Maybe the Dodgers shouldn't take batting practice the rest of the season.
After waiting out a rain delay of just over an hour and having batting practice canceled, the Dodgers went out and collected 14 hits in a 12-2 rout over the Cubs. The win makes three straight and five of the last six.
As Chad Billingsley was holding the Cubs in check, the offense went to work with six runs in the third. It all started with a one-out double by leadoff hitter Jamey Carroll. Casey Blake followed with a single, and Andre Ethier hit another for a run and a 1-0 lead. Matt Kemp struck out, but Juan Uribe picked him up with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
From there, Cubs' starter Casey Coleman was his own worst enemy, as he walked James Loney to load the bases, then walked Jerry Sands to force in a run. A two-run single by A.J. Ellis and RBI single by Billingsley ran the score to 6-0.
In the fourth, Uribe continued his hot streak with a two-run homer to make it 8-0. After starting the season about as slow as you can possibly expect, he has picked it up big time in the last five games. He has nine hits over that span, including two homers and nine RBIs, to raise his average from .154 to .236. As the guy hitting behind Ethier and Kemp, he's getting plenty of RBI chances, and he's cashing in.
The Dodgers added another run in sixth when Uribe hit a sac-fly RBI to score Blake and go up 9-1. In the ninth, a two-run bomb by pinch-hitter Marcus Thames and RBI single by Tony Gwynn made it 12-2.
Billingsley got the win to improve to 2-1 and continue the recent string of great starts by the rotation. He let runners reach base, but did a good job in not letting much of anything come of it. Overall, he finished at 6 1/3 innings for seven hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and three strikeouts.
Kenley Jansen got a much-needed boost of confidence with 1 2/3 innings of relief, with four strikeouts. He basically just blew everyone away with fastballs. After getting just lit up against the Braves on Tuesday, it was good to see him pitch with confidence.
The Dodgers did a great job of making Coleman throw plenty of pitches early, as he just unraveled in the third. Check this out: he lasted only 2 2/3 innings and threw 90 pitches. 90! I can't recall the last time I saw a stat like that. And that includes the second inning in which the Dodgers went down in order. That's pretty crazy.
Maybe the shellacking at the hands of the Cardinals helped wake this team up. Ever since getting crushed again on Saturday, they've played with a whole new focus and intensity. It's not a surprise at all that it's started with the guys on the mound. Once they settled in, everything else fell into place. Guys like Blake and Uribe have contributed in a big way, and for the Dodgers to win, everyone in the lineup needs to chip in.
Also, it's nice to see that all of the CRAP going on with MLB taking over the Dodgers hasn't affected the players on the field. Heck, maybe it's motivated them. If that's the case, then thank you, Bud Selig!
The Dodgers will be right back in action with more afternoon baseball on Saturday. Ted Lilly will take on his former team as he looks to even his record at 2-2. The Cubs counter with Ryan Dempster, who's a solid pitcher, but currently has a 6.84 ERA. Let's hope he doesn't find his groove in time for this one.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Go ahead, pitch to Kemp!
He'll burn you.
Matt Kemp once again found himself in a heroic situation late in a tight ballgame. After Andre Ethier's one-out double in the 11th, Kemp deposited a Cristhian Martinez pitch over the wall for a two-run, walk-off homer, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Braves. The Dodgers took three of four in this series.
Before all of the late dramatics, this game was all about Clayton Kershaw's bid to follow up Jon Garland's complete game gem with one of his own. And boy did he come oh so close. He got as far as two outs in the ninth, but was unable to finish the deal. He was still superb in this one, as he went 8 2/3 innings for five hits, three runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.
The day started off with some promise for the Dodgers, as Kershaw needed a mere nine pitches to get through the first. In the bottom of the frame, the Dodgers loaded the bases on a single by Tony Gwynn and walks to Ethier and Juan Uribe. James Loney then struck out. So much for promise.
The scoreless game would last until the fifth. With one out, young Freddy Freeman, already a Sports Illustrated cover boy, hit a solo homer for the 1-0 lead. That would be the last run Kershaw would give up until the ninth.
The Dodgers battled back, starting in the sixth. Uribe was coming off his best game as a Dodger after gathering four RBIs the night before. He picked up where he left off with a solo homer to knot the game at 1.
Now in the seventh, the Dodgers took the lead. Scott Linebrink relieved with one out and got pinch-hitting Jerry Sands right away with a strikeout. Casey Blake then turned back the clock and hit a solo shot, his first of the year, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 advantage.
Everything looked like it was lining up quite nicely for a complete game for Kershaw, as he got Martin Prado and Alex Gonzalez with relative ease to open the inning. Then, little by little, the Braves took the lead. It started with a single by Chipper Jones. Jason Heyward came in to pinch-run for him, and that would be key, as he advanced to third on Dan Uggla's single.
Both plays on Heyward and Uggla were very close, as it sure looked like Uggla could've been called out at second. Nonetheless, Freeman then walked to load the bases. Don Mattingly had a tough decision to make: keep a tiring Kershaw in, or turn to Jonathan Broxton? He chose to stay with Kershaw, a decision we all liked...
...right up until David Ross hit a two-run single on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Broxton struck out Nate McClouth to end the threat.
Needing a jolt after being dealt a serious blow, the offense delivered in the bottom of the ninth. With Craig Kimbrel on to close, Jamey Carroll walked and soon went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Blake was clutch again, as his single scored the tying run to send it into extras.
It would take until the 12th for this game to be decided, as Ethier and Kemp just continue to sparkle. Much like last Sunday against the Cardinals, first base was open when Kemp came up, yet Fredi Gonzalez chose not to put Kemp on. Big mistake.
The bullpen of Broxton and Matt Guerrier deserve a lot of credit for keeping this game even. Broxton has certainly taken his licks, and isn't well-liked by this guy, but got four big outs. Guerrier has been just awesome so far, as his scoreless streak is now up to 10 2/3 innings. He's been everything the Dodgers have hoped for and more in middle relief.
After getting slapped around silly by the Cardinals to open the homestand, the Dodgers have now taken four of five, starting with Kemp's first walk-off on Sunday. They're now at 10-10, which is probably about where they should be at considering their offense is so inconsistent. But with their starting rotation posting great starts their last turns, there's plenty of reasons to think they can start winning more games.
The Dodgers will now hit the road for six against the Cubs and Marlins. Friday afternoon's game will see Chad Billingsley looking for his second win. He's coming off a tremendous start against the Cardinals last Sunday.
Matt Kemp once again found himself in a heroic situation late in a tight ballgame. After Andre Ethier's one-out double in the 11th, Kemp deposited a Cristhian Martinez pitch over the wall for a two-run, walk-off homer, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 win over the Braves. The Dodgers took three of four in this series.
Before all of the late dramatics, this game was all about Clayton Kershaw's bid to follow up Jon Garland's complete game gem with one of his own. And boy did he come oh so close. He got as far as two outs in the ninth, but was unable to finish the deal. He was still superb in this one, as he went 8 2/3 innings for five hits, three runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.
The day started off with some promise for the Dodgers, as Kershaw needed a mere nine pitches to get through the first. In the bottom of the frame, the Dodgers loaded the bases on a single by Tony Gwynn and walks to Ethier and Juan Uribe. James Loney then struck out. So much for promise.
The scoreless game would last until the fifth. With one out, young Freddy Freeman, already a Sports Illustrated cover boy, hit a solo homer for the 1-0 lead. That would be the last run Kershaw would give up until the ninth.
The Dodgers battled back, starting in the sixth. Uribe was coming off his best game as a Dodger after gathering four RBIs the night before. He picked up where he left off with a solo homer to knot the game at 1.
Now in the seventh, the Dodgers took the lead. Scott Linebrink relieved with one out and got pinch-hitting Jerry Sands right away with a strikeout. Casey Blake then turned back the clock and hit a solo shot, his first of the year, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 advantage.
Everything looked like it was lining up quite nicely for a complete game for Kershaw, as he got Martin Prado and Alex Gonzalez with relative ease to open the inning. Then, little by little, the Braves took the lead. It started with a single by Chipper Jones. Jason Heyward came in to pinch-run for him, and that would be key, as he advanced to third on Dan Uggla's single.
Both plays on Heyward and Uggla were very close, as it sure looked like Uggla could've been called out at second. Nonetheless, Freeman then walked to load the bases. Don Mattingly had a tough decision to make: keep a tiring Kershaw in, or turn to Jonathan Broxton? He chose to stay with Kershaw, a decision we all liked...
...right up until David Ross hit a two-run single on an 0-2 count to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Broxton struck out Nate McClouth to end the threat.
Needing a jolt after being dealt a serious blow, the offense delivered in the bottom of the ninth. With Craig Kimbrel on to close, Jamey Carroll walked and soon went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Blake was clutch again, as his single scored the tying run to send it into extras.
It would take until the 12th for this game to be decided, as Ethier and Kemp just continue to sparkle. Much like last Sunday against the Cardinals, first base was open when Kemp came up, yet Fredi Gonzalez chose not to put Kemp on. Big mistake.
The bullpen of Broxton and Matt Guerrier deserve a lot of credit for keeping this game even. Broxton has certainly taken his licks, and isn't well-liked by this guy, but got four big outs. Guerrier has been just awesome so far, as his scoreless streak is now up to 10 2/3 innings. He's been everything the Dodgers have hoped for and more in middle relief.
After getting slapped around silly by the Cardinals to open the homestand, the Dodgers have now taken four of five, starting with Kemp's first walk-off on Sunday. They're now at 10-10, which is probably about where they should be at considering their offense is so inconsistent. But with their starting rotation posting great starts their last turns, there's plenty of reasons to think they can start winning more games.
The Dodgers will now hit the road for six against the Cubs and Marlins. Friday afternoon's game will see Chad Billingsley looking for his second win. He's coming off a tremendous start against the Cardinals last Sunday.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
MLB takes over control of the Dodgers
The big news of the day is Bud Selig's announcement that Major League Baseball will now take over control of the Dodgers. The major reason, of course, is the cloudy financial situation created by the divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt. Selig will soon appoint a representative to oversee operations of the club in the upcoming days.
To read Selig's statement, click here.
It's pretty shocking news, as I'm not sure I've heard much talk at all of Selig actually doing something like this. But it seems like the right move. Frank McCourt was recently granted a $30 million loan from FOX just to cover expenses.
On a side note, I have barely made mention of the shady McCourt family mostly because I don't care. Well, I very much care about my favorite team, but I want to actually discuss baseball, not these clowns. So that's why I haven't covered it. Today's news was worth the mention, however. But that pretty much goes without saying.
To read Selig's statement, click here.
It's pretty shocking news, as I'm not sure I've heard much talk at all of Selig actually doing something like this. But it seems like the right move. Frank McCourt was recently granted a $30 million loan from FOX just to cover expenses.
On a side note, I have barely made mention of the shady McCourt family mostly because I don't care. Well, I very much care about my favorite team, but I want to actually discuss baseball, not these clowns. So that's why I haven't covered it. Today's news was worth the mention, however. But that pretty much goes without saying.
Jansen bombed in the 9th as Braves roll
April 19, 2011 is not a date that young Kenley Jansen would like to remember.
Entering a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the ninth, Jansen would only get one out before surrendering five runs, and Ramon Troncoso gave up three more as the Braves ended up creaming the Dodgers, 10-1. Both teams have split the first couple of games.
If you just looked at the final score and nothing else, you wouldn't know that this game was once a pitchers duel. Hiroki Kuroda and Brandon Beachy were able to toss blanks through the opening five frames.
The Braves struck first in the sixth. Martin Prado hit leadoff and slugged a solo homer, his second of the season. Freddy Freeman followed that up with a leadoff homer of his own, and it was 2-0. Blake Hawksworth did a great job of stranding the bases loaded with one out to keep the Dodgers in the game.
Scott Linebrink came on for Beachy in the seventh, and the Dodgers finally got on the board. Juan Uribe absolutely unloaded on... and infield single leading off. Hey, I'll take it. James Loney's single put runners on the corners. Jerry Sands grounded out to third, but Uribe scampered home to cut the score to 2-1.
The Dodgers' inability to drive in runners reared its ugly head once again during this inning. A.J. Ellis singled to again put runners on the corners. Marcus Thames pinch-hit, and in came Johnny Venters, who got the strikeout. Jamey Carroll walked to load the bases with two down. Casey Blake couldn't be the hero as he grounded out to end the inning.
Jansen was given the ball to start the ninth and at least give the Dodgers a fighter's chance to win. Wow did that not work. I'd love to recap how all of the runs scored, but I'd be here all damn night. Let's just say that the damage all started with a walk to Nate McClouth, and Erik Hinske's pinch-hit, two-run shot. From there the Braves just went off.
In all, Jansen faced six hitters and retired only one of them. Troncoso wasn't any better, as he faced seven hitters in all, and didn't get an out until a double play from Prado to end the inning. These two combined to allow eight runs on eight hits, two walks, and one wild pitch. Ouch.
What should be a strength for the Dodgers is quickly turning into their biggest weakness in the bullpen, and that's a big problem. Of the eight relievers used thus far, two have been great (Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal), two have been average (Hong-Chih Kuo and Blake Hawksworth), and the other four have been horrible (Jonathan Broxton, Kenley Jansen, Ramon Troncoso, and Lance Cormier). They've been very much responsible for the team's 4.87 ERA, 25th in the majors.
Obviously, that needs to change. There's just no way a team that doesn't put up a lot of runs like the Dodgers can even think about contending if they have so many holes in the 'pen. Jansen is definitely going through a sophomore slump. Troncoso has only appeared in two games, but has gotten rocked in both of them. Broxton looks like anything but a good closer. Cormier looks lost. It's not pretty no matter how you slice it.
With Kuo's injury, it looks like Guerrier is about the only sure thing to give the ball to late in the game. And he was signed mostly to pitch in the seventh or eighth innings. Well, his role has suddenly become much more important almost by default. We can only hope he doesn't start to get hit around as well.
The Dodgers will try to pick themselves us, dust themselves off, and get back into action on Wednesday against the Braves. Jon Garland will make the start against old friend Derek Lowe. Garland was awful in his first start against the Cardinals. It may take a little while to get him going, so tonight should be interesting.
Entering a 2-1 ballgame in the top of the ninth, Jansen would only get one out before surrendering five runs, and Ramon Troncoso gave up three more as the Braves ended up creaming the Dodgers, 10-1. Both teams have split the first couple of games.
If you just looked at the final score and nothing else, you wouldn't know that this game was once a pitchers duel. Hiroki Kuroda and Brandon Beachy were able to toss blanks through the opening five frames.
The Braves struck first in the sixth. Martin Prado hit leadoff and slugged a solo homer, his second of the season. Freddy Freeman followed that up with a leadoff homer of his own, and it was 2-0. Blake Hawksworth did a great job of stranding the bases loaded with one out to keep the Dodgers in the game.
Scott Linebrink came on for Beachy in the seventh, and the Dodgers finally got on the board. Juan Uribe absolutely unloaded on... and infield single leading off. Hey, I'll take it. James Loney's single put runners on the corners. Jerry Sands grounded out to third, but Uribe scampered home to cut the score to 2-1.
The Dodgers' inability to drive in runners reared its ugly head once again during this inning. A.J. Ellis singled to again put runners on the corners. Marcus Thames pinch-hit, and in came Johnny Venters, who got the strikeout. Jamey Carroll walked to load the bases with two down. Casey Blake couldn't be the hero as he grounded out to end the inning.
Jansen was given the ball to start the ninth and at least give the Dodgers a fighter's chance to win. Wow did that not work. I'd love to recap how all of the runs scored, but I'd be here all damn night. Let's just say that the damage all started with a walk to Nate McClouth, and Erik Hinske's pinch-hit, two-run shot. From there the Braves just went off.
In all, Jansen faced six hitters and retired only one of them. Troncoso wasn't any better, as he faced seven hitters in all, and didn't get an out until a double play from Prado to end the inning. These two combined to allow eight runs on eight hits, two walks, and one wild pitch. Ouch.
What should be a strength for the Dodgers is quickly turning into their biggest weakness in the bullpen, and that's a big problem. Of the eight relievers used thus far, two have been great (Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal), two have been average (Hong-Chih Kuo and Blake Hawksworth), and the other four have been horrible (Jonathan Broxton, Kenley Jansen, Ramon Troncoso, and Lance Cormier). They've been very much responsible for the team's 4.87 ERA, 25th in the majors.
Obviously, that needs to change. There's just no way a team that doesn't put up a lot of runs like the Dodgers can even think about contending if they have so many holes in the 'pen. Jansen is definitely going through a sophomore slump. Troncoso has only appeared in two games, but has gotten rocked in both of them. Broxton looks like anything but a good closer. Cormier looks lost. It's not pretty no matter how you slice it.
With Kuo's injury, it looks like Guerrier is about the only sure thing to give the ball to late in the game. And he was signed mostly to pitch in the seventh or eighth innings. Well, his role has suddenly become much more important almost by default. We can only hope he doesn't start to get hit around as well.
The Dodgers will try to pick themselves us, dust themselves off, and get back into action on Wednesday against the Braves. Jon Garland will make the start against old friend Derek Lowe. Garland was awful in his first start against the Cardinals. It may take a little while to get him going, so tonight should be interesting.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The new kid leaves his mark
The debut for young Jerry Sands could not have gone any better. Two straight productive at-bats to start his major league career combined with a great effort from Ted Lilly gave the Dodgers a win over the Braves, 4-2.
After receiving the callup earlier in the day and promptly being placed in the starting lineup, the Dodgers' offense looked like it had a hop to its step to start the game. Leadoff hitter Aaron Miles singled followed by a walk to Casey Blake. An out later, Matt Kemp continued to ride his scorching start with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Juan Uribe's groundout advanced both runners to scoring position to give an RBI chance to the ice cold James Loney. For a change, Loney actually delivered, as his sharp single up the middle scored two for the 3-0 advantage. Sands then stepped in and hit a double to right for big league hit #1. Lilly struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the third, two straight singled by Uribe and Loney came with one out. Yes, I really did just say that. Sands hit a long sac-fly RBI to right to score Uribe, putting the Dodgers up 4-0.
That's all Lilly would need on this night, as he put together his first great effort in four starts. He did face some trouble here and there, but made all of the big pitches. Overall, he finished at seven innings pitched for four hits, no runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. He lowered his ERA from 6.00 to 4.09.
Once Lilly exited after seven, Matt Guerrier was given the ball to get through the eighth. He did just that, getting all three men in order, including K'ing Chipper Jones to end the inning.
Then came the ninth inning, where Don Mattingly went with good old Jonathan Broxton, despite it not being a save situation. Brian McCann singled to start, Dan Uggla doubled, and Freddy Freeman scored one on a groundout. Alex Gonzalez struck out, but Nate McClouth's RBI double made it 4-2. Thankfully Eric Hinske struck out to end the game.
I can already hear the Broxton supporters making every excuse in the world why it wasn't hit fault. "It wasn't a save situation." "He still held the lead." "Nobody else can close, so he has to." It's all a bunch of garbage. He has five saves, but with a 6.14 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. There's just no way Mattingly should keep him as the sole closer. Guys like Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, and Hong-Chih Kuo (when he comes back) need to get their chances as well.
Back to the positives, and Sands was definitely one. His presence seemed to be a breath of fresh air, as it sent a message to the other guys that they need to step it up. And what do you know, Uribe and Loney each had two hits. Coincidence? Quite possibly, but I'm sure they couldn't help but feel some pressure to perform.
Only time will tell how good Sands will be, but for now, he obviously deserves more starts. Anyone who even shows the threat of being a power hitter should get their chance. If that means sitting guys like Uribe and Loney, then so be it.
The Dodgers and Braves have three more games to go, and Tuesday it will be Hiroki Kuroda taking the mound. He won his first two starts, then got rocked against the Cardinals last start. He'll look to improve to 3-1.
After receiving the callup earlier in the day and promptly being placed in the starting lineup, the Dodgers' offense looked like it had a hop to its step to start the game. Leadoff hitter Aaron Miles singled followed by a walk to Casey Blake. An out later, Matt Kemp continued to ride his scorching start with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
Juan Uribe's groundout advanced both runners to scoring position to give an RBI chance to the ice cold James Loney. For a change, Loney actually delivered, as his sharp single up the middle scored two for the 3-0 advantage. Sands then stepped in and hit a double to right for big league hit #1. Lilly struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
In the third, two straight singled by Uribe and Loney came with one out. Yes, I really did just say that. Sands hit a long sac-fly RBI to right to score Uribe, putting the Dodgers up 4-0.
That's all Lilly would need on this night, as he put together his first great effort in four starts. He did face some trouble here and there, but made all of the big pitches. Overall, he finished at seven innings pitched for four hits, no runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. He lowered his ERA from 6.00 to 4.09.
Once Lilly exited after seven, Matt Guerrier was given the ball to get through the eighth. He did just that, getting all three men in order, including K'ing Chipper Jones to end the inning.
Then came the ninth inning, where Don Mattingly went with good old Jonathan Broxton, despite it not being a save situation. Brian McCann singled to start, Dan Uggla doubled, and Freddy Freeman scored one on a groundout. Alex Gonzalez struck out, but Nate McClouth's RBI double made it 4-2. Thankfully Eric Hinske struck out to end the game.
I can already hear the Broxton supporters making every excuse in the world why it wasn't hit fault. "It wasn't a save situation." "He still held the lead." "Nobody else can close, so he has to." It's all a bunch of garbage. He has five saves, but with a 6.14 ERA and 1.77 WHIP. There's just no way Mattingly should keep him as the sole closer. Guys like Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, and Hong-Chih Kuo (when he comes back) need to get their chances as well.
Back to the positives, and Sands was definitely one. His presence seemed to be a breath of fresh air, as it sent a message to the other guys that they need to step it up. And what do you know, Uribe and Loney each had two hits. Coincidence? Quite possibly, but I'm sure they couldn't help but feel some pressure to perform.
Only time will tell how good Sands will be, but for now, he obviously deserves more starts. Anyone who even shows the threat of being a power hitter should get their chance. If that means sitting guys like Uribe and Loney, then so be it.
The Dodgers and Braves have three more games to go, and Tuesday it will be Hiroki Kuroda taking the mound. He won his first two starts, then got rocked against the Cardinals last start. He'll look to improve to 3-1.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sands will get his chance
In an effort to spark a lifeless offense, the Dodgers have called up outfielder Jerry Sands and designated Xavier Paul for assignment. Sands could play in left field for an ailing Marcus Thames, or slide over to first to spell an ineffective James Loney.
Wherever he plays, it's a good move by the Dodgers. Rather than just sitting back and hoping guys like Loney will step up, Don Mattingly can now give someone else a chance to make some noise. And make no mistake about it, Sands has been on fire in Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He's hitting .400 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and a 1.297 OPS.
Last season, he was named the organization's player of the year by hitting 35 homers between Single-A and Double-A. Mattingly already has him in the lineup for Monday night's game against the Braves.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this kid can do. It's not like the offense can get much worse, so why not put him in there? It would be a welcome sight for Dodger fans if he can have a big game sometime soon. If he struggles early, then it will be interesting to see how long Ned Colletti and others will stick with him. Either way, this is the right move to make.
Wherever he plays, it's a good move by the Dodgers. Rather than just sitting back and hoping guys like Loney will step up, Don Mattingly can now give someone else a chance to make some noise. And make no mistake about it, Sands has been on fire in Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He's hitting .400 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and a 1.297 OPS.
Last season, he was named the organization's player of the year by hitting 35 homers between Single-A and Double-A. Mattingly already has him in the lineup for Monday night's game against the Braves.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this kid can do. It's not like the offense can get much worse, so why not put him in there? It would be a welcome sight for Dodger fans if he can have a big game sometime soon. If he struggles early, then it will be interesting to see how long Ned Colletti and others will stick with him. Either way, this is the right move to make.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
It's the Kemp and Ethier show
The Dodgers have two things going for them right now: Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. So it was quite fitting that Sunday's game was won because of their clutch hits.
Down 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth, Ethier doubled and Kemp cranked a two-run, walk-off homer to finally beat the Cardinals, 2-1. The win avoids a sweep of the four-game series.
Chad Billingsley had the tough task of trying to limit a Cardinals' offense which scored a whopping 29 runs in the previous three games. Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland, and Clayton Kershaw all got raked. Billingsley came into the game with an ERA of 9.00.
Today, however, Bills stepped up. He was tremendous in completely shutting down a hot offense. He finished the day by going eight innings for two hits, no runs, two walks, and 11 strikeouts. Not that I need to say it, but it's obviously his best start of the season, and couldn't have come at a better time.
Of course, that great effort was almost wasted as the Dodgers' offense did a big pile of nothing against Chris Carpenter. He ended up pitching seven innings for five hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He more than bounced back from a rough start in Arizona.
With a 0-0 score through eight innings, there weren't many highlights to report about. Only once did either team put more than one man on in any inning, and that was in the third for the Dodgers. With two outs, Tony Gwynn reached on an error by Ryan Theriot. Jamey Carroll walked, but Ethier lined to Albert Pujols at first for the final out.
Fast forward to the ninth, and "closer" Jonathan Broxton was brought in to keep the game as is. Could he do it? Nope. For the whatever number of time, he couldn't make the big pitches when he needed to. He got two outs right away in Colby Rasmus and Pujols. Then Matt Holliday doubled to center. Rather than regrouping after an intentional walk to Lance Berkman, Broxton surrendered a bloop RBI single to David Freese, and it was 1-0.
Look, I'm fully aware that Freese's hit wasn't exactly scorched, but the bottom line remains the same. Broxton simply cannot be counted on in big situations. Every excuse in the world can be given, but a run is a run, and if not for Kemp's homer, the story would once again by Broxton's downfall.
Thankfully for Big John, it wasn't the story. Lefty Trever Miller entered to start the ninth to face Ethier, and Ethier greeted him with a double down the right field line.
Quickly Miller was gone, and in came Ryan Franklin, who like Broxton, has really struggled. That continued, as on a 1-2 count, Kemp unloaded on a long two-run shot to dead center for the victory. It was a signature moment for Kemp, who is playing like one of the best players in the league right now.
And it's a good thing he is, because take away his .474 average and Ethier's .377, the rest of the team is just pathetic at the plate. Before Kemp's homer, Vin Scully gave a very eye opening stat: take away these two, and the rest of the team is hitting .088. Holy crap does that suck! I can't imagine that will remain that poor, but it needs to get a whole lot better for the Dodgers to start winning more consistently.
Today's win was great, but as I pointed out before, it's scary in that the Dodgers have to rely so much on Kemp and Ethier just to even get close to winning. Juan Uribe and James Loney have got to wake up at some point. It seems like this is being said every game, but it's true. They are just a couple of slugs right now. Hey, guys, the 2011 season has started... feel free to show up anytime now!
There's no rest for the Dodgers, as they will welcome the Braves for four starting Monday. They get a little lucky in that they avoid Tommy Hanson since he took the mound against the Mets today. Ted Lilly will look for his first solid start of the year against Tim Hudson.
Down 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth, Ethier doubled and Kemp cranked a two-run, walk-off homer to finally beat the Cardinals, 2-1. The win avoids a sweep of the four-game series.
Chad Billingsley had the tough task of trying to limit a Cardinals' offense which scored a whopping 29 runs in the previous three games. Hiroki Kuroda, Jon Garland, and Clayton Kershaw all got raked. Billingsley came into the game with an ERA of 9.00.
Today, however, Bills stepped up. He was tremendous in completely shutting down a hot offense. He finished the day by going eight innings for two hits, no runs, two walks, and 11 strikeouts. Not that I need to say it, but it's obviously his best start of the season, and couldn't have come at a better time.
Of course, that great effort was almost wasted as the Dodgers' offense did a big pile of nothing against Chris Carpenter. He ended up pitching seven innings for five hits, no runs, no walks, and six strikeouts. He more than bounced back from a rough start in Arizona.
With a 0-0 score through eight innings, there weren't many highlights to report about. Only once did either team put more than one man on in any inning, and that was in the third for the Dodgers. With two outs, Tony Gwynn reached on an error by Ryan Theriot. Jamey Carroll walked, but Ethier lined to Albert Pujols at first for the final out.
Fast forward to the ninth, and "closer" Jonathan Broxton was brought in to keep the game as is. Could he do it? Nope. For the whatever number of time, he couldn't make the big pitches when he needed to. He got two outs right away in Colby Rasmus and Pujols. Then Matt Holliday doubled to center. Rather than regrouping after an intentional walk to Lance Berkman, Broxton surrendered a bloop RBI single to David Freese, and it was 1-0.
Look, I'm fully aware that Freese's hit wasn't exactly scorched, but the bottom line remains the same. Broxton simply cannot be counted on in big situations. Every excuse in the world can be given, but a run is a run, and if not for Kemp's homer, the story would once again by Broxton's downfall.
Thankfully for Big John, it wasn't the story. Lefty Trever Miller entered to start the ninth to face Ethier, and Ethier greeted him with a double down the right field line.
Quickly Miller was gone, and in came Ryan Franklin, who like Broxton, has really struggled. That continued, as on a 1-2 count, Kemp unloaded on a long two-run shot to dead center for the victory. It was a signature moment for Kemp, who is playing like one of the best players in the league right now.
And it's a good thing he is, because take away his .474 average and Ethier's .377, the rest of the team is just pathetic at the plate. Before Kemp's homer, Vin Scully gave a very eye opening stat: take away these two, and the rest of the team is hitting .088. Holy crap does that suck! I can't imagine that will remain that poor, but it needs to get a whole lot better for the Dodgers to start winning more consistently.
Today's win was great, but as I pointed out before, it's scary in that the Dodgers have to rely so much on Kemp and Ethier just to even get close to winning. Juan Uribe and James Loney have got to wake up at some point. It seems like this is being said every game, but it's true. They are just a couple of slugs right now. Hey, guys, the 2011 season has started... feel free to show up anytime now!
There's no rest for the Dodgers, as they will welcome the Braves for four starting Monday. They get a little lucky in that they avoid Tommy Hanson since he took the mound against the Mets today. Ted Lilly will look for his first solid start of the year against Tim Hudson.
Kuo lands on the DL
The news for Hong-Chih Kuo is concerning, as he has landed on the 15-day DL with a bad back and, get this, a case of the "yips." Yes, the yips, which is the same ailment that golfers have when they suddenly can't hit the ball correctly. Bizarre stuff indeed.
Kuo wasn't getting pounded by any means this year, but is clearly not the same pitcher as last season. He's made four appearances for a 3.37 ERA with four walks and four strikeouts. Again, not bad numbers, but we all know how dominant he can be when he's on.
The Dodgers apparently discovered that Kuo wasn't right during fielding practice on Friday. When trying pickoff throws to second, the ball was going all over the place. Then when he tried to warmup during that night's game, he was missing the strike zone with regularity. That was when it was decided to give him rest and recall Ramon Troncoso.
Hopefully some time away from pitching does the trick, because if it doesn't, the Dodgers are weakened automatically if Kuo's not the same. While it's asking way too much to duplicate last season's filthy numbers, he's capable to dominating anyway. Take him out of the equation, and the already struggling Dodgers will have an even harder time closing out games. Let's just hope for the best on this one.
Kuo wasn't getting pounded by any means this year, but is clearly not the same pitcher as last season. He's made four appearances for a 3.37 ERA with four walks and four strikeouts. Again, not bad numbers, but we all know how dominant he can be when he's on.
The Dodgers apparently discovered that Kuo wasn't right during fielding practice on Friday. When trying pickoff throws to second, the ball was going all over the place. Then when he tried to warmup during that night's game, he was missing the strike zone with regularity. That was when it was decided to give him rest and recall Ramon Troncoso.
Hopefully some time away from pitching does the trick, because if it doesn't, the Dodgers are weakened automatically if Kuo's not the same. While it's asking way too much to duplicate last season's filthy numbers, he's capable to dominating anyway. Take him out of the equation, and the already struggling Dodgers will have an even harder time closing out games. Let's just hope for the best on this one.
Cardinals smoke the Dodgers again
This is quickly turning into the homestand from Hell.
For the third straight day, the Dodgers were absolutely no match at all for the Cardinals, as they took this win, 9-2. On the three days combined, the Cards have outscored the lowly Dodgers 29-9. Yikes.
Going into this game, the Dodgers had to at least like their chances of turning their misfortune around. On the mound was Clayton Kershaw, who was coming off a great start against the Giants. This one, however, wasn't nearly as kind. He spend most of the night either missing the strike zone or watching foul ball after foul ball. He just didn't have his good stuff going.
After wiggling out of a bases loaded jam in the second, the Cardinals got a run in the third. The bases were again loaded on a single by Ryan Theriot and walks to Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday. David Freese's sac-fly RBI made it 1-0.
An RBI double by Theriot in the second made it 2-0. The Dodgers got one back in the bottom of the frame. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, about the only reason to watch the Dodgers right now, hit singles to start it. Juan Uribe flew out, which is not a surprise at all, but Ethier went to third and soon scored on James Loney's RBI groundout on a great slide to avoid the tag at home.
From there the Cardinals took over and put the game away early. Kind of like the other two games. Don Mattingly left in a clearly laboring Kershaw to start the fifth, and Allen Craig made them both pay with a three-run homer to make it 5-1. It was not a good decision at all from Mattingly, who had Mike MacDougal warm in the bullpen. Live and learn, I guess.
A play that perfectly summed up how this series has gone came in the sixth. Tyler Greene was on second, and MacDougal wheeled around for a pickoff throw. Greene would've been toast, but the ball sailed into center, allowing him to come all the way around to score for the 6-1 lead.
The only other run scored by the Dodgers came in the eighth. And what a shock, it was Ethier and Kemp needing to do all the work. Casey Blake walked leading off, Ethier doubled, and Kemp's RBI single made it 7-2. If you're wondering what Uribe did with two on and none out, he popped up. Bet you didn't see that one coming!
While the pitching was terrible, I'm going to put plenty of blame on Uribe here. He was signed by the Dodgers not for his huge on-base ability, but for getting clutch hits. Well, we certainly haven't seen a lick of that yet. He went 0-for-4 to lower his average to a pathetic .143, left six men on base, has no homers, and only three RBIs. If he's going to continue hitting behind Kemp, he has got to get the job done, end of story.
Kershaw ended up going 4 2/3 for six hits, five runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. MacDougal and Kenley Jansen each did a nice job, but Ramon Troncoso got torched for seven hits and three runs in two innings. He was just recalled recently in place of Hong-Chih Kuo, who's on the DL with a bad back.
While we're only 15 games into the season, the Dodgers are learning a lesson about what they need to do to compete with the big dogs. The Cardinals put men on base and hit them in. The Dodgers time and time again look lost with men in scoring position. Someone other than Ethier and Kemp need to step up. Loney and Uribe are terrible. Blake is hitting in the #2 hole, so it's not like he's in an RBI position. Rafael Furcal is hurt.
Bottom line, the Dodgers need to play with more fire. They start getting behind against the Cards, and instead of battling back, they keep getting pounded. Definitely not a good sign. And to make matters worse, their supposed calling card in pitching is nearly dead last in the majors in ERA. I don't expect that to remain that way, but then again, I didn't expect it to be this bad either. So who knows.
The Dodgers really need to win Sunday's game. Chad Billingsley will take the mound against Chris Carpenter. Carpenter has yet to win a game in three starts, and is coming off a rough one against the Diamondbacks. For Billingsley, it's a perfect chance to step up and be the man.
For the third straight day, the Dodgers were absolutely no match at all for the Cardinals, as they took this win, 9-2. On the three days combined, the Cards have outscored the lowly Dodgers 29-9. Yikes.
Going into this game, the Dodgers had to at least like their chances of turning their misfortune around. On the mound was Clayton Kershaw, who was coming off a great start against the Giants. This one, however, wasn't nearly as kind. He spend most of the night either missing the strike zone or watching foul ball after foul ball. He just didn't have his good stuff going.
After wiggling out of a bases loaded jam in the second, the Cardinals got a run in the third. The bases were again loaded on a single by Ryan Theriot and walks to Colby Rasmus and Matt Holliday. David Freese's sac-fly RBI made it 1-0.
An RBI double by Theriot in the second made it 2-0. The Dodgers got one back in the bottom of the frame. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, about the only reason to watch the Dodgers right now, hit singles to start it. Juan Uribe flew out, which is not a surprise at all, but Ethier went to third and soon scored on James Loney's RBI groundout on a great slide to avoid the tag at home.
From there the Cardinals took over and put the game away early. Kind of like the other two games. Don Mattingly left in a clearly laboring Kershaw to start the fifth, and Allen Craig made them both pay with a three-run homer to make it 5-1. It was not a good decision at all from Mattingly, who had Mike MacDougal warm in the bullpen. Live and learn, I guess.
A play that perfectly summed up how this series has gone came in the sixth. Tyler Greene was on second, and MacDougal wheeled around for a pickoff throw. Greene would've been toast, but the ball sailed into center, allowing him to come all the way around to score for the 6-1 lead.
The only other run scored by the Dodgers came in the eighth. And what a shock, it was Ethier and Kemp needing to do all the work. Casey Blake walked leading off, Ethier doubled, and Kemp's RBI single made it 7-2. If you're wondering what Uribe did with two on and none out, he popped up. Bet you didn't see that one coming!
While the pitching was terrible, I'm going to put plenty of blame on Uribe here. He was signed by the Dodgers not for his huge on-base ability, but for getting clutch hits. Well, we certainly haven't seen a lick of that yet. He went 0-for-4 to lower his average to a pathetic .143, left six men on base, has no homers, and only three RBIs. If he's going to continue hitting behind Kemp, he has got to get the job done, end of story.
Kershaw ended up going 4 2/3 for six hits, five runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. MacDougal and Kenley Jansen each did a nice job, but Ramon Troncoso got torched for seven hits and three runs in two innings. He was just recalled recently in place of Hong-Chih Kuo, who's on the DL with a bad back.
While we're only 15 games into the season, the Dodgers are learning a lesson about what they need to do to compete with the big dogs. The Cardinals put men on base and hit them in. The Dodgers time and time again look lost with men in scoring position. Someone other than Ethier and Kemp need to step up. Loney and Uribe are terrible. Blake is hitting in the #2 hole, so it's not like he's in an RBI position. Rafael Furcal is hurt.
Bottom line, the Dodgers need to play with more fire. They start getting behind against the Cards, and instead of battling back, they keep getting pounded. Definitely not a good sign. And to make matters worse, their supposed calling card in pitching is nearly dead last in the majors in ERA. I don't expect that to remain that way, but then again, I didn't expect it to be this bad either. So who knows.
The Dodgers really need to win Sunday's game. Chad Billingsley will take the mound against Chris Carpenter. Carpenter has yet to win a game in three starts, and is coming off a rough one against the Diamondbacks. For Billingsley, it's a perfect chance to step up and be the man.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
New night, same result
For the second straight night, the Dodgers found themselves in the lead against a good starting pitcher from the Giants.
And once again, they couldn't hold onto the lead.
Two solo home runs by Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot in the sixth off of Ted Lilly handed the Giants a lead that they would not relinquish as they won, 4-3. The Dodgers dropped two of three in this series, and also dropped back to .500 at 6-6.
The Giants scored a single run in each of the first couple of innings. In the first, Aaron Rowand led off with a double to right. He went to third on Miguel Tejada's groundout, and then scored on Aubrey Huff's sac-fly RBI.
The next inning, Brandon Belt singled with one out. Fontenot had a big night, and it started here with an RBI double and a 2-0 advantage. Lilly wasn't sharp all to start the game, so he was probably pretty lucky to only be down by two.
Once Lilly settled down, the offense finally gave him some support. With two outs in the fourth, Marcus Thames singled to left. Rod Barajas was signed for his power, and he flexed his muscle by cranking a two-run shot, and the game was now tied at 2.
The Dodgers were able to take the lead in the sixth. Thames again started the rally by walking with one out. Barajas struck out swinging for two outs. Jonathan Sanchez was then left in to face Aaron Miles, and Miles made him pay by ripping an RBI double, and the Dodgers were now up 3-2.
That lead would be short-lived, however. Lilly stayed in in the bottom of the sixth, and with one out, Sandoval tied the game with a homer. Belt grounded out for two outs, but Lilly again made a mistake by surrendering Fontenot's first tater of the season.
The only other time the Dodgers seriously threatened was in the eighth, but they pretty much beat themselves this inning. Tony Gwynn went into left and doubled with one down. Barajas again struck out on some high heat. Gwynn then got caught trying to advance on a ball in the dirt in which Buster Posey cleanly fielded and threw to third. A bad mental mistake by Gwynn.
Brian Wilson barely broke a sweat for the second straight night by notching his second save this year.
This game wasn't quite as frustrating as the night before when the Dodgers blew a three-run lead. But, it's still one they could've taken. Lilly started poorly, found his rhythm, then fell victim to the gopher ball late. He finished at six innings for seven hits, four runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. His ERA now stands at 6.00, and he has yet to put in a good start in three tries.
Hong-Chih Kuo started the eighth inning, and was pretty much all over the place. He got Pat Burrell and Sandoval swinging to start off, though both hitters chased pitches off the plate. Then came two straight walks in which the ball was flying everywhere. Kuo will never top last season's numbers (nobody could), but it's a bit concerning that he has a 1.88 WHIP. His arm looks lively, though... maybe too lively. If he can start locating better, he'll be fine.
Miles had a good night by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Thames also scored a couple of runs, including great hustle from first to score in the sixth. Matt Kemp went 0-for-4, Uribe 0-for-3 with a walk, and Ethier 1-for-4. The Dodgers won't win many games if those guys put up those numbers, plain and simple. It was one of those nights for them.
The Dodgers now return home after a 3-5 road trip. One more win would have looked much better, but that's the way it is. Now they welcome in the Cardinals, who have Matt Holliday back and just put up 15 runs in Arizona. Hiroki Kuroda will look to cool those hot bats in the first game against Jaime Garcia.
And once again, they couldn't hold onto the lead.
Two solo home runs by Pablo Sandoval and Mike Fontenot in the sixth off of Ted Lilly handed the Giants a lead that they would not relinquish as they won, 4-3. The Dodgers dropped two of three in this series, and also dropped back to .500 at 6-6.
The Giants scored a single run in each of the first couple of innings. In the first, Aaron Rowand led off with a double to right. He went to third on Miguel Tejada's groundout, and then scored on Aubrey Huff's sac-fly RBI.
The next inning, Brandon Belt singled with one out. Fontenot had a big night, and it started here with an RBI double and a 2-0 advantage. Lilly wasn't sharp all to start the game, so he was probably pretty lucky to only be down by two.
Once Lilly settled down, the offense finally gave him some support. With two outs in the fourth, Marcus Thames singled to left. Rod Barajas was signed for his power, and he flexed his muscle by cranking a two-run shot, and the game was now tied at 2.
The Dodgers were able to take the lead in the sixth. Thames again started the rally by walking with one out. Barajas struck out swinging for two outs. Jonathan Sanchez was then left in to face Aaron Miles, and Miles made him pay by ripping an RBI double, and the Dodgers were now up 3-2.
That lead would be short-lived, however. Lilly stayed in in the bottom of the sixth, and with one out, Sandoval tied the game with a homer. Belt grounded out for two outs, but Lilly again made a mistake by surrendering Fontenot's first tater of the season.
The only other time the Dodgers seriously threatened was in the eighth, but they pretty much beat themselves this inning. Tony Gwynn went into left and doubled with one down. Barajas again struck out on some high heat. Gwynn then got caught trying to advance on a ball in the dirt in which Buster Posey cleanly fielded and threw to third. A bad mental mistake by Gwynn.
Brian Wilson barely broke a sweat for the second straight night by notching his second save this year.
This game wasn't quite as frustrating as the night before when the Dodgers blew a three-run lead. But, it's still one they could've taken. Lilly started poorly, found his rhythm, then fell victim to the gopher ball late. He finished at six innings for seven hits, four runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. His ERA now stands at 6.00, and he has yet to put in a good start in three tries.
Hong-Chih Kuo started the eighth inning, and was pretty much all over the place. He got Pat Burrell and Sandoval swinging to start off, though both hitters chased pitches off the plate. Then came two straight walks in which the ball was flying everywhere. Kuo will never top last season's numbers (nobody could), but it's a bit concerning that he has a 1.88 WHIP. His arm looks lively, though... maybe too lively. If he can start locating better, he'll be fine.
Miles had a good night by going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Thames also scored a couple of runs, including great hustle from first to score in the sixth. Matt Kemp went 0-for-4, Uribe 0-for-3 with a walk, and Ethier 1-for-4. The Dodgers won't win many games if those guys put up those numbers, plain and simple. It was one of those nights for them.
The Dodgers now return home after a 3-5 road trip. One more win would have looked much better, but that's the way it is. Now they welcome in the Cardinals, who have Matt Holliday back and just put up 15 runs in Arizona. Hiroki Kuroda will look to cool those hot bats in the first game against Jaime Garcia.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Dodgers chase Lincecum, but still get the L
*** Note: This is post #1000 on here. It's a pretty big deal... OK, not really. But it's still pretty cool. So thanks for reading and please stop back!
***
The Dodgers couldn't have asked for a better start to Tuesday night's game in San Francisco. Facing two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the bats got up 3-0 in the fourth, and Chad Billingsley was cruising.
Then Billingsley stopped cruising, and it all came crashing down.
The Giants battled back to take the lead in the fifth, then broke a tie in the seventh to get the win, 5-4. Despite getting six hits and three runs against Lincecum, the Dodgers just couldn't hold on.
Billingsley got through the first nine in order with help from a stike 'em out, throw 'em out in the third when Brandon Belt K'd and Miguel Tejada was out stealing second. The offense then got going in the fourth, as Jamey Carroll and Andre Ethier singled with one out.
Matt Kemp, who ended up 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI, and two walks on the night, hit an RBI double to plate Carroll for the 1-0 lead. James Loney then dribbled one to Belt at first, but Belt bobbled it, and Ethier scored. Juan Uribe drilled an RBI double to right, and it was 3-0.
You really couldn't ask for a better situation against a stud pitcher like Lincecum, but Billingsley couldn't make the big pitches when he needed to the most. In the bottom of the fourth, Freddy Sanchez hit a one-out double. Aubrey Huff flew out for two down. Buster Posey's single and Pablo Sandoval's double both scored runs, and the lead was cut to 3-2.
Billingsley followed up that bad inning with another one in the fifth. Belt singled leading off, went to second on Lincecum's sacrifice, and scored on Aaron Rowand's single to tie the game at 3. Again with two outs, Posey hit an infield single to score Rowand, and the Giants were now up 4-3.
Jeremy Affeldt relieved in the seventh, so Don Mattingly turned to Marcus Thames to pinch-hit. It worked, as he launched a solo shot to left, knotting the game 4-4. Ethier doubled with two outs, so Bruce Bochy intentionally walked Kemp to get to Loney. That, too, worked, as Loney harmlessly grounded out. Once again, the Dodgers could not capitalize with runners on.
Blake Hawksworth was in charge with getting through the seventh unscathed. As good as he was in his last appearance against the Padres, he was awful in this one. Rowand led off with a triple and soon scored on a wild pitch. If you blinked, you missed it. Just like that, the Giants were up for good, 5-4.
The combination of Sergio Romo and Brian Wilson plowed through the Dodgers the last two innings, including Wilson striking out the side. The Giants have to obviously like their chances when leading after seven, as those two are nasty.
I really believe that this is one of those games the Dodgers can look back on later in the season and kick themselves for letting it get away. They get rid of Lincecum early by hitting him around, have their #2 pitcher on the mound, and still can't finish it out. That's frustrating.
It seems like every loss I point out how runners were left on base, and tonight there were seven. Another stat is how they hit with runners in scoring position, and it was 2-for-8. Plain and simple, there just wasn't enough timely hitting. They got it in the third, but not after that, save for Thames's homer.
Even with this loss, the Dodgers can still win the series on Wednesday. Ted Lilly will take the mound against Jonathan Sanchez in a matchup of southpaws. Lilly has yet to get out of the fifth, though last start was the crazy rain delay one in San Diego. Still, he needs to get deeper in the game if the Dodgers want to win.
***
The Dodgers couldn't have asked for a better start to Tuesday night's game in San Francisco. Facing two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the bats got up 3-0 in the fourth, and Chad Billingsley was cruising.
Then Billingsley stopped cruising, and it all came crashing down.
The Giants battled back to take the lead in the fifth, then broke a tie in the seventh to get the win, 5-4. Despite getting six hits and three runs against Lincecum, the Dodgers just couldn't hold on.
Billingsley got through the first nine in order with help from a stike 'em out, throw 'em out in the third when Brandon Belt K'd and Miguel Tejada was out stealing second. The offense then got going in the fourth, as Jamey Carroll and Andre Ethier singled with one out.
Matt Kemp, who ended up 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI, and two walks on the night, hit an RBI double to plate Carroll for the 1-0 lead. James Loney then dribbled one to Belt at first, but Belt bobbled it, and Ethier scored. Juan Uribe drilled an RBI double to right, and it was 3-0.
You really couldn't ask for a better situation against a stud pitcher like Lincecum, but Billingsley couldn't make the big pitches when he needed to the most. In the bottom of the fourth, Freddy Sanchez hit a one-out double. Aubrey Huff flew out for two down. Buster Posey's single and Pablo Sandoval's double both scored runs, and the lead was cut to 3-2.
Billingsley followed up that bad inning with another one in the fifth. Belt singled leading off, went to second on Lincecum's sacrifice, and scored on Aaron Rowand's single to tie the game at 3. Again with two outs, Posey hit an infield single to score Rowand, and the Giants were now up 4-3.
Jeremy Affeldt relieved in the seventh, so Don Mattingly turned to Marcus Thames to pinch-hit. It worked, as he launched a solo shot to left, knotting the game 4-4. Ethier doubled with two outs, so Bruce Bochy intentionally walked Kemp to get to Loney. That, too, worked, as Loney harmlessly grounded out. Once again, the Dodgers could not capitalize with runners on.
Blake Hawksworth was in charge with getting through the seventh unscathed. As good as he was in his last appearance against the Padres, he was awful in this one. Rowand led off with a triple and soon scored on a wild pitch. If you blinked, you missed it. Just like that, the Giants were up for good, 5-4.
The combination of Sergio Romo and Brian Wilson plowed through the Dodgers the last two innings, including Wilson striking out the side. The Giants have to obviously like their chances when leading after seven, as those two are nasty.
I really believe that this is one of those games the Dodgers can look back on later in the season and kick themselves for letting it get away. They get rid of Lincecum early by hitting him around, have their #2 pitcher on the mound, and still can't finish it out. That's frustrating.
It seems like every loss I point out how runners were left on base, and tonight there were seven. Another stat is how they hit with runners in scoring position, and it was 2-for-8. Plain and simple, there just wasn't enough timely hitting. They got it in the third, but not after that, save for Thames's homer.
Even with this loss, the Dodgers can still win the series on Wednesday. Ted Lilly will take the mound against Jonathan Sanchez in a matchup of southpaws. Lilly has yet to get out of the fifth, though last start was the crazy rain delay one in San Diego. Still, he needs to get deeper in the game if the Dodgers want to win.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Broken thumb will cost Raffy 4-6 weeks
The news has become official, as Rafael Furcal suffered a broken thumb in Monday night's win over the Giants. The result will be a trip to the 15-day DL and most likely cost him somewhere between 4-6 weeks.
It's a tough blow for Raffy, as the injury bug just will not go away for him. After seemingly getting rid of a pesky back injury, now he breaks his thumb while being aggressive and stealing third. He wasn't too happy about it either, as he even mentioned the word "retirement" when talking with reporters.
I'm sure that was just a heat of the moment comment, as some time away should get him thinking clearly again. It's pretty simple for the Dodgers - when he's in the lineup and is feeling right, the offense is a whole lot better. When he's not, then it's a struggle.
The Dodgers will now have to rely on guys like Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles to pick up the slack. Ivan DeJesus could be called up again, or possibly Juan Castro. DeJesus had a cup of coffee in the first few games and didn't do much of anything.
It's a tough blow for Raffy, as the injury bug just will not go away for him. After seemingly getting rid of a pesky back injury, now he breaks his thumb while being aggressive and stealing third. He wasn't too happy about it either, as he even mentioned the word "retirement" when talking with reporters.
I'm sure that was just a heat of the moment comment, as some time away should get him thinking clearly again. It's pretty simple for the Dodgers - when he's in the lineup and is feeling right, the offense is a whole lot better. When he's not, then it's a struggle.
The Dodgers will now have to rely on guys like Jamey Carroll and Aaron Miles to pick up the slack. Ivan DeJesus could be called up again, or possibly Juan Castro. DeJesus had a cup of coffee in the first few games and didn't do much of anything.
Giants have no answers for Kershaw
For the second time already in this brief season, the Giants found themselves matched up with Clayton Kershaw.
And for the second time, Kershaw mowed right through them.
Kershaw went nearly seven innings strong, and the Dodgers used a big fifth inning to cruise to a victory in San Francisco, 6-1. It's the fourth win in five games for the Dodgers against the Giants.
The scoring started in the second, as Matt Kemp led off with a walk. Juan Uribe struck out (no shock there), but Kemp stole his seventh base of this young season. James Loney then lined one to Freddy Sanchez at second, but he couldn't snare it, allowing Kemp to score for the 1-0 lead.
Both teams traded inning ending double plays in the third to keep the score as is. In the fifth, the Dodgers broke through in a big way against Madison Bumgarner. Rod Barajas started it with a solo shot just over the wall in left, and it was 2-0. Kershaw then singled, though he was erased on a pickoff at first.
Rafael Furcal took a walk, and Jamey Carroll singled for two on. Raffy swiped third, even if it was a bad call (but I'll take it). Andre Ethier hit an RBI single, and Kemp stroked a two-run single past a clumsy Pat Burrell, and suddenly it was 5-0.
The final run was tacked on in the seventh. Raffy hurt his thumb on that steal, so Aaron Miles came in for him and singled leading off. Carroll did the same, part of his 3-for-5 night, and Ethier got another RBI single to go up 6-0.
Matt Guerrier relieved Kershaw in the seventh and got Miguel Tejada to fly out to end the inning. He then stayed on and pitched a flawless eighth. Mike MacDougal gave up a long solo homer to Burrell before getting the next three to end it.
It was a great night for the Dodgers, as they put it all together. But for any of you who happened to catch the pregame, both teams deserve a ton of credit for their ceremony honoring Bryan Stow, who was severely beaten on opening night in Dodger Stadium. Jeremy Afeldt and Carroll had a couple of nice speeches. Great stuff overall.
On the diamond, it was all Kershaw. He ended up with 6 2/3 innings, six hits, no runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He allowed some baserunners, but the Giants could do nothing with them. His hook and heater were just filthy, as usual.
The bats were looking good, as they hit plenty of liners all over the place. Plus, they stole two more bases, so their speed made a difference. That's the way the Dodgers will win this year - pitching and speed. It was all clicking tonight.
We'll have to see how long Raffy and Casey Blake are out (who missed with a bad leg), but it's good to see guys like Tony Gwynn, Miles, and Carroll contribute so well recently. Don Mattingly will definitely need to keep using his bench as the year progresses, especially with some older legs as starters.
Tuesday's pitching matchup will be good, as Chad Billingsley takes on Tim Lincecum. The Dodgers beat Lincecum the first game of the season, though not much fault of his. Bills is coming off a rough start in Colorado, but did beat the Giants in his first start. Should be a good one.
And for the second time, Kershaw mowed right through them.
Kershaw went nearly seven innings strong, and the Dodgers used a big fifth inning to cruise to a victory in San Francisco, 6-1. It's the fourth win in five games for the Dodgers against the Giants.
The scoring started in the second, as Matt Kemp led off with a walk. Juan Uribe struck out (no shock there), but Kemp stole his seventh base of this young season. James Loney then lined one to Freddy Sanchez at second, but he couldn't snare it, allowing Kemp to score for the 1-0 lead.
Both teams traded inning ending double plays in the third to keep the score as is. In the fifth, the Dodgers broke through in a big way against Madison Bumgarner. Rod Barajas started it with a solo shot just over the wall in left, and it was 2-0. Kershaw then singled, though he was erased on a pickoff at first.
Rafael Furcal took a walk, and Jamey Carroll singled for two on. Raffy swiped third, even if it was a bad call (but I'll take it). Andre Ethier hit an RBI single, and Kemp stroked a two-run single past a clumsy Pat Burrell, and suddenly it was 5-0.
The final run was tacked on in the seventh. Raffy hurt his thumb on that steal, so Aaron Miles came in for him and singled leading off. Carroll did the same, part of his 3-for-5 night, and Ethier got another RBI single to go up 6-0.
Matt Guerrier relieved Kershaw in the seventh and got Miguel Tejada to fly out to end the inning. He then stayed on and pitched a flawless eighth. Mike MacDougal gave up a long solo homer to Burrell before getting the next three to end it.
It was a great night for the Dodgers, as they put it all together. But for any of you who happened to catch the pregame, both teams deserve a ton of credit for their ceremony honoring Bryan Stow, who was severely beaten on opening night in Dodger Stadium. Jeremy Afeldt and Carroll had a couple of nice speeches. Great stuff overall.
On the diamond, it was all Kershaw. He ended up with 6 2/3 innings, six hits, no runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He allowed some baserunners, but the Giants could do nothing with them. His hook and heater were just filthy, as usual.
The bats were looking good, as they hit plenty of liners all over the place. Plus, they stole two more bases, so their speed made a difference. That's the way the Dodgers will win this year - pitching and speed. It was all clicking tonight.
We'll have to see how long Raffy and Casey Blake are out (who missed with a bad leg), but it's good to see guys like Tony Gwynn, Miles, and Carroll contribute so well recently. Don Mattingly will definitely need to keep using his bench as the year progresses, especially with some older legs as starters.
Tuesday's pitching matchup will be good, as Chad Billingsley takes on Tim Lincecum. The Dodgers beat Lincecum the first game of the season, though not much fault of his. Bills is coming off a rough start in Colorado, but did beat the Giants in his first start. Should be a good one.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Gopher balls doom Ely
John Ely's spot start didn't go so well on Sunday, as two homers surrendered led to his undoing as the Padres won the finale, 7-2. The Dodgers are now 5-4.
The Dodgers were looking to complete the sweep after taking the first couple of games on Saturday. Tony Gwynn hit leadoff and started in left, and he walked and stole second. Aaron Miles then laid down the sacrifice, advancing Gwynn to third. Andre Ethier grounded out, but Gwynn scored for the 1-0 lead.
Ely worked around a couple of baserunners in the second, but had no such luck starting in the third. With one out, Will Venable walked, but was soon caught stealing for two outs. Orlando Hudson doubled and scored on Jorge Cantu's RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
It was from there that Ely fell victim to the Padres' power. You might wonder why I would say that considering the Padres barely have any power, but you wouldn't know that after Sunday's game.
First came Ryan Ludwick's solo shot in the fourth to give the Padres the 2-1 lead. In the sixth, Ely struck out the first couple of hitters, but walked Ludwick and watched Nick Hundley crank a two-run shot for the 4-1 advantage.
The Dodgers had their best chance at getting back into the game in the seventh, but once again couldn't get that big hit with runners on. The red hot Matt Kemp singled and stole his sixth base to open up the inning. James Loney then hit one back to the mound, but Aaron Harang threw the ball away at third, allowing Kemp to score and cut the deficit to 4-2.
Luke Gregerson then relieved Harang and promptly plunked Juan Uribe for two on. Rod Barajas had a chance to come through, but he grounded into a double play. Jamey Carroll struck out, and that pretty much ended the day for the Dodgers.
Kenley Jansen gave up a solo shot to Cameron "Tiki" Maybin in the seventh, making it 5-2. Lance Cormier pitched the eighth and was hit around, giving up an RBI single to Alex Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Maybin.
One day after pounding out 13 hits, the offense was non-existent, gathering only four. Two of them were by Kemp, who is now hitting a blistering .438 with six steals. Obviously we're way early in the season, but he is making some serious noise and has to be in the lead for an All-Star start if he keeps running wild like this.
Gwynn is another good sign. He's gotten hits in the last four games for a .429 average. He's a career .246 hitter, so he'll have to stay more consistent to prove he's turned things around. But if he can keep getting on base like this, then his legs will be a huge lift for the lineup.
Ely, on the flip side, once again proved why he is not ready to be a regular starting pitcher in the bigs. He lasted 5 2/3 for six hits, four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. The strikeouts were good, but he couldn't find a way to make the big pitch to get out of innings. That's the biggest concern to me. With John Garland and Vicente Padilla on their way back, who knows when we'll see Ely again.
Through the opening three series of the season, the offense ranks nearly last in the majors in runs scored. They're about middle of the pack in batting average, so once again, that shows the lack of timely hitting. Some days they'll get it, some days they won't. With Kemp scorching the ball and Ethier hitting .353, Uribe and Loney still have to pick up the slack. They're hitting a combined .254. That's a lousy average for one person, let alone two!
Monday the Dodgers travel to San Francisco for three games. Considering the fiasco with those couple of IDIOT fans beating up the one Giants' fan, I'm sure there will be a fair amount of tension in the crowd. I can't blame those fans either. I just hope those two dumbasses are caught soon and thrown in jail. And of course, that the victim fully recovers.
The pitching matchup will feature two good lefties, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Madison Bumgarner. Kershaw already shut down the Giants in the opening game, so they'll be looking for some revenge.
The Dodgers were looking to complete the sweep after taking the first couple of games on Saturday. Tony Gwynn hit leadoff and started in left, and he walked and stole second. Aaron Miles then laid down the sacrifice, advancing Gwynn to third. Andre Ethier grounded out, but Gwynn scored for the 1-0 lead.
Ely worked around a couple of baserunners in the second, but had no such luck starting in the third. With one out, Will Venable walked, but was soon caught stealing for two outs. Orlando Hudson doubled and scored on Jorge Cantu's RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.
It was from there that Ely fell victim to the Padres' power. You might wonder why I would say that considering the Padres barely have any power, but you wouldn't know that after Sunday's game.
First came Ryan Ludwick's solo shot in the fourth to give the Padres the 2-1 lead. In the sixth, Ely struck out the first couple of hitters, but walked Ludwick and watched Nick Hundley crank a two-run shot for the 4-1 advantage.
The Dodgers had their best chance at getting back into the game in the seventh, but once again couldn't get that big hit with runners on. The red hot Matt Kemp singled and stole his sixth base to open up the inning. James Loney then hit one back to the mound, but Aaron Harang threw the ball away at third, allowing Kemp to score and cut the deficit to 4-2.
Luke Gregerson then relieved Harang and promptly plunked Juan Uribe for two on. Rod Barajas had a chance to come through, but he grounded into a double play. Jamey Carroll struck out, and that pretty much ended the day for the Dodgers.
Kenley Jansen gave up a solo shot to Cameron "Tiki" Maybin in the seventh, making it 5-2. Lance Cormier pitched the eighth and was hit around, giving up an RBI single to Alex Gonzalez and an RBI triple to Maybin.
One day after pounding out 13 hits, the offense was non-existent, gathering only four. Two of them were by Kemp, who is now hitting a blistering .438 with six steals. Obviously we're way early in the season, but he is making some serious noise and has to be in the lead for an All-Star start if he keeps running wild like this.
Gwynn is another good sign. He's gotten hits in the last four games for a .429 average. He's a career .246 hitter, so he'll have to stay more consistent to prove he's turned things around. But if he can keep getting on base like this, then his legs will be a huge lift for the lineup.
Ely, on the flip side, once again proved why he is not ready to be a regular starting pitcher in the bigs. He lasted 5 2/3 for six hits, four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. The strikeouts were good, but he couldn't find a way to make the big pitch to get out of innings. That's the biggest concern to me. With John Garland and Vicente Padilla on their way back, who knows when we'll see Ely again.
Through the opening three series of the season, the offense ranks nearly last in the majors in runs scored. They're about middle of the pack in batting average, so once again, that shows the lack of timely hitting. Some days they'll get it, some days they won't. With Kemp scorching the ball and Ethier hitting .353, Uribe and Loney still have to pick up the slack. They're hitting a combined .254. That's a lousy average for one person, let alone two!
Monday the Dodgers travel to San Francisco for three games. Considering the fiasco with those couple of IDIOT fans beating up the one Giants' fan, I'm sure there will be a fair amount of tension in the crowd. I can't blame those fans either. I just hope those two dumbasses are caught soon and thrown in jail. And of course, that the victim fully recovers.
The pitching matchup will feature two good lefties, as Clayton Kershaw takes on Madison Bumgarner. Kershaw already shut down the Giants in the opening game, so they'll be looking for some revenge.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Kuroda is the man in beating Padres
Hiroki Kuroda has quietly been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball during his brief three plus years.
Performances like Saturday night will get more people's attention and fast.
Kuroda was simply awesome as he came just shy of pitching a complete game shutout in San Diego. Instead, he settled for going 8 2/3 innings of six-hit, shutout ball, as the Dodgers got the win, 4-0. Couple that with a win from the continued game before this one, and the Dodgers got two wins in one day. Not a bad night.
Facing Dustin Moseley, the Dodgers got going right away. Tony Gwynn was the hero in the previous game by driving in the winning run in the 11th, and he led off here with a double. Casey Blake laid down the sacrifice to move him over to third, and he scored on Andre Ethier's RBI single for the quick 1-0 lead.
With Kuroda dealing, the Dodgers tacked on two more in the fifth. It all came with two outs, starting with Ethier's first homer of the year to make it 2-0. Matt Kemp kept it going with a single, and he came all the way around to score on Chris Denorfia's error off Juan Uribe's bat.
The final run of the evening came in the eighth. Gwynn again made some noise, as he singled with one out, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Blake scored him with an RBI single for the 4-0 advantage.
Kuroda did all he could to get the complete game shutout, and got the first two outs in order in the ninth. Unfortunately, Brad Hawpe and Chase Headley both singled to chase him. Jonathan Broxton came in, and he walked Denorfia (of course).
The end of the game was an unusual play to say the least. With the bases loaded and two down, Cameron "Tiki" Maybin grounded a slow one to Blake at third. As Blake was charging in, Headley inexplicably collided with him, causing interference and ending the game. Maybin probably would have beaten a throw to first, and who knows what would've happened after that.
Nonetheless, it's a win for the Dodgers, who are now 5-3 and just behind the Rockies for tops in the NL West. They pounded out 13 hits, including three each from Ethier, Kemp, and Jamey Carroll. Gwynn and Kemp ran wild on the bases, as Gwynn had two steals, and Kemp three, a career high for him.
The flip side is they left a whopping 14 men on base, including at least one in each inning. Had Kuroda not pitched so flawlessly, then this would have been the focus. Thankfully he did, so the offense gets credit for doing just enough to get the win. Still, 14 left on is pretty nuts.
Saturday night could have been a taxing night for the bullpen, but because of Blake Hawksworth, Kuroda, and Broxton, it wasn't. Hawkworth went two scoreless in the continued game early, and Kuroda did his thing late. Broxton picked up two saves. The Dodgers have just started what will be 20 straight days of baseball, so any rest the bullpen can get is much needed.
The Dodgers will look for the sweep today, as John Ely gets the call. It would have been Jon Garland making the first appearance by the #5 starter, but he needs a rehab start first. Ely started out red hot last year, then pulled a Titanic and... well you know the rest. He'll be opposed by Aaron Harang.
Performances like Saturday night will get more people's attention and fast.
Kuroda was simply awesome as he came just shy of pitching a complete game shutout in San Diego. Instead, he settled for going 8 2/3 innings of six-hit, shutout ball, as the Dodgers got the win, 4-0. Couple that with a win from the continued game before this one, and the Dodgers got two wins in one day. Not a bad night.
Facing Dustin Moseley, the Dodgers got going right away. Tony Gwynn was the hero in the previous game by driving in the winning run in the 11th, and he led off here with a double. Casey Blake laid down the sacrifice to move him over to third, and he scored on Andre Ethier's RBI single for the quick 1-0 lead.
With Kuroda dealing, the Dodgers tacked on two more in the fifth. It all came with two outs, starting with Ethier's first homer of the year to make it 2-0. Matt Kemp kept it going with a single, and he came all the way around to score on Chris Denorfia's error off Juan Uribe's bat.
The final run of the evening came in the eighth. Gwynn again made some noise, as he singled with one out, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch. Blake scored him with an RBI single for the 4-0 advantage.
Kuroda did all he could to get the complete game shutout, and got the first two outs in order in the ninth. Unfortunately, Brad Hawpe and Chase Headley both singled to chase him. Jonathan Broxton came in, and he walked Denorfia (of course).
The end of the game was an unusual play to say the least. With the bases loaded and two down, Cameron "Tiki" Maybin grounded a slow one to Blake at third. As Blake was charging in, Headley inexplicably collided with him, causing interference and ending the game. Maybin probably would have beaten a throw to first, and who knows what would've happened after that.
Nonetheless, it's a win for the Dodgers, who are now 5-3 and just behind the Rockies for tops in the NL West. They pounded out 13 hits, including three each from Ethier, Kemp, and Jamey Carroll. Gwynn and Kemp ran wild on the bases, as Gwynn had two steals, and Kemp three, a career high for him.
The flip side is they left a whopping 14 men on base, including at least one in each inning. Had Kuroda not pitched so flawlessly, then this would have been the focus. Thankfully he did, so the offense gets credit for doing just enough to get the win. Still, 14 left on is pretty nuts.
Saturday night could have been a taxing night for the bullpen, but because of Blake Hawksworth, Kuroda, and Broxton, it wasn't. Hawkworth went two scoreless in the continued game early, and Kuroda did his thing late. Broxton picked up two saves. The Dodgers have just started what will be 20 straight days of baseball, so any rest the bullpen can get is much needed.
The Dodgers will look for the sweep today, as John Ely gets the call. It would have been Jon Garland making the first appearance by the #5 starter, but he needs a rehab start first. Ely started out red hot last year, then pulled a Titanic and... well you know the rest. He'll be opposed by Aaron Harang.
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