Sunday was getaway day in Houston, as the Dodgers were finishing up their road trip before heading back to LA for a six-game homestand.
Apparently somebody forgot to tell the Dodgers they had a game to play before departing.
The Dodgers committed three errors, Chad Billingsley was awful, and Jordan Schafer's grand slam helped the Astros cream the Dodgers, 12-0. Even with the loss, the Dodgers took two of three to win another series.
The defense let Billingsley down right away, as Juan Rivera's throwing error let Jed Lowrie reach in the first. Sure enough, instead of getting the 'Stros in order, Carlos Lee lifted a two-run homer with two down.
The second inning put the icing on the cake already. Chris Johnson singled leading off and Jason Castro walked. Jose Altuve flew out, and as Wandy Rodriguez was trying to bunt, Billingsley walked him instead to load the bases. Lowrie had an easy fly out for two out, but Schafer's granny was just out of the reach of Andre Ethier in right to make it 6-0.
The ugliness for Billingsley and the defense reached an even lower point in the fourth, as the Dodgers looked like they were mentally back in LA already. Castro hit a liner that was completely misjudged by Matt Kemp in center for a triple, even though Kemp knows he should've made the play. Following a walk to Altuve, Rodriguez hit a comebacker to Bills, who threw low to second and was dropped by Dee Gordon for an error.
A wild pitch let Schafer score to make it 8-0. Jamey Wright came in and gave up an RBI fielder's choice to J.D. Martinez to close the inning at 9-0.
Wright would go on to give up another run on a single by Castro in the fifth. The final two runs came in the eighth off of Mike MacDougal, who was terrible to say the least. Johnson and Altuve chipped in with RBI singles to mercifully end the scoring.
There's just not a whole lot of positive to say about this game... probably because nothing good happened for the Dodgers. The only other bad loss this year was to the Padres on Easter Sunday 8-4. But, this was a whitewashing from start to finish. No question about it.
Billingsley came into this game 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 0.69 WHIP. After a line of 3 1/3 innings for four hits, nine runs (five earned), four walks, and two strikeouts, he's now 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Like usual, the story with him is his control - he either has it or he doesn't. This game he didn't have it with four walks, and he got burned. The defense did him no favors, and that's not his fault, but he still wasn't sharp at all.
Someone else who wasn't sharp was MacDougal, who now sports a 7.71 ERA and 2.57 WHIP in six appearances. Last year he let hitters reach, but seemed to always make big pitches when he needed to. This year, not so much. He likes to live dangerously, and he's paying the price for it. The Dodgers need better middle relief, and he's playing himself right out of that role with numbers like those. Yuck.
Kemp looked human for the first time all year, as he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout, not to mention the misplayed fly ball in the fourth. He was lifted for Tony Gwynn in the sixth. It was a good move by Don Mattingly, as the game was already over and Kemp can now focus on the Braves and Nationals this upcoming week.
The Dodgers will get right back to work on Monday by welcoming the Braves for three. The Braves are playing some great ball themselves lately, as they've turned an 0-4 start into a current 10-6 mark. Do the math, and that's 10 wins in the last 12. Chris Capuano will look to slow them down as he takes the hill first.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Another homer from that guy, another gem from the other
If you looked at the lineup card before Saturday night's game in Houston, you saw that Matt Kemp was hitting in the third spot, and Clayton Kershaw was on the mound.
Fast forward to the end, and it's no surprise it was another Dodgers' victory.
Kemp crushed his ninth homer, the fastest through 15 games in Dodgers' history, and Kershaw went seven scoreless as the Dodgers cruised by the Astros, 5-1. At 12-3 now, the Dodgers are just continuing to get better and better each night.
The scoring started in the second. James Loney hasn't been helping his cause for being an everyday first baseman with another rough start, but he pulled a long solo shot to make it 1-0. Even with that hit, he's still only hitting .200, but you've got to start somewhere, right?
Kershaw wasn't being threatened too much, but neither was Kyle Weiland through five frames. In the sixth, however, it was Kemp who made Weiland pay. Dee Gordon bunted his way on with one out, then went to third on a bad pickoff attempt. Adam Kennedy popped up for two outs.
So now up came Kemp with two outs and first base open. Should he be pitched to? Well, I wouldn't think so, but with Andre Ethier hitting behind him, Weiland went after him. It was a big mistake, as he launched a two-run bomb to dead center to go up 3-0.
Speaking of Ethier, he added to the cause in the eighth. A rally started with two outs when the bases became loaded on a double by Gordon, and walks to Kennedy and Kemp. Ethier ripped a two-run single into right to push the lead up to 5-0.
Mike MacDougal was called upon to get through the eighth, but his old nemesis the walk got the best of him. A single by Justin Maxwell followed by walks to Jordan Schafer and Jose Altuve got him pulled with one out. Kenley Jansen walked a run in, but put out the fire right after that with two straight outs.
Jamey Wright continued his resurgence by going through the ninth in order to close it out.
After the game, Kershaw admitted he didn't feel like he had much control over his fastball. That's a scary though considering how good he was anyway. He lasted seven innings for three hits, no runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts. He finally got on the board with his first win after three straight no-decisions.
As for Kemp and Ethier, there's just only so many ways you can keep saying how good they are. It seems like every game we have to try and think of something new. They're by far the best 1-2 punch in baseball right now, as four more RBIs gave them 43 on the year. The rest of the team has 24 combined! That's just crazy.
I said this yesterday, but the key to the Dodgers going forward is how the others will step up once these two start to cool off a bit. Saturday was a good start, as Gordon had three hits leading off and Loney homered. We'll see going forward how the supporting cast continues to improve, as the Dodgers can become a more complete team if they do.
A win on Sunday afternoon would give the Dodgers a sweep, which would be their third already. Chad Billingsley has been cool as ice (in a good way) through three starts, so he'll look to keep that up. He has a tough matchup, as the Astros will send their ace, Wandy Rodriguez, to the mound looking to grab a win.
Fast forward to the end, and it's no surprise it was another Dodgers' victory.
Kemp crushed his ninth homer, the fastest through 15 games in Dodgers' history, and Kershaw went seven scoreless as the Dodgers cruised by the Astros, 5-1. At 12-3 now, the Dodgers are just continuing to get better and better each night.
The scoring started in the second. James Loney hasn't been helping his cause for being an everyday first baseman with another rough start, but he pulled a long solo shot to make it 1-0. Even with that hit, he's still only hitting .200, but you've got to start somewhere, right?
Kershaw wasn't being threatened too much, but neither was Kyle Weiland through five frames. In the sixth, however, it was Kemp who made Weiland pay. Dee Gordon bunted his way on with one out, then went to third on a bad pickoff attempt. Adam Kennedy popped up for two outs.
So now up came Kemp with two outs and first base open. Should he be pitched to? Well, I wouldn't think so, but with Andre Ethier hitting behind him, Weiland went after him. It was a big mistake, as he launched a two-run bomb to dead center to go up 3-0.
Speaking of Ethier, he added to the cause in the eighth. A rally started with two outs when the bases became loaded on a double by Gordon, and walks to Kennedy and Kemp. Ethier ripped a two-run single into right to push the lead up to 5-0.
Mike MacDougal was called upon to get through the eighth, but his old nemesis the walk got the best of him. A single by Justin Maxwell followed by walks to Jordan Schafer and Jose Altuve got him pulled with one out. Kenley Jansen walked a run in, but put out the fire right after that with two straight outs.
Jamey Wright continued his resurgence by going through the ninth in order to close it out.
After the game, Kershaw admitted he didn't feel like he had much control over his fastball. That's a scary though considering how good he was anyway. He lasted seven innings for three hits, no runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts. He finally got on the board with his first win after three straight no-decisions.
As for Kemp and Ethier, there's just only so many ways you can keep saying how good they are. It seems like every game we have to try and think of something new. They're by far the best 1-2 punch in baseball right now, as four more RBIs gave them 43 on the year. The rest of the team has 24 combined! That's just crazy.
I said this yesterday, but the key to the Dodgers going forward is how the others will step up once these two start to cool off a bit. Saturday was a good start, as Gordon had three hits leading off and Loney homered. We'll see going forward how the supporting cast continues to improve, as the Dodgers can become a more complete team if they do.
A win on Sunday afternoon would give the Dodgers a sweep, which would be their third already. Chad Billingsley has been cool as ice (in a good way) through three starts, so he'll look to keep that up. He has a tough matchup, as the Astros will send their ace, Wandy Rodriguez, to the mound looking to grab a win.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The planet belongs to Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp has proven that, once again, he can do no wrong.
Kemp's two-run homer in the first held up the whole way, as the Dodgers downed the Astros on the road, 3-1. The record is now upped to 11-3, which is still tied with the Rangers and Nationals for tops in the majors.
Justin Sellers got the start at short and in the leadoff hole, giving Dee Gordon a needed day of rest. Sellers made the most of it by singling to open the game. An out later, Kemp hit his eighth homer of the year to grab the quick 2-0 lead.
Somewhat overshadowed in all of the Kemp hysteria has been the great start by Andre Ethier as well. He got in on the act in the third. Mark Ellis started it with a single, and Kemp did something that pitchers should be doing a lot more of - issuing a walk. Juan Rivera hit a hard one, but it was gloved at third for a double play. Kemp went to third on the play, and he scored on Ethier's RBI single to make it 3-0.
Lilly was rolling until running into a bit of trouble with two outs in the fourth. Brian Bogusevic singled and stole second. He came around to score on Chris Snyder's RBI single, and it was now 3-1.
Jerry Hairston, Jr. got plenty of attention for his sharp defensive play in the Brewers' series, and he again raised some eyebrows in this one. The bases became loaded for the Astros in the fifth on a walk to Jose Altuve, a single by J.D. Martinez off of Lilly's glove, and an intentional pass to Chris Johnson. Jed Lowrie then grounded a hard one to Hairston at third, who made the play, then dove to the base to just get a sliding Martinez by a hair. It was a bang-bang play, but looked to be the right call.
Then again, I'm a Dodger fan, so of course it looked good to me.
Much like the last series, the game was turned over to the bullpen to close it out. Don Mattingly is showing more and more confidence in Josh Lindblom, and for good reason. Lindblom got a double play ball and struck out Martinez in the seventh.
The combination of Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra did the rest. Jansen walked Carlos Lee leading off, but struck out the side after that. Guerra added two more K's for his seventh save, tops in the majors.
Lilly continued his hot start to the year with another great outing. He lasted six innings for four hits, one run, six walks, and five strikeouts. Six walks is too high, but he got the big outs when he needed to. He did a good job of attacking the hitters he knew he could get out, and not giving in to the other ones.
As good as Lilly, the bullpen, and the defense of Hairston was, nothing compares to Kemp, who is by far the best player in the world right now. His numbers through 14 games are just crazy: .481 AVG, .525 OBP, 1.525 OPS, 16 R, 4 2B, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB. He's not going to be this hot the whole year, but boy is it fun for now. What he will do is provide that threat each time he's up to the plate, ala Manny Ramirez during his scorching hot run at the end of the '08 season.
When Kemp and even Ethier start to cool off a bit (and even by "cooling off," they can still hit vey well), the Dodgers will need others to step up more. The highest average for another starter is Rivera, who's at .267. From there the numbers dip even more, such as Mark Ellis at .245, Gordon at .192, and James Loney at .190. The positive side is that those numbers are bound to get better, and hopefully soon.
The Dodgers will look for their third straight win by sending their ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Saturday. Kershaw is coming off a mediocre start against the Padres last Sunday, and is still at 0-0, so he'll be pitching with something to prove.
Kemp's two-run homer in the first held up the whole way, as the Dodgers downed the Astros on the road, 3-1. The record is now upped to 11-3, which is still tied with the Rangers and Nationals for tops in the majors.
Justin Sellers got the start at short and in the leadoff hole, giving Dee Gordon a needed day of rest. Sellers made the most of it by singling to open the game. An out later, Kemp hit his eighth homer of the year to grab the quick 2-0 lead.
Somewhat overshadowed in all of the Kemp hysteria has been the great start by Andre Ethier as well. He got in on the act in the third. Mark Ellis started it with a single, and Kemp did something that pitchers should be doing a lot more of - issuing a walk. Juan Rivera hit a hard one, but it was gloved at third for a double play. Kemp went to third on the play, and he scored on Ethier's RBI single to make it 3-0.
Lilly was rolling until running into a bit of trouble with two outs in the fourth. Brian Bogusevic singled and stole second. He came around to score on Chris Snyder's RBI single, and it was now 3-1.
Jerry Hairston, Jr. got plenty of attention for his sharp defensive play in the Brewers' series, and he again raised some eyebrows in this one. The bases became loaded for the Astros in the fifth on a walk to Jose Altuve, a single by J.D. Martinez off of Lilly's glove, and an intentional pass to Chris Johnson. Jed Lowrie then grounded a hard one to Hairston at third, who made the play, then dove to the base to just get a sliding Martinez by a hair. It was a bang-bang play, but looked to be the right call.
Then again, I'm a Dodger fan, so of course it looked good to me.
Much like the last series, the game was turned over to the bullpen to close it out. Don Mattingly is showing more and more confidence in Josh Lindblom, and for good reason. Lindblom got a double play ball and struck out Martinez in the seventh.
The combination of Kenley Jansen and Javy Guerra did the rest. Jansen walked Carlos Lee leading off, but struck out the side after that. Guerra added two more K's for his seventh save, tops in the majors.
Lilly continued his hot start to the year with another great outing. He lasted six innings for four hits, one run, six walks, and five strikeouts. Six walks is too high, but he got the big outs when he needed to. He did a good job of attacking the hitters he knew he could get out, and not giving in to the other ones.
As good as Lilly, the bullpen, and the defense of Hairston was, nothing compares to Kemp, who is by far the best player in the world right now. His numbers through 14 games are just crazy: .481 AVG, .525 OBP, 1.525 OPS, 16 R, 4 2B, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB. He's not going to be this hot the whole year, but boy is it fun for now. What he will do is provide that threat each time he's up to the plate, ala Manny Ramirez during his scorching hot run at the end of the '08 season.
When Kemp and even Ethier start to cool off a bit (and even by "cooling off," they can still hit vey well), the Dodgers will need others to step up more. The highest average for another starter is Rivera, who's at .267. From there the numbers dip even more, such as Mark Ellis at .245, Gordon at .192, and James Loney at .190. The positive side is that those numbers are bound to get better, and hopefully soon.
The Dodgers will look for their third straight win by sending their ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound on Saturday. Kershaw is coming off a mediocre start against the Padres last Sunday, and is still at 0-0, so he'll be pitching with something to prove.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Dodgers get one back on the Brew Crew
One night after being jobbed into a loss on a terrible call at home plate, the Dodgers were able to grab one in Milwaukee on Thursday afternoon, 4-3. With the win, the Dodgers have now 10 wins to join the Rangers and Nationals as the first to the double-digit club.
It was another back-and-forth game, as both teams were about as evenly matched as you could get. The Dodgers got a run in the second. Andre Ethier doubled with one down, followed by Jerry Hairston, Jr. getting beaned and James Loney walking. Matt Treanor got a start at catcher and hit a sac-fly RBI for the 1-0 lead.
The Brewers surged ahead immediately after that, as they put up a two-spot in the second off of Aaron Harang. Singles by George Kottaras and Alex Gonzalez started it. Travis Ishikawa hit an RBI double to tie it, and Randy Wolf's sac-fly RBI gave them a 2-1 advantage.
As has been the theme these three games, the losing team responded. The Dodgers used four straight singles to get the lead right back in the third. It started with Mark Ellis and Matt Kemp, and followed with RBI singles by Juan Rivera and Ethier, and it was now 3-2.
With Harang settling in, Mr. Everything Matt Kemp did what he does best in the fifth. His seventh homer of the season came leading off, as the Dodgers increased their lead to 4-2.
You knew the Brewers wouldn't go away quietly, and they started chipping away at their deficit in the sixth. Aramis Ramirez reached base leading off on a single, and two outs later Gonzalez did the same to keep the inning alive. Ishikawa hit an RBI single to make it 4-3. Mat Gamel pinch-hit for Wolf, but struck out to end the threat.
The game was now turned over to the bullpen, something the Dodgers haven't had any success with through the first two games. Whom did Don Mattingly call upon in this spot? If you guessed Jamey Wright, it's probably because you either watched the game, or were lying. He's not exactly the guy you would think of late in the game like that.
But, with Matt Guerrier ineffective the last two days, and with Kenley Jansen more of an eighth-inning guy, Wright got the ball, and boy was he lights-out. He stayed two innings and struck out the first five batters he faced. He did walk Kottaras, but got pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to be stranded at third to end the inning on a fantastic, diving stop by Hairston at third.
Javy Guerra blew his first save on Tuesday, so he was looking for some revenge. Once again, it was the defense of Hairston that helped, as his barehanded throw on a bunt by Ishikawa got the first out. Two strikeouts later, Guerra had his sixth save.
Like I said before, both of these teams played to a virtual standstill throughout. The Brewers took two of three by a score of 11-10. But it's not like the Dodgers were giving much of a chance on Wednesday, as they were screwed on a terrible call at home plate. Just watch the replay, and you'll know.
After starting off the season getting roughed up in San Diego, Harang has turned things around since. He got his first win by going six innings for eight hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Even without Prince Fielder, the Brewers can still hit, so the Dodgers will take a start like this out of their #5 guy.
Hairston and Wright were the true stars, as they put on a serious show. Hairston made a loud claim to get more starts at third, especially with Juan Uribe sidelined for now with a wrist injury. Wright has been scoreless in four of his five appearances.
With the Dodgers now at 10-3, they have a great chance to get even better as they travel to Houston to take on the hapless Astros. The first game won't be easy, though, as Ted Lilly makes his second start against the solid J.A. Happ.
It was another back-and-forth game, as both teams were about as evenly matched as you could get. The Dodgers got a run in the second. Andre Ethier doubled with one down, followed by Jerry Hairston, Jr. getting beaned and James Loney walking. Matt Treanor got a start at catcher and hit a sac-fly RBI for the 1-0 lead.
The Brewers surged ahead immediately after that, as they put up a two-spot in the second off of Aaron Harang. Singles by George Kottaras and Alex Gonzalez started it. Travis Ishikawa hit an RBI double to tie it, and Randy Wolf's sac-fly RBI gave them a 2-1 advantage.
As has been the theme these three games, the losing team responded. The Dodgers used four straight singles to get the lead right back in the third. It started with Mark Ellis and Matt Kemp, and followed with RBI singles by Juan Rivera and Ethier, and it was now 3-2.
With Harang settling in, Mr. Everything Matt Kemp did what he does best in the fifth. His seventh homer of the season came leading off, as the Dodgers increased their lead to 4-2.
You knew the Brewers wouldn't go away quietly, and they started chipping away at their deficit in the sixth. Aramis Ramirez reached base leading off on a single, and two outs later Gonzalez did the same to keep the inning alive. Ishikawa hit an RBI single to make it 4-3. Mat Gamel pinch-hit for Wolf, but struck out to end the threat.
The game was now turned over to the bullpen, something the Dodgers haven't had any success with through the first two games. Whom did Don Mattingly call upon in this spot? If you guessed Jamey Wright, it's probably because you either watched the game, or were lying. He's not exactly the guy you would think of late in the game like that.
But, with Matt Guerrier ineffective the last two days, and with Kenley Jansen more of an eighth-inning guy, Wright got the ball, and boy was he lights-out. He stayed two innings and struck out the first five batters he faced. He did walk Kottaras, but got pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to be stranded at third to end the inning on a fantastic, diving stop by Hairston at third.
Javy Guerra blew his first save on Tuesday, so he was looking for some revenge. Once again, it was the defense of Hairston that helped, as his barehanded throw on a bunt by Ishikawa got the first out. Two strikeouts later, Guerra had his sixth save.
Like I said before, both of these teams played to a virtual standstill throughout. The Brewers took two of three by a score of 11-10. But it's not like the Dodgers were giving much of a chance on Wednesday, as they were screwed on a terrible call at home plate. Just watch the replay, and you'll know.
After starting off the season getting roughed up in San Diego, Harang has turned things around since. He got his first win by going six innings for eight hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Even without Prince Fielder, the Brewers can still hit, so the Dodgers will take a start like this out of their #5 guy.
Hairston and Wright were the true stars, as they put on a serious show. Hairston made a loud claim to get more starts at third, especially with Juan Uribe sidelined for now with a wrist injury. Wright has been scoreless in four of his five appearances.
With the Dodgers now at 10-3, they have a great chance to get even better as they travel to Houston to take on the hapless Astros. The first game won't be easy, though, as Ted Lilly makes his second start against the solid J.A. Happ.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Blown save halts winning streak at 6
A seven-game winning streak looked like a distinct possibility when Andre Ethier blasted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth.
And then Javy Guerra gave it all right back.
George Kottaras sent the Brewer fans home happy with a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double to give the Brewers a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. It's the first blown save of the season for Guerra after converting five straight.
Dee Gordon started off the game right where he left off on Sunday by hitting a single. The down side is that he then got picked off of first by about three miles. Wouldn't you know it, Matt Kemp soon cracked a double to dead center but was stranded.
Chad Billingsley had been practically untouchable coming into this game, but was hit around in the second. It started on a long solo shot from young Mat Gamel, who's taking over the spot vacated by Prince Fielder at first. Jonathan Lucroy then tripled and scored on an RBI from old friend Cesar Izturis, who was a Dodger All-Star back in 2005. Rickie Weeks added a ground rule double but was left on, as the Brewers led 2-0.
Not much was happening for the Dodgers until the fifth. Juan Rivera doubled leading off, and runners were on the corners on James Loney's single. Juan Uribe then popped one up to shallow right that was gloved by Weeks, but was then dropped on the transfer as Rivera easily scored, making it 2-1.
The game became tied in the seventh. Ethier had a big night, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Rivera sent him to third. He then scored on... you guessed it, another double, this time by Loney, as the game was tied 2-2.
With a fresh start, Matt Guerrier was called upon to get through the seventh, but scuffled a bit. Gamel singled leading off and stole second with one out. Izturis singled again (I swear those have been his only two hits since leaving the Dodgers). Norichika Aoki pinch-hit and laid down a beautiful suicide squeeze to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.
Like the Dodgers have done in almost every game thus far, they showed a lot of fight in battling back. Francisco Rodriguez is a top setup man, but he didn't get the job done in this spot. With one down, Mark Ellis singled. Kemp struck out in a big spot, but Ethier immediately picked him up with a two-run tater to center, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 edge.
Kenley Jansen mowed through the heart of the Brew Crew's order in the eighth, looking every bit like the dominant setup man that he is.
Unfortunately for Guerra, he looked human last night, which is bound to happen for a young closer. It started by letting Corey Hart reach on a single. Carlos Gomez pinch-ran and stole second, as Gamel drew a walk. An out later, Kottaras smacked a game-winning double to hand the Dodgers their second loss.
Billingsley did a great job battling back from an uneven start, as he lasted six innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. He's been pounding the strike zone this year, which is why he's had so much more success than the last couple of years. It was a good sign that he was able to settle down after the second, as I'm not so sure that would've happened in the past.
Guerra will have better nights, as even the best of closers have off nights. His stuff just appeared too hittable, and he ultimately paid for it. Guerrier wasn't too bad, but a couple of singles did him in. Jansen's outing was a big positive.
Ethier's homer vaulted him above Kemp for the Major League lead in RBIs at 17 to Kemp's 16. The rest of the Dodgers combined have 20. I really don't need to say a whole lot else, as those numbers just show how dominating the Big 2 have been.
It's no secret the Dodgers haven't exactly been challenged by playoff contenders to start the season, but they are right now in the Brewers. There's two games left, so it would be good to get the next one on Wednesday before a day game on Thursday. Ex-Brewer Chris Capuano will go against Zack Greinke.
And then Javy Guerra gave it all right back.
George Kottaras sent the Brewer fans home happy with a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double to give the Brewers a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers. It's the first blown save of the season for Guerra after converting five straight.
Dee Gordon started off the game right where he left off on Sunday by hitting a single. The down side is that he then got picked off of first by about three miles. Wouldn't you know it, Matt Kemp soon cracked a double to dead center but was stranded.
Chad Billingsley had been practically untouchable coming into this game, but was hit around in the second. It started on a long solo shot from young Mat Gamel, who's taking over the spot vacated by Prince Fielder at first. Jonathan Lucroy then tripled and scored on an RBI from old friend Cesar Izturis, who was a Dodger All-Star back in 2005. Rickie Weeks added a ground rule double but was left on, as the Brewers led 2-0.
Not much was happening for the Dodgers until the fifth. Juan Rivera doubled leading off, and runners were on the corners on James Loney's single. Juan Uribe then popped one up to shallow right that was gloved by Weeks, but was then dropped on the transfer as Rivera easily scored, making it 2-1.
The game became tied in the seventh. Ethier had a big night, and he doubled leading off. A groundout by Rivera sent him to third. He then scored on... you guessed it, another double, this time by Loney, as the game was tied 2-2.
With a fresh start, Matt Guerrier was called upon to get through the seventh, but scuffled a bit. Gamel singled leading off and stole second with one out. Izturis singled again (I swear those have been his only two hits since leaving the Dodgers). Norichika Aoki pinch-hit and laid down a beautiful suicide squeeze to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.
Like the Dodgers have done in almost every game thus far, they showed a lot of fight in battling back. Francisco Rodriguez is a top setup man, but he didn't get the job done in this spot. With one down, Mark Ellis singled. Kemp struck out in a big spot, but Ethier immediately picked him up with a two-run tater to center, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 edge.
Kenley Jansen mowed through the heart of the Brew Crew's order in the eighth, looking every bit like the dominant setup man that he is.
Unfortunately for Guerra, he looked human last night, which is bound to happen for a young closer. It started by letting Corey Hart reach on a single. Carlos Gomez pinch-ran and stole second, as Gamel drew a walk. An out later, Kottaras smacked a game-winning double to hand the Dodgers their second loss.
Billingsley did a great job battling back from an uneven start, as he lasted six innings for five hits, two runs, no walks, and two strikeouts. He's been pounding the strike zone this year, which is why he's had so much more success than the last couple of years. It was a good sign that he was able to settle down after the second, as I'm not so sure that would've happened in the past.
Guerra will have better nights, as even the best of closers have off nights. His stuff just appeared too hittable, and he ultimately paid for it. Guerrier wasn't too bad, but a couple of singles did him in. Jansen's outing was a big positive.
Ethier's homer vaulted him above Kemp for the Major League lead in RBIs at 17 to Kemp's 16. The rest of the Dodgers combined have 20. I really don't need to say a whole lot else, as those numbers just show how dominating the Big 2 have been.
It's no secret the Dodgers haven't exactly been challenged by playoff contenders to start the season, but they are right now in the Brewers. There's two games left, so it would be good to get the next one on Wednesday before a day game on Thursday. Ex-Brewer Chris Capuano will go against Zack Greinke.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Wild 9th completes perfect homestand
If you were looking for one of those "little bit of everything" type of games, this was it.
The Dodgers started off the last inning turning a triple play, then watched Dee Gordon hit a walk-off single to down the Padres, 5-4. The win gives the Dodgers a perfect 6-0 homestand, and once again increases the best record in the majors at 9-1. Pretty good stuff.
The day started off well enough, as the Dodgers got an early 4-1 lead, and they had their ace on the mound in Clayton Kershaw. But, to the credit of the losing team, they hung in there and made a ballgame of it.
Once again, the damage was done early by the offense. Gordon reached on a slug bunt to short leading off, something we should get used to seeing. Something we've been used to seeing is watching him steal second, as he did here for his sixth of the season. Mark Ellis worked a walk, and Matt Kemp reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Andre Ethier ripped one to first, but Jesus Guzman made a nice play to get a forceout at second, as the run scored. Juan Rivera hit a sac-fly RBI, and it was now 2-0.
The Padres got one back in the third, as Gordon's error with one down allowed Cameron "Tiki" Maybin to reach. Chris Denorfia's RBI double made it 2-1.
Right away, the game's best player responded, as Kemp cracked a solo homer leading off the bottom of the third to make it 3-1. Ethier followed with a double, and Rivera got another RBI on a single for a 4-1 lead, putting the Dodgers in full control.
For whatever reason, Kershaw never really was able to be his usual, overpowering self. The unraveling started in the sixth, as three walks to Guzman, Nick Hundley, and Andy Parrino jammed the bases full with one out. Orlando Hudson hadn't done squat thus far at the plate, but his RBI single made it 4-2.
Josh Lindblom was called upon for the frustrated Kershaw, and it didn't get a whole lot better. Jeremy Hermida pinch-hit and had a great at-bat, working 10 pitches which resulted in a two-run single to tie the game at 4.
The Dodgers had a chance to take control again in the seventh, as the bases were loaded on walks to James Loney and Adam Kennedy, and a single by Juan Uribe. Gordon struck out swinging, and looked pretty lost in the process.
So here's where things got a little crazy. Javy Guerra came on in the ninth, but was immediately in a jam on a single by Yonder Alonso and walk to Chase Headley. Next up was Guzman, who wanted to bunt, but instead found himself trying to bail out of the way from a pitch aimed at his head.
The only thing was that Guzman still made contact, and the ball rolled just in front of the plate. A.J. Ellis didn't skip a beat as he fired to Uribe at third, who threw to Gordon at second, who completed the triple play by tossing to first. It sure looked like home plate umpire Dale Scott initially singled "foul," but he actually was just getting out of the way before saying it was fair.
It was the right call, but still a break for the Dodgers. They took advantage of it, as Rivera walked and Loney singled off of Brandon Bach. Uribe laid down the sacrifice bunt to advance the runners before Ellis was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Jerry Hairston pinch-hit, but popped up for two down. At this point, Gordon had a hit and a couple steals, but had a rough day in the field by misplaying a few he should've easily made. Well, to steal a little kid's phrase, he turned that frown upside down by delivering the walk-off single into right.
This indeed was another example of why the Dodgers have started off red hot. They've been able to come through late and in close games. They could've closed up shop after blowing the early lead, but they got the job done.
Kershaw just had one of those days, as he finished with 5 1/3 innings pitched for eight hits, four runs (three earned), three walks, and three strikeouts. He again received a no-decision, so he's yet to get on the board in any way through three games. The strikeouts were obviously low for him, but the Padres just didn't seem fooled by much of anything. But ya, he'll be fine, so no worries.
There was a lot of good about this homestand, and here's why: a 6-0 record, four wins by a run, and a combined score of 29-17 against the Pirates and Padres. Yes, it was the Pirates and Padres, and the competition will only get tougher, but running off 9 of the first 10 is awesome no matter who they played.
Monday will be an off day, then the first real test of the season will come with three games in Milwaukee starting Tuesday. Kershaw will have to wait until the Houston series to go, so let's see how the Dodgers do on the road without their ace. Chad Billingsley is pitching like an ace, and he'll go first against the solid Yovani Gallardo.
The Dodgers started off the last inning turning a triple play, then watched Dee Gordon hit a walk-off single to down the Padres, 5-4. The win gives the Dodgers a perfect 6-0 homestand, and once again increases the best record in the majors at 9-1. Pretty good stuff.
The day started off well enough, as the Dodgers got an early 4-1 lead, and they had their ace on the mound in Clayton Kershaw. But, to the credit of the losing team, they hung in there and made a ballgame of it.
Once again, the damage was done early by the offense. Gordon reached on a slug bunt to short leading off, something we should get used to seeing. Something we've been used to seeing is watching him steal second, as he did here for his sixth of the season. Mark Ellis worked a walk, and Matt Kemp reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Andre Ethier ripped one to first, but Jesus Guzman made a nice play to get a forceout at second, as the run scored. Juan Rivera hit a sac-fly RBI, and it was now 2-0.
The Padres got one back in the third, as Gordon's error with one down allowed Cameron "Tiki" Maybin to reach. Chris Denorfia's RBI double made it 2-1.
Right away, the game's best player responded, as Kemp cracked a solo homer leading off the bottom of the third to make it 3-1. Ethier followed with a double, and Rivera got another RBI on a single for a 4-1 lead, putting the Dodgers in full control.
For whatever reason, Kershaw never really was able to be his usual, overpowering self. The unraveling started in the sixth, as three walks to Guzman, Nick Hundley, and Andy Parrino jammed the bases full with one out. Orlando Hudson hadn't done squat thus far at the plate, but his RBI single made it 4-2.
Josh Lindblom was called upon for the frustrated Kershaw, and it didn't get a whole lot better. Jeremy Hermida pinch-hit and had a great at-bat, working 10 pitches which resulted in a two-run single to tie the game at 4.
The Dodgers had a chance to take control again in the seventh, as the bases were loaded on walks to James Loney and Adam Kennedy, and a single by Juan Uribe. Gordon struck out swinging, and looked pretty lost in the process.
So here's where things got a little crazy. Javy Guerra came on in the ninth, but was immediately in a jam on a single by Yonder Alonso and walk to Chase Headley. Next up was Guzman, who wanted to bunt, but instead found himself trying to bail out of the way from a pitch aimed at his head.
The only thing was that Guzman still made contact, and the ball rolled just in front of the plate. A.J. Ellis didn't skip a beat as he fired to Uribe at third, who threw to Gordon at second, who completed the triple play by tossing to first. It sure looked like home plate umpire Dale Scott initially singled "foul," but he actually was just getting out of the way before saying it was fair.
It was the right call, but still a break for the Dodgers. They took advantage of it, as Rivera walked and Loney singled off of Brandon Bach. Uribe laid down the sacrifice bunt to advance the runners before Ellis was walked intentionally to load the bases.
Jerry Hairston pinch-hit, but popped up for two down. At this point, Gordon had a hit and a couple steals, but had a rough day in the field by misplaying a few he should've easily made. Well, to steal a little kid's phrase, he turned that frown upside down by delivering the walk-off single into right.
This indeed was another example of why the Dodgers have started off red hot. They've been able to come through late and in close games. They could've closed up shop after blowing the early lead, but they got the job done.
Kershaw just had one of those days, as he finished with 5 1/3 innings pitched for eight hits, four runs (three earned), three walks, and three strikeouts. He again received a no-decision, so he's yet to get on the board in any way through three games. The strikeouts were obviously low for him, but the Padres just didn't seem fooled by much of anything. But ya, he'll be fine, so no worries.
There was a lot of good about this homestand, and here's why: a 6-0 record, four wins by a run, and a combined score of 29-17 against the Pirates and Padres. Yes, it was the Pirates and Padres, and the competition will only get tougher, but running off 9 of the first 10 is awesome no matter who they played.
Monday will be an off day, then the first real test of the season will come with three games in Milwaukee starting Tuesday. Kershaw will have to wait until the Houston series to go, so let's see how the Dodgers do on the road without their ace. Chad Billingsley is pitching like an ace, and he'll go first against the solid Yovani Gallardo.
Kemp's bombs back Lilly's strong return
The Dodgers had it all going on Saturday night, getting homers by their big guns and great starting pitching.
That, my friends, is why they're the best team in baseball right now at 8-1. And hopefully just getting started.
Lilly only allowed one run, and that was by no fault of his own. Leading off the game, Cameron "Tiki" Maybin grounded one to Dee Gordon at short, who promptly threw it away, moving Maybin up to second. Chris Denorfia sacrificed him over to third, but Chase Headley fouled out for two down. Jesus Guzman came through with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
No worries, as the offense didn't waste any time emphatically taking the lead back. Gordon drew a walk and went to second on Tony Gwynn's sacrifice. Matt Kemp stepped in and launched a two-run homer to make it 2-1. Andre Ethier liked the sound of that, as his solo shot, his third of the season, put the advantage at two.
James Loney kept it going with a double and Jerry Hairston a single for two on. Adam Kennedy's sac-fly RBI closed the inning at 4-1.
The next inning, Kemp got greedy again, as he crushed his second straight two-run shot, and it was 6-1. He ended up 3-for-4 on the night with two runs, a double, two homers, and four RBIs. Last year ended with a Triple Crown run, and this year he leads those categories with a .457 average, 5 homers, and 15 RBIs.
With all of the run support, Lilly cruised from there. The only other runners he let reach were by a walk to Nick Hundley in the fifth and a single by Headley leading off the seventh. Overall, he tossed seven innings for two hits, one run (unearned), one walk, and four strikeouts. He only made 79 pitches, which showed how efficient he was. Not a bad way to start the season.
Mike MacDougal and Jamey Wright each tossed scoreless frames to finish it off. MacDougal is usually good for a baserunner or two, but actually went in order this time. Wright is still trying to find his role in the bullpen, but outings like this will only help him get in there more.
As great as Lilly and the 'pen were, the true story, once again, was the combination of Kemp and Ethier. In the nine games the Dodgers have played, Kemp has failed to reach base in only one of them, and even in that he still had an RBI. Ethier has also reached base in every game but one, and still scored a run in the one he didn't. In other words, they're doing just about everything you can ask of them.
I already discussed Kemp's Triple Crown stats, but Ethier isn't far behind with 3 homers and 14 RBIs (good for second to Kemp). He's a notorious quick starter in April, as in 127 career games this month, he's hitting .323 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs. If you can recall, he was doing even better in 2010 when he was the one leading the TC categories before a broken pinkie derailed his season.
Throw in the fact that they're both Gold Glove outfielders, and it's easy to see why they're one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. There's not a whole lot they can't do, especially since Ethier is now hitting .333 against lefties this year, something that has plagued him his whole career. Assuming the maturity issues are a thing of the past, and that Ethier gets his extension, these two can carry the Dodgers for many years to come.
The Dodgers will again look to sweep the Padres as the did last week. After taking the first three games of the season, the Padres pounded the Dodgers last Sunday. This time around it's that Clayton Kershaw guy on the mound, so I'm liking the chances for a sweep. Edinson Volquez will go for the Padres.
That, my friends, is why they're the best team in baseball right now at 8-1. And hopefully just getting started.
Lilly only allowed one run, and that was by no fault of his own. Leading off the game, Cameron "Tiki" Maybin grounded one to Dee Gordon at short, who promptly threw it away, moving Maybin up to second. Chris Denorfia sacrificed him over to third, but Chase Headley fouled out for two down. Jesus Guzman came through with an RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
No worries, as the offense didn't waste any time emphatically taking the lead back. Gordon drew a walk and went to second on Tony Gwynn's sacrifice. Matt Kemp stepped in and launched a two-run homer to make it 2-1. Andre Ethier liked the sound of that, as his solo shot, his third of the season, put the advantage at two.
James Loney kept it going with a double and Jerry Hairston a single for two on. Adam Kennedy's sac-fly RBI closed the inning at 4-1.
The next inning, Kemp got greedy again, as he crushed his second straight two-run shot, and it was 6-1. He ended up 3-for-4 on the night with two runs, a double, two homers, and four RBIs. Last year ended with a Triple Crown run, and this year he leads those categories with a .457 average, 5 homers, and 15 RBIs.
With all of the run support, Lilly cruised from there. The only other runners he let reach were by a walk to Nick Hundley in the fifth and a single by Headley leading off the seventh. Overall, he tossed seven innings for two hits, one run (unearned), one walk, and four strikeouts. He only made 79 pitches, which showed how efficient he was. Not a bad way to start the season.
Mike MacDougal and Jamey Wright each tossed scoreless frames to finish it off. MacDougal is usually good for a baserunner or two, but actually went in order this time. Wright is still trying to find his role in the bullpen, but outings like this will only help him get in there more.
As great as Lilly and the 'pen were, the true story, once again, was the combination of Kemp and Ethier. In the nine games the Dodgers have played, Kemp has failed to reach base in only one of them, and even in that he still had an RBI. Ethier has also reached base in every game but one, and still scored a run in the one he didn't. In other words, they're doing just about everything you can ask of them.
I already discussed Kemp's Triple Crown stats, but Ethier isn't far behind with 3 homers and 14 RBIs (good for second to Kemp). He's a notorious quick starter in April, as in 127 career games this month, he's hitting .323 with 22 homers and 95 RBIs. If you can recall, he was doing even better in 2010 when he was the one leading the TC categories before a broken pinkie derailed his season.
Throw in the fact that they're both Gold Glove outfielders, and it's easy to see why they're one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. There's not a whole lot they can't do, especially since Ethier is now hitting .333 against lefties this year, something that has plagued him his whole career. Assuming the maturity issues are a thing of the past, and that Ethier gets his extension, these two can carry the Dodgers for many years to come.
The Dodgers will again look to sweep the Padres as the did last week. After taking the first three games of the season, the Padres pounded the Dodgers last Sunday. This time around it's that Clayton Kershaw guy on the mound, so I'm liking the chances for a sweep. Edinson Volquez will go for the Padres.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
A typical game for Friday the 13th
If you're looking for a baseball game that featured a little bit of everything, then Friday night in Dodger Stadium was for you.
To start off with, there was nearly a rain delay, which is a rarity for the Dodgers as it is. The last time they had a home game rained out was April 17, 2000... a whopping 972 games ago!
The game started without a hitch, and it quickly became the Aaron Harang Show. Yes, I did just type that. Cameron "Tiki" Maybin led off the game with a single. Right after that, Harang struck out the next nine hitters, setting a Dodgers' record and nearly topping Tom Seaver's all-time record of 10. All from Aaron Freakin' Harang. Unbelievable.
In between all of that, the Dodgers scored some runs. And you shouldn't be surprised to hear this, but it was the Padres' shoddy defense that helped. Justin Sellers started at short for Dee Gordon and walked leading off. A.J. Ellis hit an easy grounder to Jason Bartlett at short, who turned a double play into an error for two on.
Two-run singles by Mark Ellis and Andre Ethier gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
About the only negative thing about that inning was that Harang had to sit some 21 minutes as he chased a spot in Major League history. Sure enough, he gave up a solo shot to Will Venable leading off to make it 3-1. An RBI double by Yonder Alonso and RBI groundout by the O Dog made it 4-3.
The Dodgers answered right away in the fourth, and appeared to put the game away... or so we thought. Sellers started it again with a double, and the younger Ellis scored him on a double. Tony Gwynn started in left and got in on the act with an RBI single to make it 6-3. Matt Kemp then whacked a two-run shot in right, and it was 8-3 just like that.
The Padres refused to go away, and the comeback was on against the shaky Dodgers' bullpen. Harang ran out of gas in the seventh by walking Hudson with one out, so in came Todd Coffey. That was definitely not the right call by Don Mattingly, as Coffey surrendered a single, RBI double, and hit by pitch without retiring a batter.
Out went Coffey, in came Scott Elbert, who walked in a run right away. Chase Headley had a huge night, and it started here with a sac-fly RBI to put the score at 8-6.
Still, the Dodgers had to feel comfortable enough to win this game, right? Well, not if you consider that Javy Guerra was unavailable because he pitched in three straight games. But, Kenley Jansen would easily shut the door anyway, right?
Not so fast. I'm not sure if Jansen just wasn't letting it all loose or if something else is going on, but Jansen was clocked at around 90 MPH, which is a far cry from what he normally can dial up.
In the ninth, Chris Denorfia walked on a full count, but Jansen got Andy Parrino and Kyle Blanks swinging for two down. Just when you thought the game was over, Headley creamed a two-run blast into right, and it was the first blown save of the season for the Dodgers. Two more men reached before Hudson struck out to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.
It was a deflating way to continue the game, but the Dodgers ended up walking off... literally. Andrew Cashner was summoned, and he got the first two outs with ease. Then the walks came, as the older Ellis worked one on a full count, then Kemp got the free pass as well. Add James Loney to the walk list to load the bases.
Lefty Joe Thatcher came in to pitch to Ethier, and that was a giant flop, as four straight horrendous pitches handed the Dodgers a 9-8 win. Wow.
This will be a hard game to top as far as craziness, and in matching the roller coaster of emotions that baseball has to offer. I'm sure when you look at the final score and nothing else, you'd have a hard time believing that there was nearly an MLB record set for consecutive strikeouts along the way.
Harang certainly showed the best and worst of him, as he ended up going 6 1/3 innings for 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and 13 strikeouts. As is the case with Chris Capuano, I think they just need time to build up their arm strength a little more so they don't hit a wall in the mid-late innings. Still, 13 K's is very impressive.
The great thing about this 7-1 start is that the Dodgers are finding ways to win close games. They aren't just blowing teams out and strutting to easy victories, they have to work the full game to get it. That's a great sign going forward.
Ted Lilly will make his return from the DL to make his first start of the season on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see the corresponding roster move that has to be made, but perhaps it'll be to DL Coffey, who's been battling a sore knee. And with the way he's pitching, it's obvious he needs a break. Lilly will go against rookie Joe Wieland.
To start off with, there was nearly a rain delay, which is a rarity for the Dodgers as it is. The last time they had a home game rained out was April 17, 2000... a whopping 972 games ago!
The game started without a hitch, and it quickly became the Aaron Harang Show. Yes, I did just type that. Cameron "Tiki" Maybin led off the game with a single. Right after that, Harang struck out the next nine hitters, setting a Dodgers' record and nearly topping Tom Seaver's all-time record of 10. All from Aaron Freakin' Harang. Unbelievable.
In between all of that, the Dodgers scored some runs. And you shouldn't be surprised to hear this, but it was the Padres' shoddy defense that helped. Justin Sellers started at short for Dee Gordon and walked leading off. A.J. Ellis hit an easy grounder to Jason Bartlett at short, who turned a double play into an error for two on.
Two-run singles by Mark Ellis and Andre Ethier gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
About the only negative thing about that inning was that Harang had to sit some 21 minutes as he chased a spot in Major League history. Sure enough, he gave up a solo shot to Will Venable leading off to make it 3-1. An RBI double by Yonder Alonso and RBI groundout by the O Dog made it 4-3.
The Dodgers answered right away in the fourth, and appeared to put the game away... or so we thought. Sellers started it again with a double, and the younger Ellis scored him on a double. Tony Gwynn started in left and got in on the act with an RBI single to make it 6-3. Matt Kemp then whacked a two-run shot in right, and it was 8-3 just like that.
The Padres refused to go away, and the comeback was on against the shaky Dodgers' bullpen. Harang ran out of gas in the seventh by walking Hudson with one out, so in came Todd Coffey. That was definitely not the right call by Don Mattingly, as Coffey surrendered a single, RBI double, and hit by pitch without retiring a batter.
Out went Coffey, in came Scott Elbert, who walked in a run right away. Chase Headley had a huge night, and it started here with a sac-fly RBI to put the score at 8-6.
Still, the Dodgers had to feel comfortable enough to win this game, right? Well, not if you consider that Javy Guerra was unavailable because he pitched in three straight games. But, Kenley Jansen would easily shut the door anyway, right?
Not so fast. I'm not sure if Jansen just wasn't letting it all loose or if something else is going on, but Jansen was clocked at around 90 MPH, which is a far cry from what he normally can dial up.
In the ninth, Chris Denorfia walked on a full count, but Jansen got Andy Parrino and Kyle Blanks swinging for two down. Just when you thought the game was over, Headley creamed a two-run blast into right, and it was the first blown save of the season for the Dodgers. Two more men reached before Hudson struck out to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.
It was a deflating way to continue the game, but the Dodgers ended up walking off... literally. Andrew Cashner was summoned, and he got the first two outs with ease. Then the walks came, as the older Ellis worked one on a full count, then Kemp got the free pass as well. Add James Loney to the walk list to load the bases.
Lefty Joe Thatcher came in to pitch to Ethier, and that was a giant flop, as four straight horrendous pitches handed the Dodgers a 9-8 win. Wow.
This will be a hard game to top as far as craziness, and in matching the roller coaster of emotions that baseball has to offer. I'm sure when you look at the final score and nothing else, you'd have a hard time believing that there was nearly an MLB record set for consecutive strikeouts along the way.
Harang certainly showed the best and worst of him, as he ended up going 6 1/3 innings for 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, and 13 strikeouts. As is the case with Chris Capuano, I think they just need time to build up their arm strength a little more so they don't hit a wall in the mid-late innings. Still, 13 K's is very impressive.
The great thing about this 7-1 start is that the Dodgers are finding ways to win close games. They aren't just blowing teams out and strutting to easy victories, they have to work the full game to get it. That's a great sign going forward.
Ted Lilly will make his return from the DL to make his first start of the season on Saturday. It'll be interesting to see the corresponding roster move that has to be made, but perhaps it'll be to DL Coffey, who's been battling a sore knee. And with the way he's pitching, it's obvious he needs a break. Lilly will go against rookie Joe Wieland.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sweep has Dodgers feeling like it's 1981
Sweeping the Pirates? Eh, no big deal.
Starting the year 6-1, which matches the World Series championship year of 1981, not to mention the birth of Fernandomania? Pretty big deal.
The Dodgers got all three runs in the opening inning and made them hold up, downing the Pirates, 3-2. The win gives them a three-game sweep, and also matches their best start since that magical '81 season.
The damage was all done in the first. Mark Ellis singled with one out, and Matt Kemp placed a double into left for two on. Andre Ethier was the NL leader in RBIs at this point, but he was plunked to load the bases. Hard to tell if there was intent there or not, but if there was, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to put three runners on so early.
Juan Rivera continued to deliver with a sac-fly RBI to make it 1-0. Two straight RBI singles came next from two struggling hitters. James Loney finally got hit #1 of the season, to which Kemp could be heard yelling to get him the ball. Funny stuff! Juan Uribe's came next, and the Dodgers had an early three-run cushion.
Chris Capuano took over from there, as he was looking to rebound from his self-implosion in San Diego. He worked around two singles in the first inning, then struck out the side in the second. He retired seven hitters in a row early on.
In the fifth, the Pirates got a run on Mike McKenry's solo shot to dead center, a clear no-doubter, making it 3-1. The Dodgers put two runners on but came up with blanks, as they did the previous inning.
The Pirates got another run in the sixth, but really blew a chance to do a lot more. Andre McCutchen got three hits and reached base safely four times, and his single started it. Casey McGhee had two hits, one of them here with a single. Yamaico Navarro's sac-fly RBI made it 3-2.
That was all she wrote for Capuano, as Mike MacDougal came in and immediately gave up a single to Clint Barmes. Following a fielder's choice by Pedro Alvarez, McKenry walked to load 'em up. Garrett Jones was called on to pinch-hit, so Don Mattingly countered with Scott Elbert... only to have Clint Hurdle counter with Matt Hague. It didn't matter, as Hague's lineout to center ended it.
With the offense already in bed, the bullpen took over and turned the lights out for good. Josh Lindblom got help from a double play ball and A.J. Ellis's strong throw to catch McCutchen stealing in the seventh. Matt Guerrier tossed a flawless eighth.
The question then became whether Mattingly would use Javy Guerra again, and he did. Guerra needed a mere 11 pitches to set the Pirates down in order for his fifth save, tops in all of baseball.
The early runs almost turned out to be a curse, because the Dodgers ended up stranding seven runners, four of those with two outs and in scoring position. They got runners on, yet the clutch hits stopped. Fortunately, they were playing the lowly Bucs, so it barely made a difference.
Capuano righted the ship with his strong outing, going 5 1/3 innings for six hits, two runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He was able to pound the inside corner against righties, freezing them time and time again. The no walks was obviously the big thing, especially since he walked five Padres. In fact, Dodger pitching had 2 walks and 27 strikeouts this series. Wow.
This year has started about as well as anyone could have hoped for. The opponents have been easy, though. That doesn't automatically guarantee wins, but it's good to see the Dodgers take care of business. There's been no letdown thus far.
Yes, the Dodgers will run into a rough patch at some point, just as every team does. They don't have a whole lot of thump in their lineup, save for Kemp and maybe Ethier. So, they'll have nights they'll need the big hit, but won't get it.
What has been and should remain solid, however, is the pitching. Their team ERA is 2.67, fourth in the NL (the Pirates are third, which shows just how bad their hitting has been). They're third in strikeouts at 63, and tops in saves at 5 thanks to Guerra. Getting Ted Lilly back should only help those numbers, too.
If there's a reason to get greed and want more wins, it's that the Padres are coming to town for three. The Padres, well, stink at 2-6. No surprise there. But they do have Clayton Richard going, who shut down the Dodgers last Sunday. The Dodgers will counter with Aaron Harang, who took the loss that day after scuffling the whole time.
Starting the year 6-1, which matches the World Series championship year of 1981, not to mention the birth of Fernandomania? Pretty big deal.
The Dodgers got all three runs in the opening inning and made them hold up, downing the Pirates, 3-2. The win gives them a three-game sweep, and also matches their best start since that magical '81 season.
The damage was all done in the first. Mark Ellis singled with one out, and Matt Kemp placed a double into left for two on. Andre Ethier was the NL leader in RBIs at this point, but he was plunked to load the bases. Hard to tell if there was intent there or not, but if there was, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to put three runners on so early.
Juan Rivera continued to deliver with a sac-fly RBI to make it 1-0. Two straight RBI singles came next from two struggling hitters. James Loney finally got hit #1 of the season, to which Kemp could be heard yelling to get him the ball. Funny stuff! Juan Uribe's came next, and the Dodgers had an early three-run cushion.
Chris Capuano took over from there, as he was looking to rebound from his self-implosion in San Diego. He worked around two singles in the first inning, then struck out the side in the second. He retired seven hitters in a row early on.
In the fifth, the Pirates got a run on Mike McKenry's solo shot to dead center, a clear no-doubter, making it 3-1. The Dodgers put two runners on but came up with blanks, as they did the previous inning.
The Pirates got another run in the sixth, but really blew a chance to do a lot more. Andre McCutchen got three hits and reached base safely four times, and his single started it. Casey McGhee had two hits, one of them here with a single. Yamaico Navarro's sac-fly RBI made it 3-2.
That was all she wrote for Capuano, as Mike MacDougal came in and immediately gave up a single to Clint Barmes. Following a fielder's choice by Pedro Alvarez, McKenry walked to load 'em up. Garrett Jones was called on to pinch-hit, so Don Mattingly countered with Scott Elbert... only to have Clint Hurdle counter with Matt Hague. It didn't matter, as Hague's lineout to center ended it.
With the offense already in bed, the bullpen took over and turned the lights out for good. Josh Lindblom got help from a double play ball and A.J. Ellis's strong throw to catch McCutchen stealing in the seventh. Matt Guerrier tossed a flawless eighth.
The question then became whether Mattingly would use Javy Guerra again, and he did. Guerra needed a mere 11 pitches to set the Pirates down in order for his fifth save, tops in all of baseball.
The early runs almost turned out to be a curse, because the Dodgers ended up stranding seven runners, four of those with two outs and in scoring position. They got runners on, yet the clutch hits stopped. Fortunately, they were playing the lowly Bucs, so it barely made a difference.
Capuano righted the ship with his strong outing, going 5 1/3 innings for six hits, two runs, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He was able to pound the inside corner against righties, freezing them time and time again. The no walks was obviously the big thing, especially since he walked five Padres. In fact, Dodger pitching had 2 walks and 27 strikeouts this series. Wow.
This year has started about as well as anyone could have hoped for. The opponents have been easy, though. That doesn't automatically guarantee wins, but it's good to see the Dodgers take care of business. There's been no letdown thus far.
Yes, the Dodgers will run into a rough patch at some point, just as every team does. They don't have a whole lot of thump in their lineup, save for Kemp and maybe Ethier. So, they'll have nights they'll need the big hit, but won't get it.
What has been and should remain solid, however, is the pitching. Their team ERA is 2.67, fourth in the NL (the Pirates are third, which shows just how bad their hitting has been). They're third in strikeouts at 63, and tops in saves at 5 thanks to Guerra. Getting Ted Lilly back should only help those numbers, too.
If there's a reason to get greed and want more wins, it's that the Padres are coming to town for three. The Padres, well, stink at 2-6. No surprise there. But they do have Clayton Richard going, who shut down the Dodgers last Sunday. The Dodgers will counter with Aaron Harang, who took the loss that day after scuffling the whole time.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Two straight great starts for Billingsley
Chad Billingsley is slowing starting to turn some heads, one dominant start after another.
Bills followed up his fantastic first start against the Padres by limiting the Pirates to one run over six innings, and the Dodgers beat the Pirates again, 4-1. The win gives the Dodgers a hot 5-1 start, their best start since 1999. I was just about to graduate high school at the time. Just thought you'd like to know.
Anyway, Bills had a tough act to follow after setting the bar so high in San Diego (8 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 11 strikeouts). If there's one thing that's been consistent about him, it's that he's inconsistent. That's his biggest hurdle to climb.
With nothing doing through two innings, the Pirates struck in the second. Old Rockie Clint Barmes (yes, he still plays baseball) led off with a solo shot just over Jerry Hairston's reach in left. The Dodgers answered in the bottom of the frame, as Mark Ellis walked, went to second on Matt Kemp's single, and scored on Juan Rivera's first of three RBIs.
Both teams played to a standstill, as Erik Bedard was just as good as Bills for much of the game. In the sixth, however, the Dodgers took the lead for good. Shockingly, it started with a single by Kemp. Rivera did the same for two on. Andre Ethier, hitting #5 against the lefty Bedard, came though again with an RBI single, and a 2-1 lead.
Two more runs were added the next inning. The top of the order started it all, as Dee Gordon doubled leading off. Ellis and Kemp both struck out, but Rivera got another big hit with an RBI single to go up 3-1. Ethier singled, and Tony Gwynn hit a pinch-hit RBI single by make it 4-1.
The game was turned over to the bullpen for the final three frames, and that's a good thing if you're a Dodger fan. Matt Guerrier pitched a perfect seventh, Kenley Jansen gave up one single in the eighth, and Javy Guerra pitched a perfect ninth, highlighted by striking out Garrett Jones to end the game for his fourth save.
The Pirates aren't as bad as they used to be, but with all due respect to them, these are winnable games for the Dodgers. When you looked at the schedule before the season and saw that they'd be playing the Padres and Pirates to open up the year, a hot start was a realistic possibility. So far, so good.
Even with mediocre competition, the Dodgers still had to go out and get the job done, and they have. In their wins, they've gotten great starting pitching, big hits from Kemp, Ethier, Gordon, and even Rivera, and the bullpen has closed the door. You know the offense won't pound the ball every night, so the pitching is key to keeping them in games. Like I said before, so far, so good.
Speaking of Rivera, let's give the guy lots of credit here. Last year he played in 60 games and collected 46 RBIs. This year, thanks to a 3-for-4 night on Wednesday, he's hitting a red hot .364 with no strikeouts. His days of powering 20+ homers are over, but he's showing how to still be effective by having good at-bats. It's no wonder why Don Mattingly trusts him so much.
The Dodgers will look for the sweep on Thursday night. Chris Capuano went from awesome to wild in his first start against the Padres, thanks to good old ball 4. He'll look to put it all together against Jeff Karstens.
Bills followed up his fantastic first start against the Padres by limiting the Pirates to one run over six innings, and the Dodgers beat the Pirates again, 4-1. The win gives the Dodgers a hot 5-1 start, their best start since 1999. I was just about to graduate high school at the time. Just thought you'd like to know.
Anyway, Bills had a tough act to follow after setting the bar so high in San Diego (8 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 11 strikeouts). If there's one thing that's been consistent about him, it's that he's inconsistent. That's his biggest hurdle to climb.
With nothing doing through two innings, the Pirates struck in the second. Old Rockie Clint Barmes (yes, he still plays baseball) led off with a solo shot just over Jerry Hairston's reach in left. The Dodgers answered in the bottom of the frame, as Mark Ellis walked, went to second on Matt Kemp's single, and scored on Juan Rivera's first of three RBIs.
Both teams played to a standstill, as Erik Bedard was just as good as Bills for much of the game. In the sixth, however, the Dodgers took the lead for good. Shockingly, it started with a single by Kemp. Rivera did the same for two on. Andre Ethier, hitting #5 against the lefty Bedard, came though again with an RBI single, and a 2-1 lead.
Two more runs were added the next inning. The top of the order started it all, as Dee Gordon doubled leading off. Ellis and Kemp both struck out, but Rivera got another big hit with an RBI single to go up 3-1. Ethier singled, and Tony Gwynn hit a pinch-hit RBI single by make it 4-1.
The game was turned over to the bullpen for the final three frames, and that's a good thing if you're a Dodger fan. Matt Guerrier pitched a perfect seventh, Kenley Jansen gave up one single in the eighth, and Javy Guerra pitched a perfect ninth, highlighted by striking out Garrett Jones to end the game for his fourth save.
The Pirates aren't as bad as they used to be, but with all due respect to them, these are winnable games for the Dodgers. When you looked at the schedule before the season and saw that they'd be playing the Padres and Pirates to open up the year, a hot start was a realistic possibility. So far, so good.
Even with mediocre competition, the Dodgers still had to go out and get the job done, and they have. In their wins, they've gotten great starting pitching, big hits from Kemp, Ethier, Gordon, and even Rivera, and the bullpen has closed the door. You know the offense won't pound the ball every night, so the pitching is key to keeping them in games. Like I said before, so far, so good.
Speaking of Rivera, let's give the guy lots of credit here. Last year he played in 60 games and collected 46 RBIs. This year, thanks to a 3-for-4 night on Wednesday, he's hitting a red hot .364 with no strikeouts. His days of powering 20+ homers are over, but he's showing how to still be effective by having good at-bats. It's no wonder why Don Mattingly trusts him so much.
The Dodgers will look for the sweep on Thursday night. Chris Capuano went from awesome to wild in his first start against the Padres, thanks to good old ball 4. He'll look to put it all together against Jeff Karstens.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Birthday celebrations all around in home opener
Tuesday was all about celebrating birthdays in Los Angeles. Dodger Stadium turned 50, and members of the 1962 team were on hand to celebrate.
Andre Ethier turned 30, and he got to celebrate with 56,000 of his closest friends.
Ethier gave everyone a reason to smile, as his solo homer in the eighth gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead that would hold up over the Pirates. It was a dramatic way to commemorate 50 years at one of the best ballparks in baseball, even after all this time.
Luckily for everyone who roots for the Dodgers (and those who wear the uniforms), Clayton Kershaw was at full strength for the start. His last start, if you recall, went only three innings in San Diego on Opening Day thanks to the flu. It's a wonder how he even pitched at all.
But today he showed no signs of sickness, as he cruised his way to seven innings of four hits, one run, no walks, and seven strikeouts. A typical ho-hum day for him. He just barely missed getting a win by an inning, but with an ERA of 0.90 after two starts, I'm pretty sure the wins will come.
The Dodgers got things going in the first. After setting down the Pirates in order, Dee Gordon led off with a single. On the very first pitch to Mark Ellis, he swiped second with ease. Small ball was played next, as Ellis got him to third on a groundout, and Matt Kemp collected another RBI with a groundout, making it 1-0.
The second inning saw scoring chances for both teams, but no runs. Casey McGehee hit a long fly ball leading off to Kemp in center, and thanks to a whole lot of sun, Kemp was unable to grab it for a triple. No worries, as two strikeouts and a flyout to left ended that threat. The Dodgers put two men on, and Kershaw was almost able to get a run in, but a slick play by Neil Walker ended the inning on a forceout at second.
I'd love to tell you that a whole of action happened in the middle chunk of this game, but I'd be lying if I did. The Pirates couldn't do much of anything, as they were scoreless through six. The home team put runners on here and there, but couldn't get the big hit.
The Pirates, to their credit, kept plugging away against the reigning Cy Young Award winner and tied the game in the seventh. Alex Pressley and Andrew McCutchen hit singles leading off. McGehee then hit another long fly ball that was gloved by Juan Rivera in left, yet both runners were able to tag on the late throw to third. Not getting the ball to second proved costly, as Matt Hague's grounder to short was able to score a run instead of being a double play.
The game remained knotted at one heading into the bottom of the eighth, as the Dodgers were desperate for that one big hit. Ethier morphed into Andre the Giant again, as his two-out shot to right gave the Dodgers the lead for good.
Javy Guerra surrendered a single to Pressely with one out, but the double play combination of Gordon and Ellis was able to get the speedy McCutchen to end the game. It's Guerra's third save in as many chances.
For a place that's seen many historic hits in its time, Ethier's game-winner was a nice little nod to that history. Plus it's another indication that he's back and completely healthy, as he's hitting .316 with two homers to start the year. The lethal duo of Kemp and Ethier in the 3-4 spots looks to be back.
Even though the Dodgers didn't have the lead again until the eighth, they effectively followed their blue print of getting seven innings out of the starter, then turning to another lethal duo on the pitching side, Kenley Jansen and Guerra. Jansen was just untouchable, as he pretty much threw it anywhere over the plate, and nobody could hit it.
The general consensus before the season was that Jansen will be the closer at some point this year. And to that, I say that I hope not. What I mean by that is that I hope Guerra continues to show that he has the ninth inning on lockdown. If he falters at all, then Jansen deserves a shot. But if ain't broke, don't fix it. And trust me, it ain't broke.
With the home opener out of the way, the Dodgers will be back in action Wednesday night. It'll be a good pitching matchup, as Chad Billingsley goes against Erik Bedard. Both men pitched with something to prove in their first starts, as Bills shut down the Padres on 11 strikeouts, and Bedard was a tough-luck loser to Roy Halladay on a 1-0 score.
Andre Ethier turned 30, and he got to celebrate with 56,000 of his closest friends.
Ethier gave everyone a reason to smile, as his solo homer in the eighth gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead that would hold up over the Pirates. It was a dramatic way to commemorate 50 years at one of the best ballparks in baseball, even after all this time.
Luckily for everyone who roots for the Dodgers (and those who wear the uniforms), Clayton Kershaw was at full strength for the start. His last start, if you recall, went only three innings in San Diego on Opening Day thanks to the flu. It's a wonder how he even pitched at all.
But today he showed no signs of sickness, as he cruised his way to seven innings of four hits, one run, no walks, and seven strikeouts. A typical ho-hum day for him. He just barely missed getting a win by an inning, but with an ERA of 0.90 after two starts, I'm pretty sure the wins will come.
The Dodgers got things going in the first. After setting down the Pirates in order, Dee Gordon led off with a single. On the very first pitch to Mark Ellis, he swiped second with ease. Small ball was played next, as Ellis got him to third on a groundout, and Matt Kemp collected another RBI with a groundout, making it 1-0.
The second inning saw scoring chances for both teams, but no runs. Casey McGehee hit a long fly ball leading off to Kemp in center, and thanks to a whole lot of sun, Kemp was unable to grab it for a triple. No worries, as two strikeouts and a flyout to left ended that threat. The Dodgers put two men on, and Kershaw was almost able to get a run in, but a slick play by Neil Walker ended the inning on a forceout at second.
I'd love to tell you that a whole of action happened in the middle chunk of this game, but I'd be lying if I did. The Pirates couldn't do much of anything, as they were scoreless through six. The home team put runners on here and there, but couldn't get the big hit.
The Pirates, to their credit, kept plugging away against the reigning Cy Young Award winner and tied the game in the seventh. Alex Pressley and Andrew McCutchen hit singles leading off. McGehee then hit another long fly ball that was gloved by Juan Rivera in left, yet both runners were able to tag on the late throw to third. Not getting the ball to second proved costly, as Matt Hague's grounder to short was able to score a run instead of being a double play.
The game remained knotted at one heading into the bottom of the eighth, as the Dodgers were desperate for that one big hit. Ethier morphed into Andre the Giant again, as his two-out shot to right gave the Dodgers the lead for good.
Javy Guerra surrendered a single to Pressely with one out, but the double play combination of Gordon and Ellis was able to get the speedy McCutchen to end the game. It's Guerra's third save in as many chances.
For a place that's seen many historic hits in its time, Ethier's game-winner was a nice little nod to that history. Plus it's another indication that he's back and completely healthy, as he's hitting .316 with two homers to start the year. The lethal duo of Kemp and Ethier in the 3-4 spots looks to be back.
Even though the Dodgers didn't have the lead again until the eighth, they effectively followed their blue print of getting seven innings out of the starter, then turning to another lethal duo on the pitching side, Kenley Jansen and Guerra. Jansen was just untouchable, as he pretty much threw it anywhere over the plate, and nobody could hit it.
The general consensus before the season was that Jansen will be the closer at some point this year. And to that, I say that I hope not. What I mean by that is that I hope Guerra continues to show that he has the ninth inning on lockdown. If he falters at all, then Jansen deserves a shot. But if ain't broke, don't fix it. And trust me, it ain't broke.
With the home opener out of the way, the Dodgers will be back in action Wednesday night. It'll be a good pitching matchup, as Chad Billingsley goes against Erik Bedard. Both men pitched with something to prove in their first starts, as Bills shut down the Padres on 11 strikeouts, and Bedard was a tough-luck loser to Roy Halladay on a 1-0 score.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Headley's slam helps Padres avoid sweep
Aaron Harang returned to his old stomping grounds of 2011 on Sunday in Petco Park. He enjoyed some success there, going 8-5 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, holding opponents to a .240 AVG.
That guy, however, didn't show up.
The one that did allowed 13 baserunners in a little over four innings of work as the Dodgers fell behind 4-0 early. Chase Headley's grand slam off of Scott Elbert put it away for good, as the Dodgers suffered their first blemish of the season, 8-4. The first series is wrapped up at 3-1.
The tone for the afternoon was set early on, as the Dodgers went down in order to start the game, and Cameron "Tiki" Maybin was beaned leading off. An RBI single by Jesus Guzman and sac-fly RBI by Yonder Alonso made it 2-0 after one.
Harang didn't go one inning without allowing a runner, and gave up another run the following inning. This time it wasn't so much his fault, as Dee Gordon's two-out error gave the Padres new life. Following a walk to Alonso, Jeff Baker's RBI single made it 3-0.
Andy Parrino stretched it 4-0 with a solo homer in the fourth. After Parrino walked to load the bases in the fifth, Jamey Wright had to come in, and he did the unthinkable: throw a strike. Seriously, you would have never thought it was possible after watching Saturday's game. But this time he got Clayton Richard to ground into an inning-ending double play to at least keep the game manageable.
The Dodgers tried to make a run in the sixth, and it started thanks to another Padres' error. Mark Ellis reached on Will Venable's bobble leading off. With two outs, Matt Kemp hit his second big fly of the season to make it 4-2.
Any thoughts of a comeback were erased in the eighth, as Todd Coffey and Elbert combined to do a big pile of nothing. Coffey started by giving up singles to Jeremy Hermida and Maybin. Elbert was summoned, and immediately watched Venable bunt his way on to load the bases. Headley hadn't gotten a hit all year, but with one mighty swing, he put that aside as his grand slam made it 8-2.
Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but it was obviously too little, too late at that point.
Harang looked every bit like the last starter that he is, as he was never able to settle in at any point. He lasted 4 1/3 innings for seven hits, four runs (three earned), five walks, and six strikeouts. Like Chris Capuano the night before, that's just way too many free passes to a weak-hitting team.
I'll give Wright credit for getting a big double play ball in the fifth, as he needed a good outing. Josh Lindblom put in another great appearance, tossing two scoreless frames. He's looking good.
Coffey and Elbert, however, do not. Their poor work in the eighth took away any hope at a big ending for the Dodgers. I'm not so sure much is expected from Coffey, as he's just average at best. But Elbert is the only lefty in the 'pen, so he needs to get it going. He appeared in two games and gave up hits both times. He did end last season with a 2.43 ERA in 47 appearances, so hopefully this is just a little bump in the road.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers will take three of four to open the season, no matter how bad the Padres may be. And if you peek at the schedule, they have plenty of more chances to win against bad opponents. The Pirates come to town for three starting Tuesday, followed by the Padres for three more. They then visit the Brewers for three, who are good, but then play the Astros on the road for three more.
Total it all up, and that's 9 winnable games in the next 12. Of course, the flip side is that if they don't win as many of those games, the opponents soon get harder too. But it's not a stretch to say they should be right at the top of the NL West by the time May rolls around.
Monday is an off day to travel back home. The home opener is Tuesday against the Pirates. The Dodgers will be celebrating 50 years at beautiful Dodger Stadium, which is just amazing. Clayton Kershaw will get the start, and our fingers are crossed that he will go as scheduled after a bout with the flu this past week.
That guy, however, didn't show up.
The one that did allowed 13 baserunners in a little over four innings of work as the Dodgers fell behind 4-0 early. Chase Headley's grand slam off of Scott Elbert put it away for good, as the Dodgers suffered their first blemish of the season, 8-4. The first series is wrapped up at 3-1.
The tone for the afternoon was set early on, as the Dodgers went down in order to start the game, and Cameron "Tiki" Maybin was beaned leading off. An RBI single by Jesus Guzman and sac-fly RBI by Yonder Alonso made it 2-0 after one.
Harang didn't go one inning without allowing a runner, and gave up another run the following inning. This time it wasn't so much his fault, as Dee Gordon's two-out error gave the Padres new life. Following a walk to Alonso, Jeff Baker's RBI single made it 3-0.
Andy Parrino stretched it 4-0 with a solo homer in the fourth. After Parrino walked to load the bases in the fifth, Jamey Wright had to come in, and he did the unthinkable: throw a strike. Seriously, you would have never thought it was possible after watching Saturday's game. But this time he got Clayton Richard to ground into an inning-ending double play to at least keep the game manageable.
The Dodgers tried to make a run in the sixth, and it started thanks to another Padres' error. Mark Ellis reached on Will Venable's bobble leading off. With two outs, Matt Kemp hit his second big fly of the season to make it 4-2.
Any thoughts of a comeback were erased in the eighth, as Todd Coffey and Elbert combined to do a big pile of nothing. Coffey started by giving up singles to Jeremy Hermida and Maybin. Elbert was summoned, and immediately watched Venable bunt his way on to load the bases. Headley hadn't gotten a hit all year, but with one mighty swing, he put that aside as his grand slam made it 8-2.
Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but it was obviously too little, too late at that point.
Harang looked every bit like the last starter that he is, as he was never able to settle in at any point. He lasted 4 1/3 innings for seven hits, four runs (three earned), five walks, and six strikeouts. Like Chris Capuano the night before, that's just way too many free passes to a weak-hitting team.
I'll give Wright credit for getting a big double play ball in the fifth, as he needed a good outing. Josh Lindblom put in another great appearance, tossing two scoreless frames. He's looking good.
Coffey and Elbert, however, do not. Their poor work in the eighth took away any hope at a big ending for the Dodgers. I'm not so sure much is expected from Coffey, as he's just average at best. But Elbert is the only lefty in the 'pen, so he needs to get it going. He appeared in two games and gave up hits both times. He did end last season with a 2.43 ERA in 47 appearances, so hopefully this is just a little bump in the road.
Even with the loss, the Dodgers will take three of four to open the season, no matter how bad the Padres may be. And if you peek at the schedule, they have plenty of more chances to win against bad opponents. The Pirates come to town for three starting Tuesday, followed by the Padres for three more. They then visit the Brewers for three, who are good, but then play the Astros on the road for three more.
Total it all up, and that's 9 winnable games in the next 12. Of course, the flip side is that if they don't win as many of those games, the opponents soon get harder too. But it's not a stretch to say they should be right at the top of the NL West by the time May rolls around.
Monday is an off day to travel back home. The home opener is Tuesday against the Pirates. The Dodgers will be celebrating 50 years at beautiful Dodger Stadium, which is just amazing. Clayton Kershaw will get the start, and our fingers are crossed that he will go as scheduled after a bout with the flu this past week.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
The New Flash Gordon saves the day
If Dee Gordon needed a coming out party, Saturday night was it.
The son of former big league star Tom "Flash" Gordon had three hits and three stolen bases, including the go-ahead RBI single in the 11th to lift the Dodgers over the Padres, 6-5. The win gives the Dodgers a major league-best 3-0 record.
Hey, it's good to be on top of the world, no matter how short it may last.
This game was certainly looking like a laugher early on, as the Dodgers built up a 5-0 lead against a hapless-looking Padres team. It started in the first when Gordon singled leading off, and then swiped second for his first of the season. A groundout by Mark Ellis sent him to third, and Matt Kemp's sac-fly RBI made it 1-0.
The lead was stretched to 4-0 in the third. It all began with two outs, and once again with Gordon reaching base, this time via walk, and then stealing second. Ellis drew a walk, which was a huge mistake by Dustin Moseley considering the mighty Kemp came up next. Kemp delivered with an RBI single.
Andre Ethier has also been red hot to start the season, and he laced a two-run double to grab a four-run lead.
A.J. Ellis has played every inning thus far, and he got in on the fun with his third career homer in the fourth. Through three games this year, he's hitting .333 in the #8 hole. After all the time he's been sent up and down, it's great to see.
The game had all the signs of being a blowout... until the Dodgers decided to Run DMC the Padres back into the game. In one of the crazier innings I can remember, the Padres got all five runs back in the fifth by sending 10 men to the plate... and collecting only two hits. That's right - five runs on two hits.
You might be wondering how that's possible, and if your answer was "walks," then you're right. Chris Capuano had only surrendered one hit and one walk at this point, but he completely fell apart. The bases became loaded with two outs on a single by Jason Bartlett, and walks by Kyle Blanks and Chris Denorfia.
What came next was some of the ugliest pitching you'll ever see. Three straight runs came in on walks by Chase Headley, Jesus Guzman, and Nick Hundley. The later two were courtesy of reliever Jamey Wright, who literally threw every pitch out of the strike zone. If he was trying to pitch his way out of town once Ted Lilly comes off the DL, he did a great job.
Scott Elbert came in, and the Padres immediately scored again on a wild pitch. After Yonder Alonso was beaned to load the bases again, Orlando Hudson singled in the tying run, but Hundley was caught in a rundown to mercifully end the painful inning.
I will say this - I didn't think the Dodgers had much of a chance to win at this point, mainly because the momentum had completely changed sides. But give them credit, they kept plugging away and eventually found a way to win.
In the 11th, Ellis singled leading off to begin the rally. Justin Sellers got his first at-bat of the season, and it was a productive one with a sacrifice bunt. Juan Rivera popped up for two down. It was all up to Gordon, and his liner into right proved to be the game winner.
It's a shame Capuano couldn't stay around long enough to get the win, but he really was his own worst enemy with the walks. In fact, 10 walks were issued by the Dodgers, and one more free pass from a beaning. I'm not sure why they were scared to pitch to these guys considering... well, considering they're the Padres.
Anyway, Capuano went 4 2/3 innings for two hits, four runs, five walks, and four strikeouts. Wright was terrible with eight straight balls, but the rest of the bullpen combined to shut it down the rest of the way: Elbert, Mike MacDougal, Matt Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, Todd Coffee (for the win), and Javy Guerra (for his second save).
The top and bottom of the order got the job done, as Gordon and Ellis teamed up for five hits, four walks, a homer, a double, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. That's refreshing to see since the Dodgers can't always rely on Kemp and Ethier to get all the big hits.
Right now the Dodgers have a golden chance to get a sweep and come home 4-0. Here's an interesting stat: the last time they won their opening four games was 1981. Does that year ring a bell for anyone? You got it, World Series champs. Old Padre Aaron Harang will look to get it done against Clayton Richard.
The son of former big league star Tom "Flash" Gordon had three hits and three stolen bases, including the go-ahead RBI single in the 11th to lift the Dodgers over the Padres, 6-5. The win gives the Dodgers a major league-best 3-0 record.
Hey, it's good to be on top of the world, no matter how short it may last.
This game was certainly looking like a laugher early on, as the Dodgers built up a 5-0 lead against a hapless-looking Padres team. It started in the first when Gordon singled leading off, and then swiped second for his first of the season. A groundout by Mark Ellis sent him to third, and Matt Kemp's sac-fly RBI made it 1-0.
The lead was stretched to 4-0 in the third. It all began with two outs, and once again with Gordon reaching base, this time via walk, and then stealing second. Ellis drew a walk, which was a huge mistake by Dustin Moseley considering the mighty Kemp came up next. Kemp delivered with an RBI single.
Andre Ethier has also been red hot to start the season, and he laced a two-run double to grab a four-run lead.
A.J. Ellis has played every inning thus far, and he got in on the fun with his third career homer in the fourth. Through three games this year, he's hitting .333 in the #8 hole. After all the time he's been sent up and down, it's great to see.
The game had all the signs of being a blowout... until the Dodgers decided to Run DMC the Padres back into the game. In one of the crazier innings I can remember, the Padres got all five runs back in the fifth by sending 10 men to the plate... and collecting only two hits. That's right - five runs on two hits.
You might be wondering how that's possible, and if your answer was "walks," then you're right. Chris Capuano had only surrendered one hit and one walk at this point, but he completely fell apart. The bases became loaded with two outs on a single by Jason Bartlett, and walks by Kyle Blanks and Chris Denorfia.
What came next was some of the ugliest pitching you'll ever see. Three straight runs came in on walks by Chase Headley, Jesus Guzman, and Nick Hundley. The later two were courtesy of reliever Jamey Wright, who literally threw every pitch out of the strike zone. If he was trying to pitch his way out of town once Ted Lilly comes off the DL, he did a great job.
Scott Elbert came in, and the Padres immediately scored again on a wild pitch. After Yonder Alonso was beaned to load the bases again, Orlando Hudson singled in the tying run, but Hundley was caught in a rundown to mercifully end the painful inning.
I will say this - I didn't think the Dodgers had much of a chance to win at this point, mainly because the momentum had completely changed sides. But give them credit, they kept plugging away and eventually found a way to win.
In the 11th, Ellis singled leading off to begin the rally. Justin Sellers got his first at-bat of the season, and it was a productive one with a sacrifice bunt. Juan Rivera popped up for two down. It was all up to Gordon, and his liner into right proved to be the game winner.
It's a shame Capuano couldn't stay around long enough to get the win, but he really was his own worst enemy with the walks. In fact, 10 walks were issued by the Dodgers, and one more free pass from a beaning. I'm not sure why they were scared to pitch to these guys considering... well, considering they're the Padres.
Anyway, Capuano went 4 2/3 innings for two hits, four runs, five walks, and four strikeouts. Wright was terrible with eight straight balls, but the rest of the bullpen combined to shut it down the rest of the way: Elbert, Mike MacDougal, Matt Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, Todd Coffee (for the win), and Javy Guerra (for his second save).
The top and bottom of the order got the job done, as Gordon and Ellis teamed up for five hits, four walks, a homer, a double, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. That's refreshing to see since the Dodgers can't always rely on Kemp and Ethier to get all the big hits.
Right now the Dodgers have a golden chance to get a sweep and come home 4-0. Here's an interesting stat: the last time they won their opening four games was 1981. Does that year ring a bell for anyone? You got it, World Series champs. Old Padre Aaron Harang will look to get it done against Clayton Richard.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Filthy Billingsley dominates the Padres
If Chad Billingsley was looking to make a statement to begin the 2012 season, I'd say he did just that. And then some.
Billingsley was untouchable for over eight innings on Friday, as the Dodgers used four RBIs from Andre Ethier to easily down the Padres, 6-0. The Dodgers have now won the first couple of games to start the season.
The tone was emphatically set in the first inning, as the offense went to work and Billingsley struck out the side. Mark Ellis hit a one-out single, and Matt Kemp came a couple feet away from hitting his second homer of the year. Juan Rivera kept the inning going with a single, which led to a long two-run double from Ethier to go up 2-0.
Two more runs were added in the fourth. Once again, it was Ellis who started it all, this time with a one-out double. Kemp then dribbled one to third, which was thrown away by Yonder Alonso, allowing Ellis to score. With Kemp now on third, River continued his hot start with an RBI single, and it as 4-0.
The final runs were scored in the fifth, all thanks to Ethier's great night. With two down, Kemp singled and stole second, and Rivera walked. Ethier creamed a two-run triple to extend the lead even further at 6-0.
As great as the offense was, it was Billingsley who was without a doubt the star of the night. He was given the chance to get a complete game, but was yanked after surrendering a one-out single to Cameron "Tiki" Maybin and 108 pitches. Overall, he lasted 8 1/3 innings for three hits, no runs, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. Jamey Wright got the final two outs in order.
This pretty much goes without saying, but Bills seriously needed a start like this. After dragging his way to a mediocre 2011 where he went 11-11 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, it looked like he might never become the pitcher he's capable of. It's still very early, but he couldn't have started any better than this.
Realistically, it's not like we can expect this kind of outing every time from Bills. But, if he can FINALLY put together any sort of consistency to match his great stuff, then he can form quite the 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw. His next start is scheduled against the Pirates on Wednesday, so he has a great chance to build on this start.
The other story of the night was Ethier, who went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and four RBIs. The best part was that he did it against lefty Cory Luebke, as Ethier only hit .220 last year against lefties. A performance like this will get him on the field every game, no matter who the pitcher is.
The season has started about as well as anyone could have hoped, for a couple of reasons. One, their pitching has been fantastic, even with only getting three innings out of a sick Kerhaw Opening Day. Two, they're playing the Padres! Seriously, they look like a Triple-A team at best. They may have some young talent, but they're shooting blanks right now. Plus, they stink in the field, with five errors already. Yuck.
Chris Capuano will get his first start in Dodger blue on Saturday. He had a great Spring Training with a 2.75 ERA. With a win, the Dodgers would start 3-0 for the first time since 1999. Dustin Moseley will go for the Padres.
Billingsley was untouchable for over eight innings on Friday, as the Dodgers used four RBIs from Andre Ethier to easily down the Padres, 6-0. The Dodgers have now won the first couple of games to start the season.
The tone was emphatically set in the first inning, as the offense went to work and Billingsley struck out the side. Mark Ellis hit a one-out single, and Matt Kemp came a couple feet away from hitting his second homer of the year. Juan Rivera kept the inning going with a single, which led to a long two-run double from Ethier to go up 2-0.
Two more runs were added in the fourth. Once again, it was Ellis who started it all, this time with a one-out double. Kemp then dribbled one to third, which was thrown away by Yonder Alonso, allowing Ellis to score. With Kemp now on third, River continued his hot start with an RBI single, and it as 4-0.
The final runs were scored in the fifth, all thanks to Ethier's great night. With two down, Kemp singled and stole second, and Rivera walked. Ethier creamed a two-run triple to extend the lead even further at 6-0.
As great as the offense was, it was Billingsley who was without a doubt the star of the night. He was given the chance to get a complete game, but was yanked after surrendering a one-out single to Cameron "Tiki" Maybin and 108 pitches. Overall, he lasted 8 1/3 innings for three hits, no runs, one walk, and 11 strikeouts. Jamey Wright got the final two outs in order.
This pretty much goes without saying, but Bills seriously needed a start like this. After dragging his way to a mediocre 2011 where he went 11-11 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, it looked like he might never become the pitcher he's capable of. It's still very early, but he couldn't have started any better than this.
Realistically, it's not like we can expect this kind of outing every time from Bills. But, if he can FINALLY put together any sort of consistency to match his great stuff, then he can form quite the 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw. His next start is scheduled against the Pirates on Wednesday, so he has a great chance to build on this start.
The other story of the night was Ethier, who went 2-for-4 with a double, triple, and four RBIs. The best part was that he did it against lefty Cory Luebke, as Ethier only hit .220 last year against lefties. A performance like this will get him on the field every game, no matter who the pitcher is.
The season has started about as well as anyone could have hoped, for a couple of reasons. One, their pitching has been fantastic, even with only getting three innings out of a sick Kerhaw Opening Day. Two, they're playing the Padres! Seriously, they look like a Triple-A team at best. They may have some young talent, but they're shooting blanks right now. Plus, they stink in the field, with five errors already. Yuck.
Chris Capuano will get his first start in Dodger blue on Saturday. He had a great Spring Training with a 2.75 ERA. With a win, the Dodgers would start 3-0 for the first time since 1999. Dustin Moseley will go for the Padres.
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