At the end of the day, the good news was that the Dodgers took 2 of 3 from the Anaheim Angels.
The bad news was that they had a golden opportunity for a sweep by allowing 1 run and loading the bases in the 9th, but could not get the big hit they needed. The Angels scored in the 2nd inning, and that was enough to take the game, 1-0.
Taking 2 of 3 from a team with the 2nd best record in the Majors is actually a very good accomplishment. To give up only 1 run in 3 games - not too shabby at all. Which is the fact that they did not get the sweep makes it seem even more absurd. But, that's the Dodgers' offense for ya. No surprise there.
Derek Lowe posted his 7th great start in the past 8 games, though his record for his efforts is a measly 3-4. I can't even imagine how frustrating that must be for him. He pitches his guts out, but gets absolutely jack crap for run support. Ridiculous. The bright side is that with injuries to Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuorda, his great pitching could not have come at a better time.
As for the offense... uh, 3 hits, 3 walks, and 9 K's. In other words, another day at the office. And then there's the Juan Pierre injury. He stole 2nd in the 6th inning, yet left the game clutching his left leg. And this from a guy who is almost never hurt. That can't be good. Just add him to the list of the walking wounded I guess. Lousy hitter or not, he's a huge threat on the bases, so let's hope he's ok.
The 9th inning got interesting as John Lackey was going for the complete game shutout. He got Luis Maza to fly out, then gave up a single to Delwyn Young. Andre Ethier then struck out, and it looked like another feable inning. But, Russell Martin worked a walk, and in a 1-run game, Mike Scioscia had to make a change. In came Francisco Rodriguez, one of the top closers in the game.
K Rod started things off by uncorking a wild pitch that sent Young to 3rd, and a single away from tying the game. Jeff Kent was the perfect guy up in this situation, and he too worked a walk. With the bases loaded and 2 down, James Loney could not come through as he grounded out to 2nd to end the game. Can't say I'm too surprised by that, as getting any sort of hit, much less a game-winner off of an All-Star closer, just wasn't going to happen. Sorry for being pessimistic, but I have plenty of reasons to be.
As I said in the beginning, I'll happily take 2 of 3 from these guys and move on. They now go to Houston for 4, and the Astros just took 2 of 3 from the Boston Red Sox, no easy feat at all. Eric Stults goes today, opposed by Roy Oswalt. Oswalt had a horrible start to the season, but has since settled down in the month of June.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
A no-hitter... and a win???
Leave it to the Dodgers to come up with this one.
Despite not getting one damn hit the whole game, the Dodgers found a way to beat the Anaheim Angels on Saturday night, 1-0. It was as bizarre as it sounds.
Both Chad Billingsley and Jered Weaver were straight up dealing, with the only difference being that Weaver didn't even allow a hit. Bills finished with 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Weaver K'd 6 in 6 innings, as both men showed why they are 2 of the best young hurlers in the game.
The game was scoreless until the 5th, when things got crazy. Matt Kemp led off with a little squibber near the mound. Weaver had to make a clean play, but couldn't pick it up in time, and Kemp was safe. After originally scoring the play a hit, it was reversed to an error.
With Blake DeWitt up next, Kemp took off for 2nd and made it as the ball sailed into center field. He then went to 3rd with nobody out. DeWitt then lifted a sac-fly RBI to right, and the only run of the game came around to score. Keep in mind that no actual hits were recorded. Weird.
Weaver was rolling through the Dodgers, but the problem was that his team was losing. In the 7th, the Dodgers should have put the inning away on a double play, but Angel Berroa (who still sucks now more than ever) threw the ball into the dugout. Weaver was due up next, but Mike Scioscia pinch-hit Chone Figgins for him with 2 down, who then grounded out to short. It was a questionable decision at the time, but you can't blame Scioscia for trying to get the run in.
Jose Arredondo then entered in the bottom of the 7th and pitched 2 hitless innings. The problem for the Angels was that Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito were great for the 2nd night in a row, and the game ended with a strikeout of Reggie Willits.
0 hits, 1 run, 1 win. Wow.
The call on Kemp's grounder could have gone either way, but it was the right call. The guys on Baseball Tonight were talking about it at length last night, and one good point was brought up: imagine if Weaver ended up pitching the whole game and was up 5-0, yet the only hit allowed with the one by Kemp. There would be an outrage right now, and he's right. In the end, the official scorekeeper made the right call.
It's still pretty embarrassing that the Dodgers became the 5th team in BASEBALL HISTORY to win without getting a hit, but at 4 games under .500 and still struggling to find their stride, they'll take it. Pretty sad, but true.
The Dodgers will look to do the unthinkable today... by recording at least 1 hit. Oh, and by sweeping the Angels when Derek Lowe gets the ball. He'll be opposed by John Lackey, who's been awesome yet again this season. It'll be a tough win, but a huge step in the right direction if they can get it. We shall see...
Despite not getting one damn hit the whole game, the Dodgers found a way to beat the Anaheim Angels on Saturday night, 1-0. It was as bizarre as it sounds.
Both Chad Billingsley and Jered Weaver were straight up dealing, with the only difference being that Weaver didn't even allow a hit. Bills finished with 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Weaver K'd 6 in 6 innings, as both men showed why they are 2 of the best young hurlers in the game.
The game was scoreless until the 5th, when things got crazy. Matt Kemp led off with a little squibber near the mound. Weaver had to make a clean play, but couldn't pick it up in time, and Kemp was safe. After originally scoring the play a hit, it was reversed to an error.
With Blake DeWitt up next, Kemp took off for 2nd and made it as the ball sailed into center field. He then went to 3rd with nobody out. DeWitt then lifted a sac-fly RBI to right, and the only run of the game came around to score. Keep in mind that no actual hits were recorded. Weird.
Weaver was rolling through the Dodgers, but the problem was that his team was losing. In the 7th, the Dodgers should have put the inning away on a double play, but Angel Berroa (who still sucks now more than ever) threw the ball into the dugout. Weaver was due up next, but Mike Scioscia pinch-hit Chone Figgins for him with 2 down, who then grounded out to short. It was a questionable decision at the time, but you can't blame Scioscia for trying to get the run in.
Jose Arredondo then entered in the bottom of the 7th and pitched 2 hitless innings. The problem for the Angels was that Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito were great for the 2nd night in a row, and the game ended with a strikeout of Reggie Willits.
0 hits, 1 run, 1 win. Wow.
The call on Kemp's grounder could have gone either way, but it was the right call. The guys on Baseball Tonight were talking about it at length last night, and one good point was brought up: imagine if Weaver ended up pitching the whole game and was up 5-0, yet the only hit allowed with the one by Kemp. There would be an outrage right now, and he's right. In the end, the official scorekeeper made the right call.
It's still pretty embarrassing that the Dodgers became the 5th team in BASEBALL HISTORY to win without getting a hit, but at 4 games under .500 and still struggling to find their stride, they'll take it. Pretty sad, but true.
The Dodgers will look to do the unthinkable today... by recording at least 1 hit. Oh, and by sweeping the Angels when Derek Lowe gets the ball. He'll be opposed by John Lackey, who's been awesome yet again this season. It'll be a tough win, but a huge step in the right direction if they can get it. We shall see...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Ethier and Park team up for win
Well it's about freakin' time I wrote about a big win by the Dodgers that involved the offense doing something other than the usual nothing.
Russell Martin started the scoring in the 1st and Andre Ethier added a pinch-hit, 3-run shot in the 7th to carry the Dodgers in the first game of the final Freeway Series of the year, 6-0. I thought 1 homer was impressive enough, but 2??? Now that's just crazy!!!
Much like Eric Stults a couple of days ago, Chan Ho Park made a spot start and was simply brilliant. He went 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. I laughed for a long time when I saw the Dodgers resigned him before the season, but my oh my was I wrong. His ERA is now at 2.52, and he's clearly been one of the team's top players. He deserves boat loads of credit for his results.
After Martin's homer in the 1st, there was no scoring until the 5th. Matt Kemp singled to start the inning, and an error by Eric Aybar put Kemp on 3rd and Martin on 2nd. Jeff Kent hit a sac-fly to score Kemp, and James Loney laced an RBI single to get the score to 3-0.
The great thing about Ethier's homer was that it came with 2 outs. Martin and Kent singled to start the inning, but the next 2 guys couldn't get on. It would have followed in Dodgers' tradition to strand both runners, but Ethier picked a great time to hit his 7th of the year.
Juan Pierre went 2-5 with 2 stolen bases. He hasn't taken a walk since June 6, which goes to show that if he didn't hack away at everything, he can be such a threat on the bases. Russell Martin went 2-3, raising his AVG to .312, which will most likely give him an All-Star game nod.
Brian Falkenborg pitched a scoreless 7th, and Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito K'd all 6 men they faced to close the game out. On the whole, everything went right.
The Dodgers now need to take this momentum and win this series. They already dropped 2 of 3 to both the Indians and White Sox, so they have to step up at some point. Chad Billingsley will look to even his record at 7 up by facing Jared Weaver.
Russell Martin started the scoring in the 1st and Andre Ethier added a pinch-hit, 3-run shot in the 7th to carry the Dodgers in the first game of the final Freeway Series of the year, 6-0. I thought 1 homer was impressive enough, but 2??? Now that's just crazy!!!
Much like Eric Stults a couple of days ago, Chan Ho Park made a spot start and was simply brilliant. He went 6 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. I laughed for a long time when I saw the Dodgers resigned him before the season, but my oh my was I wrong. His ERA is now at 2.52, and he's clearly been one of the team's top players. He deserves boat loads of credit for his results.
After Martin's homer in the 1st, there was no scoring until the 5th. Matt Kemp singled to start the inning, and an error by Eric Aybar put Kemp on 3rd and Martin on 2nd. Jeff Kent hit a sac-fly to score Kemp, and James Loney laced an RBI single to get the score to 3-0.
The great thing about Ethier's homer was that it came with 2 outs. Martin and Kent singled to start the inning, but the next 2 guys couldn't get on. It would have followed in Dodgers' tradition to strand both runners, but Ethier picked a great time to hit his 7th of the year.
Juan Pierre went 2-5 with 2 stolen bases. He hasn't taken a walk since June 6, which goes to show that if he didn't hack away at everything, he can be such a threat on the bases. Russell Martin went 2-3, raising his AVG to .312, which will most likely give him an All-Star game nod.
Brian Falkenborg pitched a scoreless 7th, and Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito K'd all 6 men they faced to close the game out. On the whole, everything went right.
The Dodgers now need to take this momentum and win this series. They already dropped 2 of 3 to both the Indians and White Sox, so they have to step up at some point. Chad Billingsley will look to even his record at 7 up by facing Jared Weaver.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Back to the future for LA
I just knew that right after the Dodgers got done scoring an offensive explosion of 5 runs yesterday, the gas would be completely out of the tank. No way in the world they could go back-to-back days with such Herculean efforts of scoring more runs. Once again, I was right.
The Dodgers were listless, pathetic, and embarrassing YET AGAIN as the were blanked by the Chicago White Sox, 2-0. Even though the pitching only allowed 7 hits, 1 extra-base hit, and stranded 11 men on base to end innings, none of it mattered. Not when the offense is composed of players that could barely hit around .300 in Little League.
The 1st inning started off with promise, as Juan Pierre singled and stole 2nd. Matt Kemp then walked, and they each stole a base with 1 down. So it was 1 down and 2 runners in scoring position. The result? James Loney and Andy LaRoche did jack crap with their at-bats. Shocking.
Clayton Kerhaw got the start, and he probably should have given up more than 2 runs. He walked 4, which is something he really needs to straighten out. He's playing with fire if he keeps being this wild. He was yanked in the 5th inning for newly called up Brian Falkenborg, who thankfully got a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and keep the game close.
Actually, the game wasn't close. While the scoreboard said this: White Sox - 2, Dodgers - 0, it may as well have said this: White Sox - 12, Dodgers - 0. 4 hits and 4 walks. No stolen bases after the 1st inning. 1 extra-base hit. And that, my friends, is it. Just when you think they can't possibly get any worse, they do.
I just continue to be completely amazed by how lousy these clowns really are. They have the perfect opportunity to take control of a terrible division, and they're the ones making it look bad each game. They just continue to dig a bigger hole for themselves each day.
And can we please end this Angel Berroa experiment? My God, this guy is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. 0-3 today with 3 men left on. Boots a ground ball. Gives the team NOTHING to help them win. And I can't possibly stress the NOTHING part enough. He's 9-47, which translates into a blistering .180. What a joke. 1 double and ZERO RBI'S!!!! How is that possible? Please just dump this guy and move on.
There's nothing more I'd like to write about than a big win where the team scores bunches of runs, but that's just not going to happen. Seriously, I can't even recall the last time I wrote about a game where the Dodgers hit a big home run or had a late comeback to win. Nope, not these Dodgers.
The Angels come to town next, and the Dodgers get to see Joe Saunders, Jared Weaver, and John Lackey. Grrrrreeeeaaaaaat. Chan Ho Park starts tomorrow, which will probably be his last before being sent down to the bullpen. I say play him in the outfield and have him hit cleanup. It's not like he'll do any worse than the losers in there now.
Oh, I forgot to mention that a certain Dodger did become a league leader in a certain category today. That's right... James Loney hit into his 17th double play, tops in the Majors.
The Dodgers were listless, pathetic, and embarrassing YET AGAIN as the were blanked by the Chicago White Sox, 2-0. Even though the pitching only allowed 7 hits, 1 extra-base hit, and stranded 11 men on base to end innings, none of it mattered. Not when the offense is composed of players that could barely hit around .300 in Little League.
The 1st inning started off with promise, as Juan Pierre singled and stole 2nd. Matt Kemp then walked, and they each stole a base with 1 down. So it was 1 down and 2 runners in scoring position. The result? James Loney and Andy LaRoche did jack crap with their at-bats. Shocking.
Clayton Kerhaw got the start, and he probably should have given up more than 2 runs. He walked 4, which is something he really needs to straighten out. He's playing with fire if he keeps being this wild. He was yanked in the 5th inning for newly called up Brian Falkenborg, who thankfully got a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning and keep the game close.
Actually, the game wasn't close. While the scoreboard said this: White Sox - 2, Dodgers - 0, it may as well have said this: White Sox - 12, Dodgers - 0. 4 hits and 4 walks. No stolen bases after the 1st inning. 1 extra-base hit. And that, my friends, is it. Just when you think they can't possibly get any worse, they do.
I just continue to be completely amazed by how lousy these clowns really are. They have the perfect opportunity to take control of a terrible division, and they're the ones making it look bad each game. They just continue to dig a bigger hole for themselves each day.
And can we please end this Angel Berroa experiment? My God, this guy is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. 0-3 today with 3 men left on. Boots a ground ball. Gives the team NOTHING to help them win. And I can't possibly stress the NOTHING part enough. He's 9-47, which translates into a blistering .180. What a joke. 1 double and ZERO RBI'S!!!! How is that possible? Please just dump this guy and move on.
There's nothing more I'd like to write about than a big win where the team scores bunches of runs, but that's just not going to happen. Seriously, I can't even recall the last time I wrote about a game where the Dodgers hit a big home run or had a late comeback to win. Nope, not these Dodgers.
The Angels come to town next, and the Dodgers get to see Joe Saunders, Jared Weaver, and John Lackey. Grrrrreeeeaaaaaat. Chan Ho Park starts tomorrow, which will probably be his last before being sent down to the bullpen. I say play him in the outfield and have him hit cleanup. It's not like he'll do any worse than the losers in there now.
Oh, I forgot to mention that a certain Dodger did become a league leader in a certain category today. That's right... James Loney hit into his 17th double play, tops in the Majors.
Stults comes up huge
Eric Stults was the man on Wednesday night, pitching a complete game, 4-hit shutout over the Chicago White Sox, 5-0. It was his first career complete game in only 9 Major League starts.
Stults' biggest threat came right at the start of the game, when Jermaine Dye and A.J. Pierzynski singled for runners on the corners with 2 outs. Nick Swisher then flied out to center, that took care of that. The Dodgers responded with 2 runs of their own when Juan Pierre singled to lead off, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on a wild throw, and scored on Andre Ethier's single. After another error let Jeff Kent reach and Ethier to go to 3rd, Russell Martin came through again with an RBI single and 2-run lead.
There really wasn't a whole lot of action other than the 4th, when the Dodgers posted a 3 spot. The inning again started on a single and stolen base, this time by James Loney. After Matt Kemp walked, Blake DeWitt busted out a 2-run double. Stults then hit a sac-fly RBI to push the game to 5-0, where it would stay.
Stutls certainly didn't overpower anyone, as he only had 3 K's, but his stuff was still great. His worst inning was the 1st where 2 men had singles, and he only gave up 2 more the rest of the way. Only 1 walk and no extra base hits allowed all game. Not bad for a guy that was pretty much forgotten about to start the year. Boy, does he sure seem like a better option than Brad Penny right now. Of course, he'll have to keep putting up blanks to stay in the rotation, because it's not like Penny will get demoted.
The offense did better than the night before, but that's not saying a whole lot. What they did do well is hit 2 doubles, a sac bunt, a sac fly, and steal 3 bases. They still left 4 men in scoring position with 2 outs, and surprise!... Pierre had 2 of them. Still, since they almost refuse to hit home runs, it's good to see their running game working.
Today's game will be in the afternoon, as the Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound, STILL looking for his 1st win of the year, minors or majors. The White Sox counter with John Danks, another guy with a good ERA. It sure would be nice to get this one today considering the Angels are coming to town next, and uh... let's just say the Dodgers are somewhat lost against them. So ya, a win today would be ideal.
Stults' biggest threat came right at the start of the game, when Jermaine Dye and A.J. Pierzynski singled for runners on the corners with 2 outs. Nick Swisher then flied out to center, that took care of that. The Dodgers responded with 2 runs of their own when Juan Pierre singled to lead off, stole 2nd, went to 3rd on a wild throw, and scored on Andre Ethier's single. After another error let Jeff Kent reach and Ethier to go to 3rd, Russell Martin came through again with an RBI single and 2-run lead.
There really wasn't a whole lot of action other than the 4th, when the Dodgers posted a 3 spot. The inning again started on a single and stolen base, this time by James Loney. After Matt Kemp walked, Blake DeWitt busted out a 2-run double. Stults then hit a sac-fly RBI to push the game to 5-0, where it would stay.
Stutls certainly didn't overpower anyone, as he only had 3 K's, but his stuff was still great. His worst inning was the 1st where 2 men had singles, and he only gave up 2 more the rest of the way. Only 1 walk and no extra base hits allowed all game. Not bad for a guy that was pretty much forgotten about to start the year. Boy, does he sure seem like a better option than Brad Penny right now. Of course, he'll have to keep putting up blanks to stay in the rotation, because it's not like Penny will get demoted.
The offense did better than the night before, but that's not saying a whole lot. What they did do well is hit 2 doubles, a sac bunt, a sac fly, and steal 3 bases. They still left 4 men in scoring position with 2 outs, and surprise!... Pierre had 2 of them. Still, since they almost refuse to hit home runs, it's good to see their running game working.
Today's game will be in the afternoon, as the Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw to the mound, STILL looking for his 1st win of the year, minors or majors. The White Sox counter with John Danks, another guy with a good ERA. It sure would be nice to get this one today considering the Angels are coming to town next, and uh... let's just say the Dodgers are somewhat lost against them. So ya, a win today would be ideal.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Putrid effort sinks the Dodgers
Mark Buehrle went through the Dodgers like a lawn mower cutting grass, and the White Sox easily took the first of a 3-game set, 6-1. The game lasted only 2 hours and 5 minutes, as Buehrle lived up to his reputation of working fast.
Derek Lowe was the Dodgers' starter, and he wasn't all that bad, but like every other pitcher on that team, he got zero offensive support. He gave up single runs in both the 1st and 2nd, but settled down after that. Down 2-1 heading into the 8th, he ran out of gas, giving up a 2-run shot to Jermaine Dye that led to a 4 run inning.
As soon as Dye hit that homer to get the score to 4-1, you may as well had sent everybody home and called it a night. It's not like the Dodgers would actually play up to their contracts and put together a late rally, right? Nope, God forbid that were to happen for once. A 3 run lead on the Dodgers is as close to a guaranteed win for the other team as there is.
How did the Dodgers' hitters do last night? Juan Pierre: horrendous. Jeff Kent: deplorable. Matt Kemp: atrocious. Angel Berroa: embarrassing. In fact, pick your negative words and that sums up this team quite nicely. Worst offense in the league, by far.
What makes these games even more frustrating is that the second they get down, it's not like they're going to come back. Watching them is so boring. It's comparable to watching soccer or golf. Booooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiing.
I know Buehrle is a pretty decent pitcher, but not that good. But this is the Dodgers we're talking about, and they have the uncanny ability to make any pitcher look like Cy Young material. I pitch in a slow-pitch softball league, and I bet I could make the Dodgers look bad. It wouldn't be hard.
Eric Stults gets the call tonight, and he had a solid start last Thursday in Cincinnati. Hopefully he can hold the White Sox to negative runs over the whole game. That's right, I'm hoping to see the Dodgers take tonight's game by a score of 0 to -2.
Derek Lowe was the Dodgers' starter, and he wasn't all that bad, but like every other pitcher on that team, he got zero offensive support. He gave up single runs in both the 1st and 2nd, but settled down after that. Down 2-1 heading into the 8th, he ran out of gas, giving up a 2-run shot to Jermaine Dye that led to a 4 run inning.
As soon as Dye hit that homer to get the score to 4-1, you may as well had sent everybody home and called it a night. It's not like the Dodgers would actually play up to their contracts and put together a late rally, right? Nope, God forbid that were to happen for once. A 3 run lead on the Dodgers is as close to a guaranteed win for the other team as there is.
How did the Dodgers' hitters do last night? Juan Pierre: horrendous. Jeff Kent: deplorable. Matt Kemp: atrocious. Angel Berroa: embarrassing. In fact, pick your negative words and that sums up this team quite nicely. Worst offense in the league, by far.
What makes these games even more frustrating is that the second they get down, it's not like they're going to come back. Watching them is so boring. It's comparable to watching soccer or golf. Booooooorrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiing.
I know Buehrle is a pretty decent pitcher, but not that good. But this is the Dodgers we're talking about, and they have the uncanny ability to make any pitcher look like Cy Young material. I pitch in a slow-pitch softball league, and I bet I could make the Dodgers look bad. It wouldn't be hard.
Eric Stults gets the call tonight, and he had a solid start last Thursday in Cincinnati. Hopefully he can hold the White Sox to negative runs over the whole game. That's right, I'm hoping to see the Dodgers take tonight's game by a score of 0 to -2.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Mailbag
Another mailbag has been posted, and the topics are Chan Ho Park winning Comeback Player of the Year, how this youth movement compares to ones in the past, how the starting rotation rates, why Cory Wade gets little attention, and why Hong-Chih Kuo isn't a starter.
Here you are.
Here you are.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Big start just enough for Dodgers to hold on
A 2-run double by James Loney and 2-run homer by Russell Martin led to a quick 4-0 lead in the 1st inning, and the Dodgers barely held on to beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-3. The win avoids a 3-game sweep.
It was good to see the Dodgers jump right on Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, who must have seemed like a slow-pitch softball pitcher after seeing Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia the previous 2 games. Juan Pierre singled, and Matt Kemp hit a ground rule double to put both men on. Loney then hit a double to score both. Martin, hitting cleanup again, stroked his 7th homer of the year, and before you knew it, it was 4-0.
You would think that a big start to the game like that would mean the offense would be locked in the rest of the game. Ah... perhaps you forgot these are the Dodgers we're talking about?! They went down in order the next 3 innings before finally getting 2 singles to start the 5th. But a double play ball by Kemp and a flyout by Loney took care of that. Those are the Dodgers we know and love!
Chad Billingsley picked up his 6th win of the year, but he's had better days. It must be nice to finally get a win when not having his best stuff. For once the offense picked him up (though, to be fair, it wasn't by much). He ended at 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. The big inning came in the 3rd when Grady Sizemore led off with a single, and 8 hitters went to the plate in a 3 run inning. 2 men were left on base when Kelly Shoppach struck out to end the inning.
That would be it for the scoring the rest of the game, mostly because the Dodgers' bullpen was fantastic. Hong-Chih Kuo, Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton, and Takashi Saito combined for 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K. It was good to see Broxton and Saito get back to their old ways of shutting down the opposition in the 8th and 9th. That's more like it.
Monday is an off day, then the Chicago White Sox come into town for 3. They're currently leading the AL Central, though the Minnesota Twins are right on their heals. Derek Lowe goes in the first game, and he's been Good Lowe lately. They really need him to keep that up, as well as maybe throw in 3 hits and 4 RBI. The offense sure could use it.
It was good to see the Dodgers jump right on Indians pitcher Paul Byrd, who must have seemed like a slow-pitch softball pitcher after seeing Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia the previous 2 games. Juan Pierre singled, and Matt Kemp hit a ground rule double to put both men on. Loney then hit a double to score both. Martin, hitting cleanup again, stroked his 7th homer of the year, and before you knew it, it was 4-0.
You would think that a big start to the game like that would mean the offense would be locked in the rest of the game. Ah... perhaps you forgot these are the Dodgers we're talking about?! They went down in order the next 3 innings before finally getting 2 singles to start the 5th. But a double play ball by Kemp and a flyout by Loney took care of that. Those are the Dodgers we know and love!
Chad Billingsley picked up his 6th win of the year, but he's had better days. It must be nice to finally get a win when not having his best stuff. For once the offense picked him up (though, to be fair, it wasn't by much). He ended at 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. The big inning came in the 3rd when Grady Sizemore led off with a single, and 8 hitters went to the plate in a 3 run inning. 2 men were left on base when Kelly Shoppach struck out to end the inning.
That would be it for the scoring the rest of the game, mostly because the Dodgers' bullpen was fantastic. Hong-Chih Kuo, Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton, and Takashi Saito combined for 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K. It was good to see Broxton and Saito get back to their old ways of shutting down the opposition in the 8th and 9th. That's more like it.
Monday is an off day, then the Chicago White Sox come into town for 3. They're currently leading the AL Central, though the Minnesota Twins are right on their heals. Derek Lowe goes in the first game, and he's been Good Lowe lately. They really need him to keep that up, as well as maybe throw in 3 hits and 4 RBI. The offense sure could use it.
Scott Proctor really sucks
At least he realizes it. Here's what he had to say after his latest outing:
"I'm not talking about that. There is nothing (wrong), and I'm tired of people making excuses and saying I'm hurt. My job is to get outs, and I'm (expletive) pathetic. It's embarrassing to know this team battled like that all day and I pitched like that. It's (expletive) stupid."
For good measure, he then added:
"I'm embarrassed for myself in front of my teammates."
Thats pretty much sums up what all Dodger fans are thinking after this last game. Tied 1-1 going into the 11th inning, the Cleveland Indians score a whopping 6 runs to take the game, 7-2. It was another creative loss for the Dodgers, who seem to be full of different ways to lose.
Needless to say, it was an absolutely embarrassing performance yet again. Two days in a row they've gone to extra innings and simply choke when the game is on the line. Ridiculous. They get another strong starting pitching performance, yet the offense sucks, and the bullpen implodes. This crap happens all the time.
The lone offensive highlight came from a solo shot that barely got over the left field wall in the 6th by Matt Kemp to tie the game at 1. How did the Indians get their run? On an absolutely mammoth home run to right by C.C. Sabathia. I think that ball is still traveling somewhere. Wow.
Other than that, Chan Ho Park was great in his spot start, which I would assume will earn him more starts. He went 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. After that, Hong-Chih Kuo came on and was his usual, dominant self, not giving up a hit in 2 innings while striking out 3. Not that any of it mattered because the offense, like they ALWAYS do, gave them no chance to actually pick up the win. God forbid they put some runs on the board and look like a Major League team. Nope, that's just asking way too much.
After Joe Beimel pitched a scoreless 8th, Jonathan Broxton put up a 0 in the 9th (though he gave up 2 hits, because getting 3 straight outs just wouldn't be the ideal thing to do anymore). Cory Wade pitched a scoreless 10th, but after pitching 2 innings the night before, I would think his tank was on E. He let the first 2 hitters reach, and Proctor came on. Then the onslaught was on.
With Arizona leading the NL West with only a 39-36 record, and the rest of the division horrible, the Dodgers just continue to blow opportunity after opportunity to take command. Their offense is a complete embarrassment, and it's pretty sad that they have to rely on Rafael Furcal that much just to score runs. Their big free agent signing, Andruw Jones, likes Twinkies more than baseball and is on the DL, not that it matters.
I cannot wait for the day the Dodgers have an offense that is enjoyable to watch. It won't happen this year, but someday it might. They'll just continue to underachieve and find all sorts of ways to hand games to the other teams. Pathetic.
Chad Billingsley takes the ball today, and he'll probably have a great start, only to come away with a no-decision or loss because the offense sucks out loud. It they even want to think about having a good homestand, they need to win today and quit playing like a bunch of little pansies.
"I'm not talking about that. There is nothing (wrong), and I'm tired of people making excuses and saying I'm hurt. My job is to get outs, and I'm (expletive) pathetic. It's embarrassing to know this team battled like that all day and I pitched like that. It's (expletive) stupid."
For good measure, he then added:
"I'm embarrassed for myself in front of my teammates."
Thats pretty much sums up what all Dodger fans are thinking after this last game. Tied 1-1 going into the 11th inning, the Cleveland Indians score a whopping 6 runs to take the game, 7-2. It was another creative loss for the Dodgers, who seem to be full of different ways to lose.
Needless to say, it was an absolutely embarrassing performance yet again. Two days in a row they've gone to extra innings and simply choke when the game is on the line. Ridiculous. They get another strong starting pitching performance, yet the offense sucks, and the bullpen implodes. This crap happens all the time.
The lone offensive highlight came from a solo shot that barely got over the left field wall in the 6th by Matt Kemp to tie the game at 1. How did the Indians get their run? On an absolutely mammoth home run to right by C.C. Sabathia. I think that ball is still traveling somewhere. Wow.
Other than that, Chan Ho Park was great in his spot start, which I would assume will earn him more starts. He went 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. After that, Hong-Chih Kuo came on and was his usual, dominant self, not giving up a hit in 2 innings while striking out 3. Not that any of it mattered because the offense, like they ALWAYS do, gave them no chance to actually pick up the win. God forbid they put some runs on the board and look like a Major League team. Nope, that's just asking way too much.
After Joe Beimel pitched a scoreless 8th, Jonathan Broxton put up a 0 in the 9th (though he gave up 2 hits, because getting 3 straight outs just wouldn't be the ideal thing to do anymore). Cory Wade pitched a scoreless 10th, but after pitching 2 innings the night before, I would think his tank was on E. He let the first 2 hitters reach, and Proctor came on. Then the onslaught was on.
With Arizona leading the NL West with only a 39-36 record, and the rest of the division horrible, the Dodgers just continue to blow opportunity after opportunity to take command. Their offense is a complete embarrassment, and it's pretty sad that they have to rely on Rafael Furcal that much just to score runs. Their big free agent signing, Andruw Jones, likes Twinkies more than baseball and is on the DL, not that it matters.
I cannot wait for the day the Dodgers have an offense that is enjoyable to watch. It won't happen this year, but someday it might. They'll just continue to underachieve and find all sorts of ways to hand games to the other teams. Pathetic.
Chad Billingsley takes the ball today, and he'll probably have a great start, only to come away with a no-decision or loss because the offense sucks out loud. It they even want to think about having a good homestand, they need to win today and quit playing like a bunch of little pansies.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Nope... probably not a turning point
Just when the Dodgers show a lot of fight in coming back from a late, 4-run deficit, they remind you why they are not one of the top teams in the league.
Despite being dominated by Cliff Lee for most of the game, the Dodgers tied the game in the 9th and had a chance to win with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, Andy LaRoche flied out to deep center, and the Indians added 2 in the 10th off of Takashi Saito to take the win, 6-4. For both teams, it was a frustrating last couple of innings.
Lee came into the game one of the top pitchers in all of baseball, and he sure showed why. With the exception of a leadoff single by Juan Pierre, the Dodgers never threatened against him. Get this - out of his 104 pitches, 76 were for strikes. That's remarkable accuracy. I know the Dodgers can't hit, but Lee really is that good. I'll give credit where credit is due.
Things got tight in the 8th inning, however, as Lee was wearing down. Here's the key to beating the Indians: get to their bullpen. Man, they are really bad. Some of their ERA's are simply atrocious. Anyway, down 4-0, Matt Kemp singled with 1 down, and came around to score on Jeff Kent's RBI double off of Rafael Betancourt. Rafael Perez then came in, but James Loney greeted him with an RBI single, and it was 4-2 heading into the last inning.
Cory Wade pitched his 2nd straight scoreless inning (and he's been fantastic, by the way), and the Dodgers were set to face Indians' "closer" Joe Borowski. I say "closer" because he is absolutely deplorable. He might be the worst one in the league. His fastball tops at 88, and none of his pitches have that much bite. I can't believe the Indians still let this guy finish off games. No wonder my Indians friend I was watching the game with looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole when the bullpen came in.
Angel Berroa singled (for once) and Russell Martin doubled him to 3rd. Pierre then unloaded on a single... to the pitcher to go down 4-3. After a Pierre steal and intentional walk to Kemp, Kent grounded out, but scored the run to tie the game at 4. Loney was given a free pass, but with the bases loaded, LaRoche could not come through. In other words, he fits in quite nicely with the rest of the team of failing to drive in runs.
Saito was called upon to hold the score at 4 to start the 10th, and failed miserably. His pitches were all over the place, and he looked like crap. He still could have gotten out of it after a home-to-third double play ball got them to 2 outs, but Jhonny Peralta doubled to right to score 2. Andre Ethier almost got to it, but couldn't. It was one of those plays where I couldn't help but get the feeling that if the Dodgers were playing well, that ball would have been caught. But they're not, so it wasn't.
Like I said before, both teams have plenty of reasons to feel frustrated about how the game closed, but at least the Indians can say they won. The Dodgers just cannot come up with that big hit they so desperately need. Same old story all year long.
Chan Ho Park fills in for the DL'd Hiroki Kuroda today against C.C. Sabathia. It's another Fox game, but of course the Red Sox are also on, so they get the TV coverage in New York. Enjoy it for those of you out West.
Despite being dominated by Cliff Lee for most of the game, the Dodgers tied the game in the 9th and had a chance to win with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Unfortunately, Andy LaRoche flied out to deep center, and the Indians added 2 in the 10th off of Takashi Saito to take the win, 6-4. For both teams, it was a frustrating last couple of innings.
Lee came into the game one of the top pitchers in all of baseball, and he sure showed why. With the exception of a leadoff single by Juan Pierre, the Dodgers never threatened against him. Get this - out of his 104 pitches, 76 were for strikes. That's remarkable accuracy. I know the Dodgers can't hit, but Lee really is that good. I'll give credit where credit is due.
Things got tight in the 8th inning, however, as Lee was wearing down. Here's the key to beating the Indians: get to their bullpen. Man, they are really bad. Some of their ERA's are simply atrocious. Anyway, down 4-0, Matt Kemp singled with 1 down, and came around to score on Jeff Kent's RBI double off of Rafael Betancourt. Rafael Perez then came in, but James Loney greeted him with an RBI single, and it was 4-2 heading into the last inning.
Cory Wade pitched his 2nd straight scoreless inning (and he's been fantastic, by the way), and the Dodgers were set to face Indians' "closer" Joe Borowski. I say "closer" because he is absolutely deplorable. He might be the worst one in the league. His fastball tops at 88, and none of his pitches have that much bite. I can't believe the Indians still let this guy finish off games. No wonder my Indians friend I was watching the game with looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole when the bullpen came in.
Angel Berroa singled (for once) and Russell Martin doubled him to 3rd. Pierre then unloaded on a single... to the pitcher to go down 4-3. After a Pierre steal and intentional walk to Kemp, Kent grounded out, but scored the run to tie the game at 4. Loney was given a free pass, but with the bases loaded, LaRoche could not come through. In other words, he fits in quite nicely with the rest of the team of failing to drive in runs.
Saito was called upon to hold the score at 4 to start the 10th, and failed miserably. His pitches were all over the place, and he looked like crap. He still could have gotten out of it after a home-to-third double play ball got them to 2 outs, but Jhonny Peralta doubled to right to score 2. Andre Ethier almost got to it, but couldn't. It was one of those plays where I couldn't help but get the feeling that if the Dodgers were playing well, that ball would have been caught. But they're not, so it wasn't.
Like I said before, both teams have plenty of reasons to feel frustrated about how the game closed, but at least the Indians can say they won. The Dodgers just cannot come up with that big hit they so desperately need. Same old story all year long.
Chan Ho Park fills in for the DL'd Hiroki Kuroda today against C.C. Sabathia. It's another Fox game, but of course the Red Sox are also on, so they get the TV coverage in New York. Enjoy it for those of you out West.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Have the Dodgers reached a turning point?
After completing another sweep of the Cincinnati Reds (and taking 7 of 8 games from them this season), the Dodgers may have finally started on the path of playing winning baseball.
These past 3 games have been very encouraging for the Dodgers, as they won by a combined score of 16-6. They had quality starting pitching and timely hitting in each game. It's been awhile since they've felt this good about themselves, and even though they were only playing the lowly Reds, to play this well is a great sign.
Eric Stults received the call up from Triple-A and was great. He finished at 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Until the 7th inning, he had given up no runs on 5 hits, and was cruising along. In the 7th, things unraveled a bit, but an error by Jeff Kent early in the inning didn't help things out. With 1 run in and 2 on, Scott Proctor came in and struck out Paul Janish, but then surrendered a walk and a bunt single for a run.
Joe Beimel then came in and struck out Jay Bruce, who was then ejected for arguing. With 2 down, Jonathan Broxton came in and came close to imploding again. A single, wild pitch, and intentional walk to Adam Dunn (who apparently does not impress the Toronto Blue Jays) loaded the bases. With only a 2-run cushion, Edwin Encarnacion grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
Taking the 7th inning out, it was all Dodgers. And they did it because their young guns produced. Matt Kemp: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2B. Andre Ethier: 2-5, RBI. James Loney: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B. Russell Martin also played well, but he always does. Blake DeWitt added a run scored and a stolen base.
Here's the bottom line - for the Dodgers to even think about getting a playoff berth, the young players I just mentioned have to be more productive. These last 3 games they have been. Now they have to do it much more consistently. Games like this are a perfect example of why the Dodgers organization is so high on them and reluctant to give them up. The Rockies and Diamondbacks won with young players last year, now it's the Dodgers' turn.
A great pitching matchup is on tap for tonight, as Clayton Kershaw battles Cliff Lee. Kershaw is the star of the future, and Lee has had a tremendous season that should land him a starting nod in the All-Star game. This will be fun to watch.
These past 3 games have been very encouraging for the Dodgers, as they won by a combined score of 16-6. They had quality starting pitching and timely hitting in each game. It's been awhile since they've felt this good about themselves, and even though they were only playing the lowly Reds, to play this well is a great sign.
Eric Stults received the call up from Triple-A and was great. He finished at 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Until the 7th inning, he had given up no runs on 5 hits, and was cruising along. In the 7th, things unraveled a bit, but an error by Jeff Kent early in the inning didn't help things out. With 1 run in and 2 on, Scott Proctor came in and struck out Paul Janish, but then surrendered a walk and a bunt single for a run.
Joe Beimel then came in and struck out Jay Bruce, who was then ejected for arguing. With 2 down, Jonathan Broxton came in and came close to imploding again. A single, wild pitch, and intentional walk to Adam Dunn (who apparently does not impress the Toronto Blue Jays) loaded the bases. With only a 2-run cushion, Edwin Encarnacion grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
Taking the 7th inning out, it was all Dodgers. And they did it because their young guns produced. Matt Kemp: 2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2B. Andre Ethier: 2-5, RBI. James Loney: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B. Russell Martin also played well, but he always does. Blake DeWitt added a run scored and a stolen base.
Here's the bottom line - for the Dodgers to even think about getting a playoff berth, the young players I just mentioned have to be more productive. These last 3 games they have been. Now they have to do it much more consistently. Games like this are a perfect example of why the Dodgers organization is so high on them and reluctant to give them up. The Rockies and Diamondbacks won with young players last year, now it's the Dodgers' turn.
A great pitching matchup is on tap for tonight, as Clayton Kershaw battles Cliff Lee. Kershaw is the star of the future, and Lee has had a tremendous season that should land him a starting nod in the All-Star game. This will be fun to watch.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Lowe posts 6th straight great start for win
Aided by the unusually hot-hitting offense, Derek Lowe pitched another fantastic game as the Dodgers got the win over the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1. It's their 2nd win in a row after dropping 5 before that.
After enduring a rough stretch in early May in which he was bombed every start, Lowe has really turned things around lately. So in other words, Good Lowe has returned. The great thing about this start was that he was pitching on only 4 days rest, thanks to Hiroki Kuroda getting sent back to LA for tests on his ailing shoulder. The results was an 85 pitch night in which he finished at 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Like Billingsley the night before, it's the huge start the Dodgers absolutely needed.
Bronson Arroyo was the Reds' starter, and boy, has he bottomed out. It seemed like not too long ago where he was pitching like an All-Star, now he has an ERA in the 5's. Maybe too many innings has finally caught up to him. Anyway, Juan Pierre led off the game with a single, went to 2nd on a hit-and-run, went to 3rd on a fielder's choice, then scored on a wild pitch. That's a Pierre-like run, and they'll gladly take it.
The next run came in the 2nd when Matt Kemp started the inning with a single up the middle. He stole 2nd, though to be fair, the Reds' catcher David Ross didn't do himself any favors by double clutching the throw, then the ball was dropped anyway at 2nd, and Kemp still would have been out if not for that. Oh well, the Dodgers deserve some sort of break. Andre Ethier's single brought him home, and it was 2-0.
Edwin Encarnacion homered in the bottom of the 2nd to cut the lead to 2-1. After that, it was James Loney time. He started in the 4th with a solo shot, his 6th of the year and first since, well... forever (ok, May 21). In the 6th, Blake DeWitt lead off with a double, but the next 2 hitters struck out. Loney picked him up with an RBI double for a 4-1 lead.
Pierre closed out the scoring in the 7th with a huge triple to score Ethier and Angel Berroa to go up 6-1. Pierre had a good night, with 2 hits and 2 RBI and a run scored. Loney did the same, and Ethier had 3 hits. Overall, there were 9 hits, but 5 of them were for extra bases.
As good as Lowe was, Hong-Chih Kuo continued his amazing transformation to the bullpen by blanking the Reds over 2.2 IP. He ran into a bit of trouble when he entered in the 6th, giving up a single and double with 1 down, but put down Adam Dunn swinging and Encarnacion grounding out. On the night, he had 4 K's, giving him 47 in 40.1 IP. That's really good.
The Dodgers have taken the first 2 in this series, so why not get greedy and go for it all? That's exactly what they'll aim to do tomorrow afternoon. Eric Stults will make his first start of the season, filling in for the injured Brad Penny. Winning won't be easy, as the Reds will send in Aaron Harang, who is their staff ace. He's only 3-9 this year, but a 4.10 ERA suggests that he hasn't gotten much help. He pitched really well against the Red Sox in his last start, so he's much better than his record would indicate. It'll be an interesting game.
After enduring a rough stretch in early May in which he was bombed every start, Lowe has really turned things around lately. So in other words, Good Lowe has returned. The great thing about this start was that he was pitching on only 4 days rest, thanks to Hiroki Kuroda getting sent back to LA for tests on his ailing shoulder. The results was an 85 pitch night in which he finished at 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. Like Billingsley the night before, it's the huge start the Dodgers absolutely needed.
Bronson Arroyo was the Reds' starter, and boy, has he bottomed out. It seemed like not too long ago where he was pitching like an All-Star, now he has an ERA in the 5's. Maybe too many innings has finally caught up to him. Anyway, Juan Pierre led off the game with a single, went to 2nd on a hit-and-run, went to 3rd on a fielder's choice, then scored on a wild pitch. That's a Pierre-like run, and they'll gladly take it.
The next run came in the 2nd when Matt Kemp started the inning with a single up the middle. He stole 2nd, though to be fair, the Reds' catcher David Ross didn't do himself any favors by double clutching the throw, then the ball was dropped anyway at 2nd, and Kemp still would have been out if not for that. Oh well, the Dodgers deserve some sort of break. Andre Ethier's single brought him home, and it was 2-0.
Edwin Encarnacion homered in the bottom of the 2nd to cut the lead to 2-1. After that, it was James Loney time. He started in the 4th with a solo shot, his 6th of the year and first since, well... forever (ok, May 21). In the 6th, Blake DeWitt lead off with a double, but the next 2 hitters struck out. Loney picked him up with an RBI double for a 4-1 lead.
Pierre closed out the scoring in the 7th with a huge triple to score Ethier and Angel Berroa to go up 6-1. Pierre had a good night, with 2 hits and 2 RBI and a run scored. Loney did the same, and Ethier had 3 hits. Overall, there were 9 hits, but 5 of them were for extra bases.
As good as Lowe was, Hong-Chih Kuo continued his amazing transformation to the bullpen by blanking the Reds over 2.2 IP. He ran into a bit of trouble when he entered in the 6th, giving up a single and double with 1 down, but put down Adam Dunn swinging and Encarnacion grounding out. On the night, he had 4 K's, giving him 47 in 40.1 IP. That's really good.
The Dodgers have taken the first 2 in this series, so why not get greedy and go for it all? That's exactly what they'll aim to do tomorrow afternoon. Eric Stults will make his first start of the season, filling in for the injured Brad Penny. Winning won't be easy, as the Reds will send in Aaron Harang, who is their staff ace. He's only 3-9 this year, but a 4.10 ERA suggests that he hasn't gotten much help. He pitched really well against the Red Sox in his last start, so he's much better than his record would indicate. It'll be an interesting game.
Penny and Kuroda banged up
The news just gets better all the time for the Dodgers.
Brad Penny was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation in the bursa sac and mild tendinitis in his right shoulder. Joe Torre says he will be out no more than 2 weeks, so the injury is not at all serious. With the way he's been pitching this year (atrocious, for those of you not in the know), some R&R is not a bad thing at all.
Hiroki Kuroda is also feeling some aches and pains, as he will miss today's start (Wednesday) in Cincinnati. He claims to have felt discomfort in his right shoulder all season long, yet only recently disclosed this to Torre. That's not too surprising to hear since he's been way up and down lately. Bombed one day, terrific the next, then bombed again. Overall, he's been solid, so I hope he's fine.
With the injuries, a good amount of shuffling has been done with the rotation. Eric Stults got the call up from Triple-A Las Vegas and will start on Thursday against the Reds. Derek Lowe goes today, and Clayton Kershaw will go on Friday at home against the Cleveland Indians.
If Kuroda is unable to return for his next start, then I would think either Chan Ho Park or Hong-Chih Kuo will get a spot start. My money would be on Park because Kuo is locked in at being a long reliever.
Brad Penny was placed on the 15-day DL with inflammation in the bursa sac and mild tendinitis in his right shoulder. Joe Torre says he will be out no more than 2 weeks, so the injury is not at all serious. With the way he's been pitching this year (atrocious, for those of you not in the know), some R&R is not a bad thing at all.
Hiroki Kuroda is also feeling some aches and pains, as he will miss today's start (Wednesday) in Cincinnati. He claims to have felt discomfort in his right shoulder all season long, yet only recently disclosed this to Torre. That's not too surprising to hear since he's been way up and down lately. Bombed one day, terrific the next, then bombed again. Overall, he's been solid, so I hope he's fine.
With the injuries, a good amount of shuffling has been done with the rotation. Eric Stults got the call up from Triple-A Las Vegas and will start on Thursday against the Reds. Derek Lowe goes today, and Clayton Kershaw will go on Friday at home against the Cleveland Indians.
If Kuroda is unable to return for his next start, then I would think either Chan Ho Park or Hong-Chih Kuo will get a spot start. My money would be on Park because Kuo is locked in at being a long reliever.
Billingsley breaks the losing streak
I'm glad at least one athlete from the city of Los Angeles showed up to play hard and win last night.
That's exactly what Chad Billingsley did, as he was dominant in a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. His final line was 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. He carried a shutout into the 7th before running into some trouble. Fortunately for him, Joe Beimel came in with the bases loaded and only surrendered 1 run to preserve the lead.
It's obvious how poorly the offense has been performing lately, or all year for that matter, and last night was really no different. They did score single runs in the 3rd and 4th on RBI doubles by Juan Pierre and Russell Martin. Later in the game, Jeff Kent hit a double of his own to push the lead to 3-1.
The pitching is what deserves most of the credit for this one. It seems like it's been forever since the Jonathan Broxton-Takashi Saito combination shut down the opposition in the 8th and 9th. Broxton did walk 2, which is never a good sign, but got out of trouble. Saito was great, K'ing 2, including Ken Griffey Jr. pinch-hitting.
To be perfectly honest with all of you, this win was only a small consolation for last night's debacle, a.k.a. the Lakers-Celtics game. I simply cannot believe how big of pansies the Lakers looked like. It's one thing to lose, and another thing altogether to just get blown out of the water while feebly trying all game. Inexcusable. And it just plain pisses me off.
Maybe I'm just more upset that now my sole attention will have to be paid to the Dodgers, who haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire this season. With the way the Diamondbacks have been tanking, the NL West is still a toss-up. I'll keep hope alive.
With the injuries to Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda, the rotation is a mess. Derek Lowe will be moved up a day and make the start tonight. Just like Bill's last night, they really need Lowe to be at the top of his game.
That's exactly what Chad Billingsley did, as he was dominant in a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. His final line was 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. He carried a shutout into the 7th before running into some trouble. Fortunately for him, Joe Beimel came in with the bases loaded and only surrendered 1 run to preserve the lead.
It's obvious how poorly the offense has been performing lately, or all year for that matter, and last night was really no different. They did score single runs in the 3rd and 4th on RBI doubles by Juan Pierre and Russell Martin. Later in the game, Jeff Kent hit a double of his own to push the lead to 3-1.
The pitching is what deserves most of the credit for this one. It seems like it's been forever since the Jonathan Broxton-Takashi Saito combination shut down the opposition in the 8th and 9th. Broxton did walk 2, which is never a good sign, but got out of trouble. Saito was great, K'ing 2, including Ken Griffey Jr. pinch-hitting.
To be perfectly honest with all of you, this win was only a small consolation for last night's debacle, a.k.a. the Lakers-Celtics game. I simply cannot believe how big of pansies the Lakers looked like. It's one thing to lose, and another thing altogether to just get blown out of the water while feebly trying all game. Inexcusable. And it just plain pisses me off.
Maybe I'm just more upset that now my sole attention will have to be paid to the Dodgers, who haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire this season. With the way the Diamondbacks have been tanking, the NL West is still a toss-up. I'll keep hope alive.
With the injuries to Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda, the rotation is a mess. Derek Lowe will be moved up a day and make the start tonight. Just like Bill's last night, they really need Lowe to be at the top of his game.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Rain is Dodgers worst enemy
Clayton Kershaw pitched through the first 4 innings by giving up no runs on only 2 hits. At 65 pitches, he had plenty left in the tank to try and lift the Dodgers to avoid a sweep.
And then the rain came, and it turned out to be the worst possible thing to happen.
Not wanting their young gun to rev it up again after a 47 minute delay, Chan Ho Park was given the ball and was unmercifully bombed for 5 runs on 8 hits in 1.1 IP. Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge hit consecutive shots to open the 6th that eventually chased Park. As good as he's been out of the 'pen this year, he was horrible today, which is exactly what the Dodgers could not afford.
The offense was lifeless as usual through 8 innings, but to their credit, they really made a run in the 9th. Blake DeWitt singled to open the inning, and Russell Martin hit one out to go down 5-2. James Loney singled, and the Tigers' closer Todd Jones then came in. Matt Kemp singled to put 2 men on. After an Andre Ethier flyout for 1 down, Jeff Kent pinch-hit and singled home Loney to cut the lead to 2. Delwyn Young then pinch-hit but flied out for 2 down. A wild pitch scored Kemp and put Kent on 2nd, and it was only a 1 run game.
Juan Pierre had a chance to be a hero and tie the game. Do you think he got the job done? Ya... I didn't think so either. A lazy pop out to center ended the game.
It would have been nice to have seen Kershaw get his 1st career win, but the offense and the rain would not cooperate. Simply put, the Dodgers are just plain horrible right now and probably couldn't beat their own minor league teams. If they hit the ball, they can't pitch. If they get strong pitching, they can't hit. Or they can't hit or pitch. Pick your case and that's how it's been going. Joe Torre has got to wonder what in the world he got himself into.
After taking Monday off to travel, the Dodgers will be in Cincinnati Tuesday. Chad Billingsley gets the start in the first game. The Reds pretty much stink too, and were just slapped around by the Red Sox today. It's a battle to see which team sucks worse than the other.
And then the rain came, and it turned out to be the worst possible thing to happen.
Not wanting their young gun to rev it up again after a 47 minute delay, Chan Ho Park was given the ball and was unmercifully bombed for 5 runs on 8 hits in 1.1 IP. Marcus Thames and Brandon Inge hit consecutive shots to open the 6th that eventually chased Park. As good as he's been out of the 'pen this year, he was horrible today, which is exactly what the Dodgers could not afford.
The offense was lifeless as usual through 8 innings, but to their credit, they really made a run in the 9th. Blake DeWitt singled to open the inning, and Russell Martin hit one out to go down 5-2. James Loney singled, and the Tigers' closer Todd Jones then came in. Matt Kemp singled to put 2 men on. After an Andre Ethier flyout for 1 down, Jeff Kent pinch-hit and singled home Loney to cut the lead to 2. Delwyn Young then pinch-hit but flied out for 2 down. A wild pitch scored Kemp and put Kent on 2nd, and it was only a 1 run game.
Juan Pierre had a chance to be a hero and tie the game. Do you think he got the job done? Ya... I didn't think so either. A lazy pop out to center ended the game.
It would have been nice to have seen Kershaw get his 1st career win, but the offense and the rain would not cooperate. Simply put, the Dodgers are just plain horrible right now and probably couldn't beat their own minor league teams. If they hit the ball, they can't pitch. If they get strong pitching, they can't hit. Or they can't hit or pitch. Pick your case and that's how it's been going. Joe Torre has got to wonder what in the world he got himself into.
After taking Monday off to travel, the Dodgers will be in Cincinnati Tuesday. Chad Billingsley gets the start in the first game. The Reds pretty much stink too, and were just slapped around by the Red Sox today. It's a battle to see which team sucks worse than the other.
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