't come through. Broxton's last seven appearances have seen him blow three saves, as his ERA has gone from 2.89 to 3.25. Maybe his toe is still hurting, or something else is hurting, but he clearly isn't the same pitcher lately.
Hopefully it's just a bad stretch and he'll work through it. If not, Joe Torre seriously needs to consider letting Sherrill getting some shots at closing. Sherrill has not given up a run in 8 and 1/3 innings with a WHIP of 1.08. I'm not saying Broxton should be fully demoted, but Sherrill can at least get some cracks in the ninth inning.
With the lead in the NL West down to 4 and 1/2 games over the Rockies, the Dodgers send Randy Wolf to the mound this afternoon. If Kuroda's out an extended period of time, Wolf's starts become even more important. At the very least, the Dodgers just can't get swept in Arizona. That would be, uh, not good.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Kuroda hit in head by liner, taken to hospital
In the sixth inning of tonight's game against the Diamondbacks, Hiroki Kuroda was nailed in the head by a line drive from Rusty Ryal. He was carted off the field and taken to a nearby hospital. The good news is that he was moving his arms and appeared to be aware of his surroundings.
More on this when news comes out.
More on this when news comes out.
One bad inning dooms Kershaw against Haren
Clayton Kershaw went 1-2-3 in the first inning, striking out Gerardo Parra to end it, and all looked good.
Then the second inning hit, and the Dodgers never recovered.
The Diamondbacks sent nine batters to the plate in a four run inning, and that was enough to beat the Dodgers, 4-1. Maybe if the Dodgers were facing anybody but Dan Haren, they would have had a shot, but not on this night.
The Dodgers scrounged together seven hits, three from Manny Ramirez and two from Matt Kemp. Other than those two, the offense did a big pile of nothing. The first three hitters of Rafael Furcal, Russell Martin, and Andre Ethier combined to go 0-for-10. Ah, not exactly the best way to set the table.
In the second, the DBacks took advantage of Kershaw's walks to get some big hits and drive in runs. It all started with a walk to Mark Reynolds, and it was all downhill from there. Miguel Montero doubled him home for the 1-0 lead. Augie Ojeda hit an RBI groundout, Haren an RBI single, and Ojeda scored on a wild pitch.
The only run of the night for the Dodgers came in the sixth. After James Loney flied out to deep right center, Kemp connected with a solo shot to left for his 17th of the season. He still strikes out too much, but with a .313 average, 17 homers, 76 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases, he's certainly had his best season of his young career.
As for Kershaw, he was once again victimized by too many pitches because of too many walks. In only 4 and 1/3 innings, he managed to throw a whopping 99 pitches. He actually struck out nine, but when his stuff wasn't on, he was all over the place.
The bullpen did a great job in keeping this at least within striking distance. Ramon Troncoso, Ronald Belisario, and Guillermo Mota combined to finish the game by giving up no runs on only one hit.
Like the rest of Major League Baseball these days, there was a bit of a beanball war as the game progressed. Belisario hit Reynolds the batter after giving up a double to Parra. In response, Haren tagged Ethier with two down in the eighth. Nothing came of it though, but perhaps this weekend something will develop.
Chad Qualls came in for the save, but the Dodgers tried to make some noise. Casey Blake walked to start, then was forced at second by Loney's grounder. Kemp hit a double for two runners in scoring position. But, Orlando Hudson and the pinch-hitting Mark Loretta could not make anything happen to end the game.
The good news to all of this? The Giants lost to the Mets, and the Rockies lost to the Marlins, so it's all a wash at the end of the day. Both the Giants and Rockies are in the East Coast this weekend, so let's hope they don't adjust too well.
Hiroki Kuroda will get the call tonight, and he's coming off a great start in San Francisco. After Kershaw couldn't last long, the Dodgers need Kuroda to pitch effectively tonight.
Then the second inning hit, and the Dodgers never recovered.
The Diamondbacks sent nine batters to the plate in a four run inning, and that was enough to beat the Dodgers, 4-1. Maybe if the Dodgers were facing anybody but Dan Haren, they would have had a shot, but not on this night.
The Dodgers scrounged together seven hits, three from Manny Ramirez and two from Matt Kemp. Other than those two, the offense did a big pile of nothing. The first three hitters of Rafael Furcal, Russell Martin, and Andre Ethier combined to go 0-for-10. Ah, not exactly the best way to set the table.
In the second, the DBacks took advantage of Kershaw's walks to get some big hits and drive in runs. It all started with a walk to Mark Reynolds, and it was all downhill from there. Miguel Montero doubled him home for the 1-0 lead. Augie Ojeda hit an RBI groundout, Haren an RBI single, and Ojeda scored on a wild pitch.
The only run of the night for the Dodgers came in the sixth. After James Loney flied out to deep right center, Kemp connected with a solo shot to left for his 17th of the season. He still strikes out too much, but with a .313 average, 17 homers, 76 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases, he's certainly had his best season of his young career.
As for Kershaw, he was once again victimized by too many pitches because of too many walks. In only 4 and 1/3 innings, he managed to throw a whopping 99 pitches. He actually struck out nine, but when his stuff wasn't on, he was all over the place.
The bullpen did a great job in keeping this at least within striking distance. Ramon Troncoso, Ronald Belisario, and Guillermo Mota combined to finish the game by giving up no runs on only one hit.
Like the rest of Major League Baseball these days, there was a bit of a beanball war as the game progressed. Belisario hit Reynolds the batter after giving up a double to Parra. In response, Haren tagged Ethier with two down in the eighth. Nothing came of it though, but perhaps this weekend something will develop.
Chad Qualls came in for the save, but the Dodgers tried to make some noise. Casey Blake walked to start, then was forced at second by Loney's grounder. Kemp hit a double for two runners in scoring position. But, Orlando Hudson and the pinch-hitting Mark Loretta could not make anything happen to end the game.
The good news to all of this? The Giants lost to the Mets, and the Rockies lost to the Marlins, so it's all a wash at the end of the day. Both the Giants and Rockies are in the East Coast this weekend, so let's hope they don't adjust too well.
Hiroki Kuroda will get the call tonight, and he's coming off a great start in San Francisco. After Kershaw couldn't last long, the Dodgers need Kuroda to pitch effectively tonight.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A good comeback, but Giants nip Dodgers in 10
The Dodgers were facing an uphill battle on Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco. Chad Billingsley was out with a sore left hamstring, and Tim Lincecum was staring them down from the opposing pitching mound.
Down 2-1 entering the ninth, Lincecum stayed on to attempt the complete game. He came close, but an RBI single by Andre Ethier tied it at two, chasing an angry Lincecum back to the dugout.
The comeback was sweet, but that would be the last good moment on this day. Guillermo Mota came on and again stunk it up in extras. A walk-off two-run homer by Juan Uribe gave the Giants the win, 4-2.
The Giants were understandably on edge after dropping the first two games of what could have been a golden chance to gain some ground in the NL West. After falling 9-1 on Tuesday, they needed Lincecum to step up, and he did. What they also did was cause a near brawl.
In the fifth, the Giants took a two run lead. Eugenio Valez lead off with a ground rule double to center. Freddy Sanchez hit a single that allowed Valez to score. On the play, as Russell Martin jumped in the air to get the high throw, he was taken out by the sliding Valez. It wasn't an intentional play, it just happened.
Maybe Pablo Sandoval thought James McDonald was angry about it, because the next pitch was inside and nearly hit him. The Kung Fu Crybaby... er, Panda, yelled out at the mound, as Martin then yelled back, causing both benches to empty. No harm done as nobody was ejected.
A bases loaded walk to Fred Lewis let the second run score, as Hong-Chih Kuo had a hard time finding the strike zone relieving in the fifth.
Juan Pierre pinch-hit for Kuo with one down in the sixth, and he tripled to deep center. An RBI groundout by Rafael Furcal put the Dodgers down by one.
That's how it remained until the ninth. Furcal hit a slow roller to short that he just beat out, or so said the first base umpire. Bruce Bochy had already been ejected earlier, now the acting manager Randy Wotus also was shown the door. I don't think I've ever seen two managers get tossed like that.
Anyway, Martin flied out to deep center, and Raffy tagged up to second on a very heads-up play. That would prove to be a great decision, as Ethier ripped a single past second to tie it up.
George Sherrill did his usual stellar job by pitching the eighth and ninth innings. He escaped potential trouble by getting a pinch-hitting Aaron Rowand to ground into an inning-ending double play to end the ninth.
Mota must not be money in extra innings, because he again gave up a long home run, just as he did last Saturday against the Braves. Uribe left no doubt by crushing one deep to left that Manny Ramirez could only watch.
Joe Torre said before the game that this would be a committee approach for his pitchers, and he wasn't kidding. Jeff Weaver pitched the first three innings, and did a good job by giving up no runs. A combination of McDonald, Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso, Sherrill, and Mota followed. Since there's an off day Thursday, Torre had this planned all along.
Even with the Giants getting the win, this series was obviously more successful for the Dodgers. They took two of three, increasing their lead over the Giants by one to 6 and 1/2. The Rockies, on the other hand, just won't quit, as they're 5 and 1/2 back.
After playing 20 games in 20 days, the Dodgers mercifully have a day off on Thursday. It's about damn time! They then go to Arizona for three. The DBacks are a total afterthought these days, so the Dodgers should try to get at least two.
The first game should be good, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Dan Haren.
Down 2-1 entering the ninth, Lincecum stayed on to attempt the complete game. He came close, but an RBI single by Andre Ethier tied it at two, chasing an angry Lincecum back to the dugout.
The comeback was sweet, but that would be the last good moment on this day. Guillermo Mota came on and again stunk it up in extras. A walk-off two-run homer by Juan Uribe gave the Giants the win, 4-2.
The Giants were understandably on edge after dropping the first two games of what could have been a golden chance to gain some ground in the NL West. After falling 9-1 on Tuesday, they needed Lincecum to step up, and he did. What they also did was cause a near brawl.
In the fifth, the Giants took a two run lead. Eugenio Valez lead off with a ground rule double to center. Freddy Sanchez hit a single that allowed Valez to score. On the play, as Russell Martin jumped in the air to get the high throw, he was taken out by the sliding Valez. It wasn't an intentional play, it just happened.
Maybe Pablo Sandoval thought James McDonald was angry about it, because the next pitch was inside and nearly hit him. The Kung Fu Crybaby... er, Panda, yelled out at the mound, as Martin then yelled back, causing both benches to empty. No harm done as nobody was ejected.
A bases loaded walk to Fred Lewis let the second run score, as Hong-Chih Kuo had a hard time finding the strike zone relieving in the fifth.
Juan Pierre pinch-hit for Kuo with one down in the sixth, and he tripled to deep center. An RBI groundout by Rafael Furcal put the Dodgers down by one.
That's how it remained until the ninth. Furcal hit a slow roller to short that he just beat out, or so said the first base umpire. Bruce Bochy had already been ejected earlier, now the acting manager Randy Wotus also was shown the door. I don't think I've ever seen two managers get tossed like that.
Anyway, Martin flied out to deep center, and Raffy tagged up to second on a very heads-up play. That would prove to be a great decision, as Ethier ripped a single past second to tie it up.
George Sherrill did his usual stellar job by pitching the eighth and ninth innings. He escaped potential trouble by getting a pinch-hitting Aaron Rowand to ground into an inning-ending double play to end the ninth.
Mota must not be money in extra innings, because he again gave up a long home run, just as he did last Saturday against the Braves. Uribe left no doubt by crushing one deep to left that Manny Ramirez could only watch.
Joe Torre said before the game that this would be a committee approach for his pitchers, and he wasn't kidding. Jeff Weaver pitched the first three innings, and did a good job by giving up no runs. A combination of McDonald, Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso, Sherrill, and Mota followed. Since there's an off day Thursday, Torre had this planned all along.
Even with the Giants getting the win, this series was obviously more successful for the Dodgers. They took two of three, increasing their lead over the Giants by one to 6 and 1/2. The Rockies, on the other hand, just won't quit, as they're 5 and 1/2 back.
After playing 20 games in 20 days, the Dodgers mercifully have a day off on Thursday. It's about damn time! They then go to Arizona for three. The DBacks are a total afterthought these days, so the Dodgers should try to get at least two.
The first game should be good, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Dan Haren.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Everything clicks in drubbing of Giants
The Dodgers are doing the best they can to remind everyone why they have a big lead in the NL West.
The Giants were no match for the Dodgers on Tuesday night, as Randy Wolf went eight brilliant innings, and Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp homered for the 9-1 win. Coupled with a loss by the Rockies, the lead is 6 and 1/2 in the West.
Emilio Valez hit an RBI groundout in the third to get the Giants on the board first. Joe Martinez was rolling for awhile, as he was scoreless through four innings. But, once he started to get hit, the Dodgers took this game and ran away with it.
In the fifth, Rafael Furcal started a big inning with a walk. Russell Martin hit a grounder that Martinez somehow backhanded on a great play... then threw the ball away at second. With two on, Andre Ethier hit a long double to plate them both.
Manny lined a double to left that scored Ethier for the 3-1 lead. Casey Blake's grounder advanced Manny to third, and James Loney hit an RBI single. Three hits and an error gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.
Fast forward to the seventh, where the Dodgers had another big inning. Ethier singled to lead off, and Manny took a low breaking ball and deposited it into left for his 13th homer of the year.
A walk to Blake and a single by Loney set the table for Kemp. All Kemp did was crush one to dead center for a three-run home run, his 16th this year. The end result was a commanding lead of 9-1.
While the offense struck big a couple of times, Wolf was the true star. In eight innings, he gave up three hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. Along with Hiroki Kuroda yesterday, that's two straight dominating performances by the starters. Combine that with the offense waking up, and it's easy to see why they've had their way thus far.
As for the Giants, it's obviously not the way they wanted to make a statement. They came into this series with the potential of being 2 and 1/2 games back, now they're 7 and 1/2 back. They're one of many teams battling it out in the Wild Card, lead by the Rockies by one game over the Giants. That'll go right down to the wire.
Chad Billingsley is a scratch for today's game because of a sore left hamstring. With the Dodgers winning the first two games, it's actually not as big a deal that he can't start. Don't get me wrong, I wish he was in there, but they can afford to be cautious with a nice lead in the West.
Jeff Weaver will instead take the spot start, and he's a reliable choice. The bad news is that none of this may matter because the great Tim Lincecum starts for the Giants. Lincecum actually has a 4.15 ERA this year against the Dodgers, so maybe there's a glimmer of hope there.
The Giants were no match for the Dodgers on Tuesday night, as Randy Wolf went eight brilliant innings, and Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp homered for the 9-1 win. Coupled with a loss by the Rockies, the lead is 6 and 1/2 in the West.
Emilio Valez hit an RBI groundout in the third to get the Giants on the board first. Joe Martinez was rolling for awhile, as he was scoreless through four innings. But, once he started to get hit, the Dodgers took this game and ran away with it.
In the fifth, Rafael Furcal started a big inning with a walk. Russell Martin hit a grounder that Martinez somehow backhanded on a great play... then threw the ball away at second. With two on, Andre Ethier hit a long double to plate them both.
Manny lined a double to left that scored Ethier for the 3-1 lead. Casey Blake's grounder advanced Manny to third, and James Loney hit an RBI single. Three hits and an error gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.
Fast forward to the seventh, where the Dodgers had another big inning. Ethier singled to lead off, and Manny took a low breaking ball and deposited it into left for his 13th homer of the year.
A walk to Blake and a single by Loney set the table for Kemp. All Kemp did was crush one to dead center for a three-run home run, his 16th this year. The end result was a commanding lead of 9-1.
While the offense struck big a couple of times, Wolf was the true star. In eight innings, he gave up three hits, one run, one walk, and three strikeouts. Along with Hiroki Kuroda yesterday, that's two straight dominating performances by the starters. Combine that with the offense waking up, and it's easy to see why they've had their way thus far.
As for the Giants, it's obviously not the way they wanted to make a statement. They came into this series with the potential of being 2 and 1/2 games back, now they're 7 and 1/2 back. They're one of many teams battling it out in the Wild Card, lead by the Rockies by one game over the Giants. That'll go right down to the wire.
Chad Billingsley is a scratch for today's game because of a sore left hamstring. With the Dodgers winning the first two games, it's actually not as big a deal that he can't start. Don't get me wrong, I wish he was in there, but they can afford to be cautious with a nice lead in the West.
Jeff Weaver will instead take the spot start, and he's a reliable choice. The bad news is that none of this may matter because the great Tim Lincecum starts for the Giants. Lincecum actually has a 4.15 ERA this year against the Dodgers, so maybe there's a glimmer of hope there.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Kemp's big double helps beat the rivals
After dropping three of the last four at home against the NL Central, maybe hitting the road and playing division teams would be a jolt for the Dodgers.
That sure looked to be the case last night, as Matt Kemp's three-run double in the fourth was the big blow in beating the Giants, 4-2.
The win puts the Dodgers 5 and 1/2 up on the Rockies, who beat the Cubs easily, and 6 and 1/2 on the Giants. Also, the win gives the Dodgers a 31-12 record, the best for any team against their own division in baseball.
The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the second when Travis Ishikawa hit a solo homer to deep right. It could have been more, but Fred Lewis was gunned out trying to steal the batter before.
In the fourth, the Dodgers put themselves in the lead for good. It started when Manny Ramirez singled sharply up the middle on a full count. Following that, Casey Blake and Orlando Hudson drew walks to load the bases. On a 1-0 count, Kemp lined one into the left field corner to clear the bases for a 3-1 lead. Mark Loretta hit an RBI single, and it was 4-1.
That big inning was good enough for Hiroki Kuroda to keep rolling. He finished at 6 and 1/3 innings, six hits, one run, one walk, and two strikeouts. He didn't overpower anyone, but hit location was great and kept the Giants off balance all night.
After Kuroda gave up a one-out single in the seventh, Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario came on to get the final two outs. George Sherrill gave up a leadoff double to Edgar Renteria, but three straight groundouts left him stranded.
Jonathan Broxton came on for the save, but it didn't go so smoothly. Bengie Molina hit a long home run to left with one out to make it 4-2. Randy Winn singled up the middle next, but was forced out at second on Fred Lewis' grounder.
With the tying run at bat, Ryan Garko hit a hard grounder up the middle. Juan Castro, who was only in because Hudson tweaked his groin a couple innings before, made a terrific diving stop to easily get Garko at first. A great ending to a big game.
The Dodgers used a basic formula of good pitching, good defense, and clutch hitting to win this one. They really only got a couple of big hits back in the fourth, but it was enough. They turned two double plays, which is something the Giants have been hitting into a lot lately.
Since the lead in the division is still the same with the Rockies' win, there's still plenty of work to be done. Randy Wolf will go tonight. He's opposed by Joe Martinez. I didn't have a clue who this guy was, but then I saw a video of him getting drilled in the head for a Mike Cameron liner from earlier this year, and I remembered. That was just sickening, so it's good to see him back.
That sure looked to be the case last night, as Matt Kemp's three-run double in the fourth was the big blow in beating the Giants, 4-2.
The win puts the Dodgers 5 and 1/2 up on the Rockies, who beat the Cubs easily, and 6 and 1/2 on the Giants. Also, the win gives the Dodgers a 31-12 record, the best for any team against their own division in baseball.
The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the second when Travis Ishikawa hit a solo homer to deep right. It could have been more, but Fred Lewis was gunned out trying to steal the batter before.
In the fourth, the Dodgers put themselves in the lead for good. It started when Manny Ramirez singled sharply up the middle on a full count. Following that, Casey Blake and Orlando Hudson drew walks to load the bases. On a 1-0 count, Kemp lined one into the left field corner to clear the bases for a 3-1 lead. Mark Loretta hit an RBI single, and it was 4-1.
That big inning was good enough for Hiroki Kuroda to keep rolling. He finished at 6 and 1/3 innings, six hits, one run, one walk, and two strikeouts. He didn't overpower anyone, but hit location was great and kept the Giants off balance all night.
After Kuroda gave up a one-out single in the seventh, Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario came on to get the final two outs. George Sherrill gave up a leadoff double to Edgar Renteria, but three straight groundouts left him stranded.
Jonathan Broxton came on for the save, but it didn't go so smoothly. Bengie Molina hit a long home run to left with one out to make it 4-2. Randy Winn singled up the middle next, but was forced out at second on Fred Lewis' grounder.
With the tying run at bat, Ryan Garko hit a hard grounder up the middle. Juan Castro, who was only in because Hudson tweaked his groin a couple innings before, made a terrific diving stop to easily get Garko at first. A great ending to a big game.
The Dodgers used a basic formula of good pitching, good defense, and clutch hitting to win this one. They really only got a couple of big hits back in the fourth, but it was enough. They turned two double plays, which is something the Giants have been hitting into a lot lately.
Since the lead in the division is still the same with the Rockies' win, there's still plenty of work to be done. Randy Wolf will go tonight. He's opposed by Joe Martinez. I didn't have a clue who this guy was, but then I saw a video of him getting drilled in the head for a Mike Cameron liner from earlier this year, and I remembered. That was just sickening, so it's good to see him back.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Dodgers have no answers for Vazquez
It was a bad ending to a bad weekend of baseball.
The Braves dominated from start to finish as Javier Vazquez was practically untouchable in a 8-2 rout of the Dodgers. The Braves took three of four in this series, and could have swept it had it not been for Andre Ethier's three-run walk-off to steal Thursday's game.
The Dodgers may not be setting the world on fire at the plate lately, but Vazquez was still awesome regardless of that. His stuff was just off the charts good. If he wasn't at 113 pitches, he would have easily thrown a complete game. Still, eight innings, one run, and seven strikeouts speaks for itself.
Eric Stults was given the tough job of being recalled yesterday and starting today. All things considered, he really wasn't too bad. He gave up three runs in five innings, striking out three.
A double play groundout by Adam LaRoche put the Braves up 3-0 in the fourth, but certainly not out of reach. In the bottom of the inning, Ethier started things with a single, and Manny Ramirez hit a check swing double for two on. Casey Blake lifted a sac-fly RBI to make it 3-1.
Neither team could get much going for most of the game until the last inning. Russell Martin singled with one out in the seventh, but Orlando Hudson grounded into a DP to end that.
At 3-1 in the ninth, Jeff Weaver was yanked for Ramon Troncoso. Weaver pitched three perfect innings, but Troncoso was called on anyway. Bad move.
Troncoso was just pounded on for four runs in only 1/3 of an inning. Guillermo Mota got the last two outs, but was still charged with a run himself. Overall, the close 3-1 game was blown open to 8-1. It could have been even worse had Matt Kemp not made a great catch crashing into the center field wall.
Manny and Blake singled to lead off the ninth... but Kemp grounded into a double play to score Manny. Martin was hit by a pitch and Hudson singled... but Mark Loretta lined out to right to end it. Two separate threats, and only one run.
Like the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.
About the only good news to this day is that the Giants grounded into three double plays (two by Pablo Sandoval), and lost to the Reds, 5-2. The Rockies clobbered the Cubs, 11-5, so both teams are now 5 and 1/2 games out.
Losing six of the last nine now means that the three-game set in San Francisco starting Monday is pretty big. It's more of a big deal for the Giants since they're the ones who need to slash the deficit. The Dodgers can get swept and still be up 2 and 1/2 games. That's obviously not the goal, but the reality.
The Dodgers will have Hiroki Kuroda take the mound on Monday against Jonathan Sanchez, the no-hit man. Sanchez wasn't that great in the three starts after the no-no, but did put up seven shutout innings in Houston last start.
The Braves dominated from start to finish as Javier Vazquez was practically untouchable in a 8-2 rout of the Dodgers. The Braves took three of four in this series, and could have swept it had it not been for Andre Ethier's three-run walk-off to steal Thursday's game.
The Dodgers may not be setting the world on fire at the plate lately, but Vazquez was still awesome regardless of that. His stuff was just off the charts good. If he wasn't at 113 pitches, he would have easily thrown a complete game. Still, eight innings, one run, and seven strikeouts speaks for itself.
Eric Stults was given the tough job of being recalled yesterday and starting today. All things considered, he really wasn't too bad. He gave up three runs in five innings, striking out three.
A double play groundout by Adam LaRoche put the Braves up 3-0 in the fourth, but certainly not out of reach. In the bottom of the inning, Ethier started things with a single, and Manny Ramirez hit a check swing double for two on. Casey Blake lifted a sac-fly RBI to make it 3-1.
Neither team could get much going for most of the game until the last inning. Russell Martin singled with one out in the seventh, but Orlando Hudson grounded into a DP to end that.
At 3-1 in the ninth, Jeff Weaver was yanked for Ramon Troncoso. Weaver pitched three perfect innings, but Troncoso was called on anyway. Bad move.
Troncoso was just pounded on for four runs in only 1/3 of an inning. Guillermo Mota got the last two outs, but was still charged with a run himself. Overall, the close 3-1 game was blown open to 8-1. It could have been even worse had Matt Kemp not made a great catch crashing into the center field wall.
Manny and Blake singled to lead off the ninth... but Kemp grounded into a double play to score Manny. Martin was hit by a pitch and Hudson singled... but Mark Loretta lined out to right to end it. Two separate threats, and only one run.
Like the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.
About the only good news to this day is that the Giants grounded into three double plays (two by Pablo Sandoval), and lost to the Reds, 5-2. The Rockies clobbered the Cubs, 11-5, so both teams are now 5 and 1/2 games out.
Losing six of the last nine now means that the three-game set in San Francisco starting Monday is pretty big. It's more of a big deal for the Giants since they're the ones who need to slash the deficit. The Dodgers can get swept and still be up 2 and 1/2 games. That's obviously not the goal, but the reality.
The Dodgers will have Hiroki Kuroda take the mound on Monday against Jonathan Sanchez, the no-hit man. Sanchez wasn't that great in the three starts after the no-no, but did put up seven shutout innings in Houston last start.
Zero offense spoils Kershaw's gem
Two straight nights the Dodgers and Braves have gone into extra innings. And two straight nights, it was the Braves that took over when it counted the most.
A two-run homer by Kelly Johnson off of Guillermo Mota in the 10th gave the Braves a 2-0 lead, and they just held on for win, 2-1. Matt Kemp was robbed of a sure RBI single that would have tied it up to end the game.
With the loss, the Dodgers seem to be slowly losing their grip in the NL West. The Giants won again, so it's only a 5 and 1/2 game lead. The Dodgers really need to figure things out and fast because the Giants look to only be getting better. Oh ya, the Rockies aren't too shabby either at 6 and 1/2 out.
At the end of the season, these could be two games we look back at that could make a difference in the playoff race.
Clayton Kershaw was absolutely phenomenal, and it's highway robbery that he couldn't get a win. He went seven innings, two hits, no runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts. Three baserunners in seven innings. Wow.
The flip side is that Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami threw up blanks as well. He didn't give up a run in seven innings, with only four hits and four strikeouts.
To sum it up, neither team had a clue against either starter. So once again, it would come down to the bullpens to get the win.
After the Dodgers blew a bases loaded, one out chance in the seventh, the Braves could not capitalize with a couple of runners on in the eighth. The returning Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton were flawless to get the game into extras.
In the 10th, Mota got Matt Diaz to fly out for one down. Following a walk to Adam LaRoche, Johnson crushed one out to right for the lead. Maybe Mota is still in fear of Prince Fielder eating him, I don't know.
With Rafael Soriano on for the save, the Dodgers did make a little noise to try and get back into it. Juan Pierre lead off with a single. Andre Ethier's RBI single with two outs made it 2-1. Manny Ramirez was given the intentional walk for Kemp, who just missed a single up the middle. And that's the way it goes.
It's not like a 5 and 1/2 game lead in your division is a bad thing, because it's certainly a good problem to have. But I keep thinking back to last season when the Diamondbacks were cruising to a division lead and the Dodgers came charging hard late to claim it. The Giants are now that hot team, and the Rockies can't be forgotten either.
A win today would be a nice statement, because after today it's a suddenly big three-game set in San Francisco. The Rockies will be at home against the lowly Pirates, so you have to give them at least a couple wins there.
With Jason Schmidt on the DL, Eric Stults has been recalled for the start today. He hasn't been too hot this year, but at least he has experience in situations like this. The bad news is that Javier Vazquez goes for the Braves, who's having a great season. This should be an interesting one.
A two-run homer by Kelly Johnson off of Guillermo Mota in the 10th gave the Braves a 2-0 lead, and they just held on for win, 2-1. Matt Kemp was robbed of a sure RBI single that would have tied it up to end the game.
With the loss, the Dodgers seem to be slowly losing their grip in the NL West. The Giants won again, so it's only a 5 and 1/2 game lead. The Dodgers really need to figure things out and fast because the Giants look to only be getting better. Oh ya, the Rockies aren't too shabby either at 6 and 1/2 out.
At the end of the season, these could be two games we look back at that could make a difference in the playoff race.
Clayton Kershaw was absolutely phenomenal, and it's highway robbery that he couldn't get a win. He went seven innings, two hits, no runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts. Three baserunners in seven innings. Wow.
The flip side is that Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami threw up blanks as well. He didn't give up a run in seven innings, with only four hits and four strikeouts.
To sum it up, neither team had a clue against either starter. So once again, it would come down to the bullpens to get the win.
After the Dodgers blew a bases loaded, one out chance in the seventh, the Braves could not capitalize with a couple of runners on in the eighth. The returning Ronald Belisario, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton were flawless to get the game into extras.
In the 10th, Mota got Matt Diaz to fly out for one down. Following a walk to Adam LaRoche, Johnson crushed one out to right for the lead. Maybe Mota is still in fear of Prince Fielder eating him, I don't know.
With Rafael Soriano on for the save, the Dodgers did make a little noise to try and get back into it. Juan Pierre lead off with a single. Andre Ethier's RBI single with two outs made it 2-1. Manny Ramirez was given the intentional walk for Kemp, who just missed a single up the middle. And that's the way it goes.
It's not like a 5 and 1/2 game lead in your division is a bad thing, because it's certainly a good problem to have. But I keep thinking back to last season when the Diamondbacks were cruising to a division lead and the Dodgers came charging hard late to claim it. The Giants are now that hot team, and the Rockies can't be forgotten either.
A win today would be a nice statement, because after today it's a suddenly big three-game set in San Francisco. The Rockies will be at home against the lowly Pirates, so you have to give them at least a couple wins there.
With Jason Schmidt on the DL, Eric Stults has been recalled for the start today. He hasn't been too hot this year, but at least he has experience in situations like this. The bad news is that Javier Vazquez goes for the Braves, who's having a great season. This should be an interesting one.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Schmidt lands back on the DL, Abreu recalled
Four starts into his comeback, Jason Schmidt is back home... on the disabled list, that is.
Schmidt was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness. The plan, according to Joe Torre, is to have him rehab and possibly contribute to the big club in September.
Color me skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it. Maybe Torre is envisioning him in the bullpen, especially when rosters expand. But I just can't see him being in the starting rotation again. It's not like he can get deep in games, so that seems unlikely.
Perhaps we've seen the last of Schmidt in his highly disappointing Dodgers' career. With the way his body has crumbled on him, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he's done.
In his place, Tony Abreu has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. He hasn't been in L.A. since 2007 because of hip and groin problems. He was hitting .342 in the minors, so that's a good sign.
Schmidt was placed on the 15-day DL with right shoulder soreness. The plan, according to Joe Torre, is to have him rehab and possibly contribute to the big club in September.
Color me skeptical, but I'll believe it when I see it. Maybe Torre is envisioning him in the bullpen, especially when rosters expand. But I just can't see him being in the starting rotation again. It's not like he can get deep in games, so that seems unlikely.
Perhaps we've seen the last of Schmidt in his highly disappointing Dodgers' career. With the way his body has crumbled on him, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if he's done.
In his place, Tony Abreu has been recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque. He hasn't been in L.A. since 2007 because of hip and groin problems. He was hitting .342 in the minors, so that's a good sign.
Broxton and the bullpen fall apart
Despite going into the seventh inning with a 5-2 lead, the Dodgers' bullpen did something that hasn't happened much this year - they flat out blew it. The Braves scored in the ninth to give Broxton his fourth blown save, then went on a tear in the 12th to beat the Dodgers, 9-5.
The turning point of this game could very well have been Chad Billingsley being forced out of the game after six innings. Once again, it was a leg issue. Last Sunday it was his right hamstring, and Friday night it was his left one. It was described as "mild," so hopefully it was just a precautionary thing.
Still, there's no doubt Billingsley's exit gave the Braves the hope they needed. His final line was six innings, four hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and three strikeouts. Just when it looked like he was getting over his mid-season struggles, he hurts his legs. Should I be worried? I hope not.
Ryan Church would play a big role in this game, and he got the Braves on the board first with an RBI single in the second. A single and stolen base by Russell Martin allowed Orlando Hudson to get and RBI single in the bottom of the frame to tie it at one.
A bad walk to Jair Jurrjens would come back to haunt Bills, as that was followed by a bunt single and an error by James Loney for runners on the corners. Martin Prado grounded into a double play, but a run still scored to make it 2-1.
The Dodgers would take over from there... though they definitely got some help from the home plate umpire. After the game was tied at 2-2 in the fifth, Rafael Furcal singled to lead off. As he took off for second for an attempted stolen base, Ethier took a pitch on a 3-1 count that the umpire looked to signal a strike.
Only... it wasn't a strike. Or so the guy claimed, despite making what sure looked to be a "strike" motion with his arm. Raffy was gunned down but it didn't matter, as there were now two runners on. Bobby Cox, predictably, got ejected, though he had good reason.
What did all of that mean? Casey Blake launched a three-run shot for a 5-2 lead.
Everything looked to be lined up nicely for the Dodgers, but Kelly Johnson hit a two-run shot off of Hong-Chih Kuo to slice it to 5-4. George Sherrill got two outs in the seventh and a scoreless eighth to continue his solid pitching and get the ball to Broxton.
It's not like Broxton got drilled, but a one-out walk to Nate McLouth proved to be costly. He stole second, and Garrett Anderson grounded a two-out single by Hudson to tie it at five.
The Dodgers sure had their chance in the 11th to end it, but came up with nothing. Martin singled, Juan Pierre walked, and Ethier was intentionally walked with two outs. The newly called up Tony Abreu had his chance to be a hero, but grounded out.
From there, it all fell apart. Ramon Troncoso and Scott Elbert pretty much did a big pile of nothing. Yuniel Escobar hit an RBI single to break the tie, and Church cracked a three-run homer to put it way out of reach at 9-5.
About the only good news in all of this is that Giants suffered their own collapse, as the Reds scored five times in the ninth to blow open what was a tie game. The Rockies did win, however, so both teams are now 6 and 1/2 games back in the NL West.
With a cushion like the Dodgers have, they can afford to have some games like this. Still, it was pretty frustrating that Broxton couldn't close the deal. It's his first blown save at home, so maybe he was due at some point. It was one that definitely got away.
Clayton Kershaw goes to the mound tonight, as he looks to rebound from a loss to the Brewers on Monday. He's never faced the Braves, but does have a sparkling 2.06 ERA at home.
The turning point of this game could very well have been Chad Billingsley being forced out of the game after six innings. Once again, it was a leg issue. Last Sunday it was his right hamstring, and Friday night it was his left one. It was described as "mild," so hopefully it was just a precautionary thing.
Still, there's no doubt Billingsley's exit gave the Braves the hope they needed. His final line was six innings, four hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and three strikeouts. Just when it looked like he was getting over his mid-season struggles, he hurts his legs. Should I be worried? I hope not.
Ryan Church would play a big role in this game, and he got the Braves on the board first with an RBI single in the second. A single and stolen base by Russell Martin allowed Orlando Hudson to get and RBI single in the bottom of the frame to tie it at one.
A bad walk to Jair Jurrjens would come back to haunt Bills, as that was followed by a bunt single and an error by James Loney for runners on the corners. Martin Prado grounded into a double play, but a run still scored to make it 2-1.
The Dodgers would take over from there... though they definitely got some help from the home plate umpire. After the game was tied at 2-2 in the fifth, Rafael Furcal singled to lead off. As he took off for second for an attempted stolen base, Ethier took a pitch on a 3-1 count that the umpire looked to signal a strike.
Only... it wasn't a strike. Or so the guy claimed, despite making what sure looked to be a "strike" motion with his arm. Raffy was gunned down but it didn't matter, as there were now two runners on. Bobby Cox, predictably, got ejected, though he had good reason.
What did all of that mean? Casey Blake launched a three-run shot for a 5-2 lead.
Everything looked to be lined up nicely for the Dodgers, but Kelly Johnson hit a two-run shot off of Hong-Chih Kuo to slice it to 5-4. George Sherrill got two outs in the seventh and a scoreless eighth to continue his solid pitching and get the ball to Broxton.
It's not like Broxton got drilled, but a one-out walk to Nate McLouth proved to be costly. He stole second, and Garrett Anderson grounded a two-out single by Hudson to tie it at five.
The Dodgers sure had their chance in the 11th to end it, but came up with nothing. Martin singled, Juan Pierre walked, and Ethier was intentionally walked with two outs. The newly called up Tony Abreu had his chance to be a hero, but grounded out.
From there, it all fell apart. Ramon Troncoso and Scott Elbert pretty much did a big pile of nothing. Yuniel Escobar hit an RBI single to break the tie, and Church cracked a three-run homer to put it way out of reach at 9-5.
About the only good news in all of this is that Giants suffered their own collapse, as the Reds scored five times in the ninth to blow open what was a tie game. The Rockies did win, however, so both teams are now 6 and 1/2 games back in the NL West.
With a cushion like the Dodgers have, they can afford to have some games like this. Still, it was pretty frustrating that Broxton couldn't close the deal. It's his first blown save at home, so maybe he was due at some point. It was one that definitely got away.
Clayton Kershaw goes to the mound tonight, as he looks to rebound from a loss to the Brewers on Monday. He's never faced the Braves, but does have a sparkling 2.06 ERA at home.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Ethier sparkles late once again
Andre Ethier continues to add to his career year.
With two on in the ninth and down by two, Ethier took a 2-0 pitch just over the right field wall for a walk-off home run and a win for the Dodgers, 5-4. Amazingly, that's his fifth walk-off of the season, the best in the majors.
Talk about a flair for the dramatic, Ethier has it.
On a night where the Rockies lost and the Giants were idle, the Dodgers picked up a little more ground on each team. With all three playing so well, there's really little room for a losing streak. Big hits like this are what has created that separation for the Dodgers.
The Braves were the first to get on the board off of Randy Wolf. With two outs in the second, Matt Diaz and Adam LaRoche each hit RBI singles for the 2-0 lead. Manny Ramirez's RBI triple in the third cut it to 2-1.
Wolf lost some control in the fourth by giving up a couple of singles and a walk to load the bases. On a full count, Nate McLouth laid off a breaking ball outside to force in a run for the 3-1 lead. Martin Prado grounded out to end the threat and keep the game manageable.
The bottom of the Dodgers' order did some damage in the bottom of the fourth. Orlando Hudson hit an infield single and Wolf followed with his own single for runners on first and third. Juan Pierre lifted a fly ball to center that was plenty deep enough to score O-Dog, making it 3-2.
Chipper Jones would get his third hit of the night off of Wolf, this time a big fly that made it 4-2. Overall, Wolf finished with seven innings pitched, nine hits, four runs, three walks, and four strikeouts.
There were threats in both the seventh and eighth for the Dodgers, as they put two men on in each inning. But, Manny and Matt Kemp both struck out respectively to end each inning.
The 4-2 score would hold up until the ninth, when Rafael Soriano came on to try and close it out. Pierre greeted him with an infield single that Jones was unable to barehand. Rafael Furcal singled to put runners on the corners. Ethier then hit a three-run shot, and that's all she wrote.
There's really not a whole lot else to say about Ethier and the Dodgers' ability as a whole to get big wins late in games. Their confidence in big situations is always there, as they never seem to be overwhelmed by the moment. I just hope that clutch hitting carries into October.
Chad Billingsley will look to get his second straight win tonight against Jair Jurrjens. Both pitchers matched up last Sunday in which the Dodgers easily won, 9-1.
With two on in the ninth and down by two, Ethier took a 2-0 pitch just over the right field wall for a walk-off home run and a win for the Dodgers, 5-4. Amazingly, that's his fifth walk-off of the season, the best in the majors.
Talk about a flair for the dramatic, Ethier has it.
On a night where the Rockies lost and the Giants were idle, the Dodgers picked up a little more ground on each team. With all three playing so well, there's really little room for a losing streak. Big hits like this are what has created that separation for the Dodgers.
The Braves were the first to get on the board off of Randy Wolf. With two outs in the second, Matt Diaz and Adam LaRoche each hit RBI singles for the 2-0 lead. Manny Ramirez's RBI triple in the third cut it to 2-1.
Wolf lost some control in the fourth by giving up a couple of singles and a walk to load the bases. On a full count, Nate McLouth laid off a breaking ball outside to force in a run for the 3-1 lead. Martin Prado grounded out to end the threat and keep the game manageable.
The bottom of the Dodgers' order did some damage in the bottom of the fourth. Orlando Hudson hit an infield single and Wolf followed with his own single for runners on first and third. Juan Pierre lifted a fly ball to center that was plenty deep enough to score O-Dog, making it 3-2.
Chipper Jones would get his third hit of the night off of Wolf, this time a big fly that made it 4-2. Overall, Wolf finished with seven innings pitched, nine hits, four runs, three walks, and four strikeouts.
There were threats in both the seventh and eighth for the Dodgers, as they put two men on in each inning. But, Manny and Matt Kemp both struck out respectively to end each inning.
The 4-2 score would hold up until the ninth, when Rafael Soriano came on to try and close it out. Pierre greeted him with an infield single that Jones was unable to barehand. Rafael Furcal singled to put runners on the corners. Ethier then hit a three-run shot, and that's all she wrote.
There's really not a whole lot else to say about Ethier and the Dodgers' ability as a whole to get big wins late in games. Their confidence in big situations is always there, as they never seem to be overwhelmed by the moment. I just hope that clutch hitting carries into October.
Chad Billingsley will look to get his second straight win tonight against Jair Jurrjens. Both pitchers matched up last Sunday in which the Dodgers easily won, 9-1.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Dodgers pour it on as the Prince fumes
A couple of big events took place at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night. The first was that the Dodgers crushed the Brewers by a score of 17-4. The 17 runs were the highest home total for them in 30 years.
The second was that Prince Fielder got beaned with two outs in the ninth, and he's not too happy.
A blowout win for the Dodgers quickly turned into a circus as Guillermo Mota was ejected for drilling Fielder in retaliation for Manny Ramirez getting plunked in the eighth. Fielder looked on in complete confusion as to why he got hit when he was down by 13 runs.
The story didn't stop there.
After the game, Fielder had to be restrained by his teammates and security from charging after Mota in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Who knows if he would have actually thrown down if he got inside, but the fact that he was there shows how angry he was.
As for the game itself, the Dodgers got four runs in the first off of Yovani Gallardo, who entered the game with a really good ERA of 3.13. Five innings and nine runs later, that would become a 3.59.
Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier lead off with singles. After Manny flied out to right, Casey Blake doubled home both runs for the 2-0 lead. An RBI single by Matt Kemp and RBI double by Russell Martin made it 4-0.
This game was actually close at one point, as the Brewers battled back for three runs in the fifth off of Hiroki Kuroda. J.J. Hardy grounded out with two men on to end the inning, or it could have been much worse.
Manny hit a no-doubter into left for a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. From there, the Dodgers absolutely poured it on and never looked back.
An eye-opening seven runs were scored in the sixth, as Gallardo's neck must have gotten sore from watching the ball smacked all over the place. The big blows were a two-run double by Manny and two-run single by Kemp. At 12-3 after six, it was all but over.
The eighth is when Kemp blasted a two-run homer to center, Ethier hit a two-run single, and even Mota added an RBI single. Yes, it was one of those nights where everything went right.
Maybe the Brewers were fortunate to have the whole bean-ball war go down, as the focus quickly went from the beat down they took to Fielder getting drilled. Probably better for them that people aren't talking about how badly they were walloped. One thing's for certain - I probably wouldn't beat Fielder tonight!
Jason Schmidt will look to build on his great performance in Atlanta by getting the ball tonight. It seems like each start he is battling for his starting spot, so it's another important game for him.
The second was that Prince Fielder got beaned with two outs in the ninth, and he's not too happy.
A blowout win for the Dodgers quickly turned into a circus as Guillermo Mota was ejected for drilling Fielder in retaliation for Manny Ramirez getting plunked in the eighth. Fielder looked on in complete confusion as to why he got hit when he was down by 13 runs.
The story didn't stop there.
After the game, Fielder had to be restrained by his teammates and security from charging after Mota in the Dodgers' clubhouse. Who knows if he would have actually thrown down if he got inside, but the fact that he was there shows how angry he was.
As for the game itself, the Dodgers got four runs in the first off of Yovani Gallardo, who entered the game with a really good ERA of 3.13. Five innings and nine runs later, that would become a 3.59.
Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier lead off with singles. After Manny flied out to right, Casey Blake doubled home both runs for the 2-0 lead. An RBI single by Matt Kemp and RBI double by Russell Martin made it 4-0.
This game was actually close at one point, as the Brewers battled back for three runs in the fifth off of Hiroki Kuroda. J.J. Hardy grounded out with two men on to end the inning, or it could have been much worse.
Manny hit a no-doubter into left for a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. From there, the Dodgers absolutely poured it on and never looked back.
An eye-opening seven runs were scored in the sixth, as Gallardo's neck must have gotten sore from watching the ball smacked all over the place. The big blows were a two-run double by Manny and two-run single by Kemp. At 12-3 after six, it was all but over.
The eighth is when Kemp blasted a two-run homer to center, Ethier hit a two-run single, and even Mota added an RBI single. Yes, it was one of those nights where everything went right.
Maybe the Brewers were fortunate to have the whole bean-ball war go down, as the focus quickly went from the beat down they took to Fielder getting drilled. Probably better for them that people aren't talking about how badly they were walloped. One thing's for certain - I probably wouldn't beat Fielder tonight!
Jason Schmidt will look to build on his great performance in Atlanta by getting the ball tonight. It seems like each start he is battling for his starting spot, so it's another important game for him.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
No magic in Manny's bat
Manny Ramirez was given a golden opportunity to add to his L.A. lore. It was the bottom of the ninth, there were two down, and the bases were loaded. Exactly the type of situation Manny thrives in.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, it was also the type that Trevor Hoffman has made a living of. Hoffman got Manny to fly to right, and despite a late charge, the Brewers held on for the win, 6-5.
The weary Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw on the mound to start. He's been terrific lately, quickly establishing himself as one of the NL's best hurlers. But, his Achilles' heal flared up again last night, as his wildness just handed the Brewers plenty of chances.
Kershaw only lasted four innings, walking six, giving up four hits and three runs. His six strikeouts were good, but that's about all there was good about that start. This is the kind of start that reminds you that he's still a young guy, and is still learning how to be a good starting pitcher.
The Dodgers took the lead in the third against Manny Parra. Brad Ausmus started it with a soft single up the middle. Kershaw laid down a bunt, but it was thrown wide of first by Parra, putting two on. Rafael Furcal found a hole for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.
Maybe Kershaw would have been better off resting on the bench, as he was all over the place in the fourth. Ryan Braun started it with a single, and then the walks kicked in. With one out, Mike Cameron, J.J. Hardy, Bill Hall, and Mike Rivera all walked, forcing in two runs. Yikes.
Three straight singles for the Brewers started the next inning. Cameron grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, so somehow only one run scored, putting the Brewers up 3-1.
The game was certainly still in striking distance, but Braun flexed his muscle and creamed a three-run homer in the sixth. At 6-1, it looked like that was all she wrote for the Dodgers.
To their credit, they didn't give up on this one. Matt Kemp doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and came around to score on Orlando Hudson's groundout, making it 6-2.
Parra was looking to get a complete game by taking the mound in the ninth. He didn't last long, as Casey Blake singled and Kemp doubled for runners in scoring position. Exit Parra, enter Hoffman.
James Loney greeted him with a ground rule double to right to score both, and just like that it was 6-4. O-Dog's RBI single made it 6-5, and there was still nobody out. Juan Pierre laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Hudson on second with the tying run and one out.
Russell Martin flied out to deep center, and Hudson was now on third with two outs. Raffy bunted and reached for runners on first and third. Andre Ethier was hit by a pitch to load 'em up, but Manny flied out to end it.
It was an incredibly exciting ride in the ninth, as the Dodgers shook off their tiredness to push this game to the limit. If that same situation comes up again, the Dodgers would easily take it with Manny in the batter's box. If Manny's hand was completely healthy, maybe it would've been a different result.
Hiroki Kuroda will try to get the Dodgers back on the winning side by going tonight. He's had and up and down season because of injuries, so he's still looking to get his fourth win. A WHIP of 1.15 shows that he's still capable of pitching very well.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, it was also the type that Trevor Hoffman has made a living of. Hoffman got Manny to fly to right, and despite a late charge, the Brewers held on for the win, 6-5.
The weary Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw on the mound to start. He's been terrific lately, quickly establishing himself as one of the NL's best hurlers. But, his Achilles' heal flared up again last night, as his wildness just handed the Brewers plenty of chances.
Kershaw only lasted four innings, walking six, giving up four hits and three runs. His six strikeouts were good, but that's about all there was good about that start. This is the kind of start that reminds you that he's still a young guy, and is still learning how to be a good starting pitcher.
The Dodgers took the lead in the third against Manny Parra. Brad Ausmus started it with a soft single up the middle. Kershaw laid down a bunt, but it was thrown wide of first by Parra, putting two on. Rafael Furcal found a hole for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.
Maybe Kershaw would have been better off resting on the bench, as he was all over the place in the fourth. Ryan Braun started it with a single, and then the walks kicked in. With one out, Mike Cameron, J.J. Hardy, Bill Hall, and Mike Rivera all walked, forcing in two runs. Yikes.
Three straight singles for the Brewers started the next inning. Cameron grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, so somehow only one run scored, putting the Brewers up 3-1.
The game was certainly still in striking distance, but Braun flexed his muscle and creamed a three-run homer in the sixth. At 6-1, it looked like that was all she wrote for the Dodgers.
To their credit, they didn't give up on this one. Matt Kemp doubled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, and came around to score on Orlando Hudson's groundout, making it 6-2.
Parra was looking to get a complete game by taking the mound in the ninth. He didn't last long, as Casey Blake singled and Kemp doubled for runners in scoring position. Exit Parra, enter Hoffman.
James Loney greeted him with a ground rule double to right to score both, and just like that it was 6-4. O-Dog's RBI single made it 6-5, and there was still nobody out. Juan Pierre laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Hudson on second with the tying run and one out.
Russell Martin flied out to deep center, and Hudson was now on third with two outs. Raffy bunted and reached for runners on first and third. Andre Ethier was hit by a pitch to load 'em up, but Manny flied out to end it.
It was an incredibly exciting ride in the ninth, as the Dodgers shook off their tiredness to push this game to the limit. If that same situation comes up again, the Dodgers would easily take it with Manny in the batter's box. If Manny's hand was completely healthy, maybe it would've been a different result.
Hiroki Kuroda will try to get the Dodgers back on the winning side by going tonight. He's had and up and down season because of injuries, so he's still looking to get his fourth win. A WHIP of 1.15 shows that he's still capable of pitching very well.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Kemp and Billingsley deliver on Sunday night
The Dodgers had lost their last two series against the Marlins and Cardinals, something they have not been used to doing this year.
Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley made sure the same didn't happen against the Braves.
Billingsley was fantastic over five innings before leaving with a cramp in his right hamstring, Kemp went for five RBIs, and the Dodgers rolled to an easy one, 9-1. Thanks to some great starting pitching, the Dodgers took two of three.
Over the first five innings, Billingsley was simply dominant. He gave up only two hits and one walk while striking out nine. His breaking stuff was nasty. It was good to see him pitch with such confidence and effectiveness after going through some rocky waters lately.
His injury came in the bottom of the fifth when his right leg seemed to buckle on him during his follow through. After a visit from the trainer, he ended up finishing the inning. He wanted to get right back out there to hit, but Joe Torre had other, and better, ideas.
Jair Jurrjens was just as good over four innings, as he was able to wiggle out of trouble with runners on. The Dodgers put men on in each of those innings to no success, including Billingsley striking out with the bases loaded in the fourth.
In the fifth, they finally came through, and all with two down. Manny Ramirez started it by singling up the middle, and James Loney also singled. Matt Kemp launched a hanger out to dead center for the three-run shot, his 14th of the season. That big fly broke the game wide open.
Russell Martin then doubled, which set up Mark Loretta's RBI double. At 4-0 after four, the Dodgers never looked back.
With Billingsley not allowed back to play, Jason Schmidt of all people pinch-hit... and singled! Loney cracked a double that brought the big man around to score, making it 5-0 after six innings.
Three more runs were added for fun in the eighth. Manny was given an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, and Loney grounded out to score a run. Kemp then hit a two-run single to complete his big night. A ground rule double by Orlando Hudson in the ninth closed out the scoring.
Once Bills exited, Scott Elbert pitched well, giving up a run in 2 and 2/3 innings. Guillermo Mota gave up an RBI single in his only batter faced in the eighth, and George Sherrill got Chipper Jones to fly to center. Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out Matt Diaz to end the game.
After dropping the first three in St. Louis, the Dodgers won their last three of four to right the ship. The Rockies and Giants are still not losing much, so to still own a seven game lead over them is pretty impressive. The Dodgers are still refusing to give them much, if any, hope in the West.
The schedule makers didn't really do the Dodgers much of a favor, as they made the cross-country trip back home to start a home set against the Brewers tonight. The red-hot Clayton Kershaw goes tonight, looking for his ninth win.
Matt Kemp and Chad Billingsley made sure the same didn't happen against the Braves.
Billingsley was fantastic over five innings before leaving with a cramp in his right hamstring, Kemp went for five RBIs, and the Dodgers rolled to an easy one, 9-1. Thanks to some great starting pitching, the Dodgers took two of three.
Over the first five innings, Billingsley was simply dominant. He gave up only two hits and one walk while striking out nine. His breaking stuff was nasty. It was good to see him pitch with such confidence and effectiveness after going through some rocky waters lately.
His injury came in the bottom of the fifth when his right leg seemed to buckle on him during his follow through. After a visit from the trainer, he ended up finishing the inning. He wanted to get right back out there to hit, but Joe Torre had other, and better, ideas.
Jair Jurrjens was just as good over four innings, as he was able to wiggle out of trouble with runners on. The Dodgers put men on in each of those innings to no success, including Billingsley striking out with the bases loaded in the fourth.
In the fifth, they finally came through, and all with two down. Manny Ramirez started it by singling up the middle, and James Loney also singled. Matt Kemp launched a hanger out to dead center for the three-run shot, his 14th of the season. That big fly broke the game wide open.
Russell Martin then doubled, which set up Mark Loretta's RBI double. At 4-0 after four, the Dodgers never looked back.
With Billingsley not allowed back to play, Jason Schmidt of all people pinch-hit... and singled! Loney cracked a double that brought the big man around to score, making it 5-0 after six innings.
Three more runs were added for fun in the eighth. Manny was given an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, and Loney grounded out to score a run. Kemp then hit a two-run single to complete his big night. A ground rule double by Orlando Hudson in the ninth closed out the scoring.
Once Bills exited, Scott Elbert pitched well, giving up a run in 2 and 2/3 innings. Guillermo Mota gave up an RBI single in his only batter faced in the eighth, and George Sherrill got Chipper Jones to fly to center. Ramon Troncoso pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out Matt Diaz to end the game.
After dropping the first three in St. Louis, the Dodgers won their last three of four to right the ship. The Rockies and Giants are still not losing much, so to still own a seven game lead over them is pretty impressive. The Dodgers are still refusing to give them much, if any, hope in the West.
The schedule makers didn't really do the Dodgers much of a favor, as they made the cross-country trip back home to start a home set against the Brewers tonight. The red-hot Clayton Kershaw goes tonight, looking for his ninth win.
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