Vicente Padilla took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, baffling the NL West leading Padres in Wednesday game in Los Angeles. The 32 year old Nicaraguan righty blew away San Diego with a complete game shutout for his fifth victory of the year. The Dodgers routed the Padres 9-0 a night after newly acquired pitcher, Ted Lilly, limited San Diego to two hits over seven innings. Padilla, pitching on an extra day’s rest, fanned nine batters and walked two in a two-hit effort. He tossed 77 strikes, including 10 Eephus slow curve pitches. The Dodgers’ starter also contributed a pair of hits and an RBI during the contest at Dodger Stadium.
San Diego’s southpaw starter, Wade LeBlanc, suffered the loss as the Dodgers tallied their highest run total since the All-Star break. It was the second time this season L.A. has shutout the Padres with LeBlanc on the hill. LeBlanc allowed four runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 frames of work. Scott Podsednik’s two-run base hit capped a three run second inning for the home team. The hosts added a fourth run on a Ronnie Belliard double in the third. Shortstop, Jamey Carroll and third baseman, Casey Blake collected two hits and scored twice, while teammate, Andre Ethier pounded out three hits in the win. Ethier smacked his 17th homerun of the season with one man on base in a five-run eighth inning to increase the Dodgers’ lead to 9-0.
Padilla did not give up a hit until the seventh inning. Ryan Ludwick lined an 0-2 pitch to right field with one out to break up the no-no, but Padilla still finished with his fourth career shutout. He is a satisfactory 4-2 in his last nine starts. Los Angeles backstop, Russ Martin, was placed on the 15 day disabled list shortly after the game. The catcher will be sidelined for the first time in his career with a right hip tear. Surgery could be an option, which would end Martin’s season. Forty-one year old, Brad Ausmus filled in behind the plate for Martin and almost caught a no-hitter. Padilla has a phenomenal 1.69 in his last dozen games.
Parting Points: Oddball pop, white rap song of the day-“Summer Vacation” by The Party
Showing posts with label LA Dodgers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LA Dodgers. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Rich in Relief
New York Mets’ southpaw starter-turned-reliever, Oliver Perez, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning of yesterday’s game against the Dodgers. Perez, activated from the disabled list Tuesday, gave up a game winning homerun to James Loney in the bottom of the 13th as Los Angeles clipped the Mets 3-2. Loney drove Perez’s 1-0 offering into the seats in right-center field, giving L.A. a walk-off victory and making a winner out of much-maligned reliever, George Sherrill. Sherrill, the Dodgers’ eighth reliever used during the game, earned his first win after pitching a perfect 13th frame. Perez took the loss for New York, his fourth of the year.
The Mets were charged with two errors during the road contest yesterday. L.A.’s Rafael Furcal singled past Mets’ shortstop, Jose Reyes, to lead of the bottom of the first. The ground ball was playable but Furcal was credited with a single. Mets hurler, Mike Pelfrey, attempted to pick-off Furcal at first base, but launched the throw wide right to Ike Davis, allowing the runner to advance to third base. Joe Torre’s Dodgers needed only a sacrifice fly to ring in a tally, and the offense did just that. Xavier Paul, the Dodgers’ number two hitter, lifted a fly to right field to drive Furcal home for the 1-0 L.A. lead.
Carlos Monasterios kept the Mets off the scoreboard with five solid innings of six hit ball. New York loaded the bases in the fourth inning but failed to cross the plate. David Wright led off the fourth with a single. The third baseman reached second on Monasterios’ balk before Carlos Beltran drew a full count walk. Jason Bay, somewhat breaking out of a batting slump, slapped a base hit to left to load the bags for New York. Monasterios retired the next two Mets to end any scoring threats.
The Dodgers tallied their second run in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt got L.A. started with a one-out triple. New York skipper, Jerry Manuel, decided it would be best to intentionally walk Garret Anderson. The move did not pay off for the Mets because Brad Ausmus singled up the middle to send Dewitt home. Pelfrey lasted five innings for New York and was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The New York starter was effective despite the two blemishes. His team’s offense was ineffective, however.
The visitors finally found the plate in the top of the sixth off James McDonald. McDonald faced four batters and only recorded one out. Davis doubled to center off McDonald and was brought home on Rod Barajas’ base hit to left. Reyes earned his 35th RBI of the season when he singled home Bay in the Mets’ three hit sixth frame. Reyes’ base hit came off reliever Jack Taschner. Taschner is still looking for his first out as a Dodger pitcher. Travis Schlichting entered for the white and blue after Taschner loaded the bases. Schlichting needed only one pitch to induce a double play by Luis Castillo for the third out.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams combined to use 14 men out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen was perhaps the most impressive of the Dodgers’ relief core. The converted catcher threw a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out two Mets in an impressive major league debut. Jansen faced the heart of the Mets’ lineup in a tie ballgame without flinching. Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton also set down the New York batters with scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Jeff Weaver provided the Dodgers dominant relief through two extra innings before handing it over to Sherrill. Raul Valdes, Manny Acosta, Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and Elmer Dessens were all summoned from Manuel’s bullpen. The five relievers combined to allow just two hits through six innings. L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw will face R.A. Dickey in the series finale today.
Parting Points: Thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Cowher and his family.
Congrats to the Hall of Fame inductees. It’s great to see another Expos player in there!
ARod is still sitting on 599 homeruns. I doubt he will receive any praise if he hits #600 on the road, so he better club one today at home.
The Mets were charged with two errors during the road contest yesterday. L.A.’s Rafael Furcal singled past Mets’ shortstop, Jose Reyes, to lead of the bottom of the first. The ground ball was playable but Furcal was credited with a single. Mets hurler, Mike Pelfrey, attempted to pick-off Furcal at first base, but launched the throw wide right to Ike Davis, allowing the runner to advance to third base. Joe Torre’s Dodgers needed only a sacrifice fly to ring in a tally, and the offense did just that. Xavier Paul, the Dodgers’ number two hitter, lifted a fly to right field to drive Furcal home for the 1-0 L.A. lead.
Carlos Monasterios kept the Mets off the scoreboard with five solid innings of six hit ball. New York loaded the bases in the fourth inning but failed to cross the plate. David Wright led off the fourth with a single. The third baseman reached second on Monasterios’ balk before Carlos Beltran drew a full count walk. Jason Bay, somewhat breaking out of a batting slump, slapped a base hit to left to load the bags for New York. Monasterios retired the next two Mets to end any scoring threats.
The Dodgers tallied their second run in the bottom of the fourth. The Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt got L.A. started with a one-out triple. New York skipper, Jerry Manuel, decided it would be best to intentionally walk Garret Anderson. The move did not pay off for the Mets because Brad Ausmus singled up the middle to send Dewitt home. Pelfrey lasted five innings for New York and was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth. The New York starter was effective despite the two blemishes. His team’s offense was ineffective, however.
The visitors finally found the plate in the top of the sixth off James McDonald. McDonald faced four batters and only recorded one out. Davis doubled to center off McDonald and was brought home on Rod Barajas’ base hit to left. Reyes earned his 35th RBI of the season when he singled home Bay in the Mets’ three hit sixth frame. Reyes’ base hit came off reliever Jack Taschner. Taschner is still looking for his first out as a Dodger pitcher. Travis Schlichting entered for the white and blue after Taschner loaded the bases. Schlichting needed only one pitch to induce a double play by Luis Castillo for the third out.
The game remained knotted at 2-2 as the teams combined to use 14 men out of the bullpen. Kenley Jansen was perhaps the most impressive of the Dodgers’ relief core. The converted catcher threw a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out two Mets in an impressive major league debut. Jansen faced the heart of the Mets’ lineup in a tie ballgame without flinching. Hong-Chih Kuo and Jonathan Broxton also set down the New York batters with scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Jeff Weaver provided the Dodgers dominant relief through two extra innings before handing it over to Sherrill. Raul Valdes, Manny Acosta, Pedro Feliciano, Bobby Parnell and Elmer Dessens were all summoned from Manuel’s bullpen. The five relievers combined to allow just two hits through six innings. L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw will face R.A. Dickey in the series finale today.
Parting Points: Thoughts and prayers go out to Bill Cowher and his family.
Congrats to the Hall of Fame inductees. It’s great to see another Expos player in there!
ARod is still sitting on 599 homeruns. I doubt he will receive any praise if he hits #600 on the road, so he better club one today at home.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
L.A.'s Loney Lets Loose
World champ Burnett whacked, walloped out West
James Loney drove in four runs as the Dodgers dropped the visiting New York Yankees 9-4 on Saturday night. The L.A. first baseman collected his 51st RBI of the season a night after being tossed for arguing calls at the end of the game. The Dodgers delighted the crowd with seven runs through the first four innings off slumping starter, A.J. Burnett and reliever Boone Logan. Saturday was the third straight game the Yankees’ number two pitcher was knocked out after just four innings or fewer. Burnett is 6-7, and for the first time all year, under the .500 mark.
The Yankees’ offense got the ball rolling in their first licks. Birthday boy, 36 year old Derek Jeter, walked to lead off the game and reached second safely on a steal. Russell Martin’s throwing error at backstop allowed the captain to hustle into third before the Dodgers recorded an out. Mark Teixeira drilled his 13th homerun in the first innings. Teixeira’s three run blast came off Dodgers’ winning pitcher, Hiroki Kuroda. Burnett was handed a three run advantage before he even toed the L.A. rubber. The 33 year old couldn’t make the lead stand at Dodger Stadium. Joe Torre’s Dodgers got back a pair of runs off his former team in the bottom of the first frame. Manny Ramirez doubled to right field to drive in the first L.A. run before Loney’s sacrifice fly to left scored Andre Ethier from third base.
Back-to-back singles by Jeter and Curtis Granderson in the third inning set up another New York scoring opportunity. Alex Rodriguez grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Jeter and give the Bombers a 4-2 edge. Burnett was horrendously wild the rest of his stint and was pulled after three plus innings by manager, Joe Girardi. The Yankees’ tosser issued six walks, six hits and allowed six runs when all was said and done. The Dodgers did their damage in the third inning, posting three runs and punishing Burnett in his shortest outing of the season. Loney punched home a pair of runs on a base hit to right to tie the game. Ramirez scored the fifth L.A. tally on Martin’s groundout double play ball. Logan was summoned from the bullpen in the bottom of the fourth and promptly allowed a run on Casey Blake’s double.
Kuroda recovered long enough to get through the sixth inning unscathed. Kuroda gave up seven hits and fanned five for his seventh victory of the season. The Yankees didn’t score after the third inning as Kuroda and three relievers kept the Bombers off the scoreboard. Torre’s club stopped a four game losing streak but not before chipping in more runs off the Yankee bullpen. The Dodgers extended their lead to 9-4in the seventh on Rafael Furcal’s RBI single and a Matt Kemp extra-base hit. Both runs came off an underwhelming Chan Ho Park. Closer Jonathan Broxton recorded the final four outs for the Dodgers, including an eighth inning strikeout of Jeter to end the Yankees’ threat. Both teams play for the series win this evening when Andy Pettitte opposes Clayton Kershaw.
Parting Points: Sweet Sunday song- U2’s “The Sweetest Thing”
I would have liked to see Madison Bumgarner defeat the Red Sox in his 2010 debut.
Tough ouster for team USA. I guess you could say they are “GHAN-ERS!”
James Loney drove in four runs as the Dodgers dropped the visiting New York Yankees 9-4 on Saturday night. The L.A. first baseman collected his 51st RBI of the season a night after being tossed for arguing calls at the end of the game. The Dodgers delighted the crowd with seven runs through the first four innings off slumping starter, A.J. Burnett and reliever Boone Logan. Saturday was the third straight game the Yankees’ number two pitcher was knocked out after just four innings or fewer. Burnett is 6-7, and for the first time all year, under the .500 mark.
The Yankees’ offense got the ball rolling in their first licks. Birthday boy, 36 year old Derek Jeter, walked to lead off the game and reached second safely on a steal. Russell Martin’s throwing error at backstop allowed the captain to hustle into third before the Dodgers recorded an out. Mark Teixeira drilled his 13th homerun in the first innings. Teixeira’s three run blast came off Dodgers’ winning pitcher, Hiroki Kuroda. Burnett was handed a three run advantage before he even toed the L.A. rubber. The 33 year old couldn’t make the lead stand at Dodger Stadium. Joe Torre’s Dodgers got back a pair of runs off his former team in the bottom of the first frame. Manny Ramirez doubled to right field to drive in the first L.A. run before Loney’s sacrifice fly to left scored Andre Ethier from third base.
Back-to-back singles by Jeter and Curtis Granderson in the third inning set up another New York scoring opportunity. Alex Rodriguez grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Jeter and give the Bombers a 4-2 edge. Burnett was horrendously wild the rest of his stint and was pulled after three plus innings by manager, Joe Girardi. The Yankees’ tosser issued six walks, six hits and allowed six runs when all was said and done. The Dodgers did their damage in the third inning, posting three runs and punishing Burnett in his shortest outing of the season. Loney punched home a pair of runs on a base hit to right to tie the game. Ramirez scored the fifth L.A. tally on Martin’s groundout double play ball. Logan was summoned from the bullpen in the bottom of the fourth and promptly allowed a run on Casey Blake’s double.
Kuroda recovered long enough to get through the sixth inning unscathed. Kuroda gave up seven hits and fanned five for his seventh victory of the season. The Yankees didn’t score after the third inning as Kuroda and three relievers kept the Bombers off the scoreboard. Torre’s club stopped a four game losing streak but not before chipping in more runs off the Yankee bullpen. The Dodgers extended their lead to 9-4in the seventh on Rafael Furcal’s RBI single and a Matt Kemp extra-base hit. Both runs came off an underwhelming Chan Ho Park. Closer Jonathan Broxton recorded the final four outs for the Dodgers, including an eighth inning strikeout of Jeter to end the Yankees’ threat. Both teams play for the series win this evening when Andy Pettitte opposes Clayton Kershaw.
Parting Points: Sweet Sunday song- U2’s “The Sweetest Thing”
I would have liked to see Madison Bumgarner defeat the Red Sox in his 2010 debut.
Tough ouster for team USA. I guess you could say they are “GHAN-ERS!”
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday Take-Twos
The Philadelphia Phillies made it look simple when they got the job done against the desperate Dodgers Wednesday night. Los Angeles failed to push the overpowering Phillies to the brink, losing to the defending World Series champions in five games for the second straight season. The Phillies will return to the ultimate baseball stage beginning next week as the repeat NL representatives. The Dodgers couldn’t wrestle out a win to bring the series back home during the historic homerun haven of Citizen’s Bank Park. The Dodgers dropped the deciding contest 10-4 on three long balls by Andre Ethier, James Loney and Orlando Hudson. The trio of solo shots was rendered meaningless by the seven runs Philadelphia plated on four homeruns. Former Dodger, Jayson Werth, went deep twice for the Phillies, and Ryan Howard was awarded series MVP. Los Angeles starter, Vicente Padilla, a late season pickup, ran out of steam Wednesday against Charlie Manuel’s club. Padilla was charged with six runs in three frames before reliever Ramon Troncoso sent the game spiraling out of Dodger control. The distinct differentiation between the dreary Dodgers and the dashing Phillies was the pitching and clutch hitting. The Dodgers were victimized on the mound by Philadelphia hitting throughout the five games. Starters served up towering homeruns and the L.A. bats never really showed up. When it came to crunch time, all the boys from L.A. did was crouch. This won’t be the year Dodger skipper, Joe Torre, gets a crack at another World Series.
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels meet for game five in the Bronx tonight. The Bombers are hoping to bring home an AL pennant and chance to play Philadelphia in the Fall Classic. First, the Yankees must get a decent, quality start from their ace, A.J. Burnett. John Lackey opposes Burnett on the hill as the Halos try to find themselves in time to save their superb season. Lackey looks to extend the series on the road and overcome nearly insurmountable odds this post-season. Only 11 of 69 teams in history have come from a 3-1 deficient to win a seven-game series. The Angels have had a lousy time with the Yankees in New York during this series so far. Los Angeles has held the lead three of the 42 innings against the Bombers and stole just two bases in the ALCS. A team known for getting ahead and getting runners on hasn’t lived up to that status. The situational hitting has been specifically scarce, but credit goes to the Yankee starters for much of the slugging and stealing struggles. The players have a sense of urgency to gain a hint of momentum and a mental edge. It will be awfully difficult in a place like Yankee Stadium to recover from this hole.
There are several stories about the Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor. One of the most enchanting prospects coming out of high school, Pryor was a sought-after and highly touted recruit. The sophomore is under scrutiny for his recent play, especially in last week’s loss to Purdue. After being called out by one of his friends and teammates, Pryor received advice from superstar NBA figurehead, LeBron James. Pryor is a tremendous talent but his high school coach does not believe the Ohio State coaches are utilizing him properly. LeBron is offering counsel to his comrade from Ohio about how to handle the spotlight. The Cavalier was in Columbus for preseason basketball Wednesday night, along with new teammate, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq and Cleveland fell to the Boston Celtics, but O’Neal was there to pump and pep up Pryor. The tall man told Terrelle to keep his head up and try to get the Buckeyes back on track. Pryor looked pathetic against Purdue in moving the ball last Saturday. Some believe Jim Tressel is restricting his prized quarterback too much. Others argue Pryor is capable of running a pro-style offense but has play with the team he is given. The current Buckeye offense does not fit his abilities, and Pryor is taking a brutal beating for a bad game. As a Buckeye fan, I don’t know what to think. I think Tressel should take most of the blame for how he operates his offense. Pryor is a well-spoken kid with a chip on his shoulder. The prized pupil was pummeled last week but he has brightened up the Horseshoe in most of his other starts as signal-caller. As a fresh-faced freshman passer, Pryor made OSU fans pretty proud. He is still young enough to improve and learn from his mistakes, but the team around him must also vow to invest in some fine-football tuning. It all starts with a strong core. Without that, Pryor can’t expect to become the true leader of the Big 10’s beloved Buckeyes.
Parting Points: Song of the day- “The Way” by Fastball
Read of the day- “Hank Aaron and the homerun that changed America: by Tom Stanton
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels meet for game five in the Bronx tonight. The Bombers are hoping to bring home an AL pennant and chance to play Philadelphia in the Fall Classic. First, the Yankees must get a decent, quality start from their ace, A.J. Burnett. John Lackey opposes Burnett on the hill as the Halos try to find themselves in time to save their superb season. Lackey looks to extend the series on the road and overcome nearly insurmountable odds this post-season. Only 11 of 69 teams in history have come from a 3-1 deficient to win a seven-game series. The Angels have had a lousy time with the Yankees in New York during this series so far. Los Angeles has held the lead three of the 42 innings against the Bombers and stole just two bases in the ALCS. A team known for getting ahead and getting runners on hasn’t lived up to that status. The situational hitting has been specifically scarce, but credit goes to the Yankee starters for much of the slugging and stealing struggles. The players have a sense of urgency to gain a hint of momentum and a mental edge. It will be awfully difficult in a place like Yankee Stadium to recover from this hole.
There are several stories about the Ohio State quarterback, Terrelle Pryor. One of the most enchanting prospects coming out of high school, Pryor was a sought-after and highly touted recruit. The sophomore is under scrutiny for his recent play, especially in last week’s loss to Purdue. After being called out by one of his friends and teammates, Pryor received advice from superstar NBA figurehead, LeBron James. Pryor is a tremendous talent but his high school coach does not believe the Ohio State coaches are utilizing him properly. LeBron is offering counsel to his comrade from Ohio about how to handle the spotlight. The Cavalier was in Columbus for preseason basketball Wednesday night, along with new teammate, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq and Cleveland fell to the Boston Celtics, but O’Neal was there to pump and pep up Pryor. The tall man told Terrelle to keep his head up and try to get the Buckeyes back on track. Pryor looked pathetic against Purdue in moving the ball last Saturday. Some believe Jim Tressel is restricting his prized quarterback too much. Others argue Pryor is capable of running a pro-style offense but has play with the team he is given. The current Buckeye offense does not fit his abilities, and Pryor is taking a brutal beating for a bad game. As a Buckeye fan, I don’t know what to think. I think Tressel should take most of the blame for how he operates his offense. Pryor is a well-spoken kid with a chip on his shoulder. The prized pupil was pummeled last week but he has brightened up the Horseshoe in most of his other starts as signal-caller. As a fresh-faced freshman passer, Pryor made OSU fans pretty proud. He is still young enough to improve and learn from his mistakes, but the team around him must also vow to invest in some fine-football tuning. It all starts with a strong core. Without that, Pryor can’t expect to become the true leader of the Big 10’s beloved Buckeyes.
Parting Points: Song of the day- “The Way” by Fastball
Read of the day- “Hank Aaron and the homerun that changed America: by Tom Stanton
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Rallying Rockies Reinforce Race
Number 16 came through with a pair of homeruns for the Los Angeles Dodgers last night. Right fielder, Andre Ethier, clubbed his 26th and 27th long balls during the 6-1 Dodgers win to give his team a three game NL West lead over the opposing Colorado Rockies. The pressure-packed month for LA has gotten even tougher with the resurging walkoff darling Rockies playing the best baseball of any NL team down the stretch. Colorado was 12 games under .500 on June 3rd, but have gone on a major-league best 52-23 since. The Rockies won Tuesday night in extra innings to trim the division deficit to two games. The series opener was a dramatic showdown of two tenacious NL West titans. After a 14 inning Monday battle with the San Francisco Giants, Colorado took game one against LA on Troy Tulowitzki’s walkoff single to center in the 10th inning. The extra frames are nothing unordinary for Colorado these days. The team has a habit of battling back and registering hits when needed most. The intensity began with a two game wildcard lead and a series against the Giants. Now the Rockies have their hearts set for meaningful games in September and October baseball. Manager Jim Tracy believes the atmosphere brings out the best in his players. Memories of 2007 are starting to spring up, and several of the players from that historic drive are on Colorado’s current roster. At 72-55, the relentless Rockies represent a real, riveting and remorseless team.
The playoff-like drama only enhances the series with NL West leading LA. Colorado trails by just a few games and had the chance to make up even more ground on Wednesday night. Los Angeles bounced back from the opening loss to increase their lead in this seesaw pennant race. The Dodgers went one up with last night’s victory behind pitcher Randy Wolf. Wolf limited the Rockies to five hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings to snag his fourth consecutive win. The LA hurler is 6-3 with a 2.79 over his last 12 starts and very much one of the reasons the Dodgers have been tearing up the league. Every game is a must-win for LA with Colorado clicking their heals right behind Joe Torre’s team. The Rockies are relaxed but are aggressively pursuing the NL West instead of simply shooting for a wildcard spot. Wolf’s only costly misstep was a solo shot from Ryan Spilborghs in the third inning. It was the 29 year old’s eighth homerun of the year and 45th RBI. Colorado’s Josh Fogg didn’t have it last night. Starting for the first time in nearly a year, Fogg was unable to recreate his 2007 magic on the mound. Fogg failed to retire any of the half dozen batters he faced in the fourth inning, when the Rockies pitcher unraveled. The few hits he allowed were big ones. He issued four walks, scattered four hits and allowed three batters to take him deep during the game. Ethier drove two into the stands and James Loney added the third with a towering three run shot over the fence. Ethier tallied a single to go along with his homeruns and brought his total of extra-base hits this month to 17.
Vincente Padilla was the named starter for the rubber game of the series this afternoon for LA. Padilla was released by Texas earlier this year and picked up by the Dodgers August 19th. He will make his debut at Denver, where he opposes 12-8 Jorge De La Rosa. The Dodgers look to build on Wednesday’s key victory and continue their season-long success against the Rockies. LA would be incredibly wise to establish an early lead. The Rockies are a good comeback team and 36-25 at home. The big bats of LA may muster enough might to expand their division lead again today. The power at the plate has been coming from Ethier, Casey Blake and Matt Kemp. The other LA sluggers, including outfielder Manny Ramirez, have not been hitting. The cold bats explain why the Dodgers have been averaging about four runs and have not been winning. The Rockies drew first blood, but which contending team will get the last laugh?
Parting points: Song of the day- “Fallin For You”- Colbie Caillat
The playoff-like drama only enhances the series with NL West leading LA. Colorado trails by just a few games and had the chance to make up even more ground on Wednesday night. Los Angeles bounced back from the opening loss to increase their lead in this seesaw pennant race. The Dodgers went one up with last night’s victory behind pitcher Randy Wolf. Wolf limited the Rockies to five hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings to snag his fourth consecutive win. The LA hurler is 6-3 with a 2.79 over his last 12 starts and very much one of the reasons the Dodgers have been tearing up the league. Every game is a must-win for LA with Colorado clicking their heals right behind Joe Torre’s team. The Rockies are relaxed but are aggressively pursuing the NL West instead of simply shooting for a wildcard spot. Wolf’s only costly misstep was a solo shot from Ryan Spilborghs in the third inning. It was the 29 year old’s eighth homerun of the year and 45th RBI. Colorado’s Josh Fogg didn’t have it last night. Starting for the first time in nearly a year, Fogg was unable to recreate his 2007 magic on the mound. Fogg failed to retire any of the half dozen batters he faced in the fourth inning, when the Rockies pitcher unraveled. The few hits he allowed were big ones. He issued four walks, scattered four hits and allowed three batters to take him deep during the game. Ethier drove two into the stands and James Loney added the third with a towering three run shot over the fence. Ethier tallied a single to go along with his homeruns and brought his total of extra-base hits this month to 17.
Vincente Padilla was the named starter for the rubber game of the series this afternoon for LA. Padilla was released by Texas earlier this year and picked up by the Dodgers August 19th. He will make his debut at Denver, where he opposes 12-8 Jorge De La Rosa. The Dodgers look to build on Wednesday’s key victory and continue their season-long success against the Rockies. LA would be incredibly wise to establish an early lead. The Rockies are a good comeback team and 36-25 at home. The big bats of LA may muster enough might to expand their division lead again today. The power at the plate has been coming from Ethier, Casey Blake and Matt Kemp. The other LA sluggers, including outfielder Manny Ramirez, have not been hitting. The cold bats explain why the Dodgers have been averaging about four runs and have not been winning. The Rockies drew first blood, but which contending team will get the last laugh?
Parting points: Song of the day- “Fallin For You”- Colbie Caillat
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Clandestine Clutch Cincinnati Crush
Cincinnati Reds reliever, Nick Masset, was brought in to face pinch-hitting outrageous outfielder, Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the L.A. sixth inning last night. Reds’ renowned starter, Bronson Arroyo, uncoiled and unraveled after 100 pitches and retired with the game tied at 2-2. Masset delivered his first pitch of the night and Manny affirmed his elite status as a clutch hitter by drilling a line-drive grand slam. It was Manny Ramirez bobblehead night Wednesday at Dodgers’ Stadium and the featured player produced.
The dramatic stammering smash was the 21st grand slam of Ramirez’s career. He is two behind baseball’s all-time leader in slams, Lou Gehrig.
Arroyo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just five hits. He was charged with five runs, including the three base runners who Manny drove in with his pinch-hit bomb. James Loney and Matt Kemp drew walks for Los Angeles with one out in the game-changing sixth. Catcher, Russell Martin then slapped a single off Arroyo to load the bases for the home team. Manager, Joe Torre, chose to pinch hit for his starting mounds man, Chad Billingsley. Whom other than crowd favorite Dodger darling Manny Ramirez could give his team the lead? Manny has made many mystifying and majestic movement look easy. Wednesday night he starred again when he stepped to the plate without even taking batting practice before the contest. Manny nailed the first pitch he saw into the Mannywood section of the stadium and the crowd erupted. Ramirez was sidelined yesterday after being hit by a Homer Bailey pitch on his left hand Tuesday. It did not seem to affect his made-for-big-moment swing. Manny is a readymade player any day of the week, no matter how long he takes down time. He rises to the occasion in the biggest of baseball moments. Manny was beckoned with the bases juiced because he has the ability to be a game changer. He did what few others in his position could do with a tie score in a crucial situation. The stage was set for a momentum-changing Manny moment and sure enough, the outfielder walloped the 96 mph heater for an L.A. sweep of Cincinnati. It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight win.
Manny is slugging an even .300 with 8 RBIs and two homeruns in seven games. You cannot argue number 99’s production for a Dodgers team that refuses to lose in 2009. Even without his bat, L.A. admittedly did just fine. With Ramirez in Torre’s pesky lineup, the blue and white California club is that much better and harder to defeat. The Chavez Ravine faithful appreciate their hero for the hard slog he does. Baseball fans may dislike the fact Manny was pegged with a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, but last night the man showed why his bat is still the deadliest clutch in the game. Ramirez is perhaps the best run producer the game has ever witnessed.
Billingsley lasted six frames for the Dodgers and was responsible for a pair of runs and seven hits. Los Angeles improved their season best mark to 27 games over .500. The storied franchise now holds a comfortable nine game lead in the NL West over Colorado. Dusty Baker’s Reds took the lead in the first inning by playing small ball. Leadoff hitter, Chris Dickerson, knocked a ground-rule double and Willy Taveras accomplished his goal of advancing the runner when he bunted Dickerson to third. Joey Votto, the Reds 2009 sensation, added to the early hit parade with a double down the right-field line. Andre Ethier stamped a shot to center off Arroyo for the first of L.A.’s runs, and his 20th long ball of the year. Loney blooped a ball past a sliding Laynce Nix in left field for a triple to sport the Dodgers a one run lead and another tally in the fourth. The Reds tied the score again in the top of the sixth. Votto’s third hit of the night was followed by two Billingsley strikeouts, but the Reds took advantage of a wild pitch with Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. Encarnacion proceeded to strike out to end any further Cincinnati threats. Then the thrill began, with Ramirez’s productive pounding and a plethora of applause. The Dodgers would not be run-impoverished this night. Manny’s submerged the ball into the stands for a statement slam.
Parting points: Song of the day- “End of the Road”- Boyz II Men
The dramatic stammering smash was the 21st grand slam of Ramirez’s career. He is two behind baseball’s all-time leader in slams, Lou Gehrig.
Arroyo pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just five hits. He was charged with five runs, including the three base runners who Manny drove in with his pinch-hit bomb. James Loney and Matt Kemp drew walks for Los Angeles with one out in the game-changing sixth. Catcher, Russell Martin then slapped a single off Arroyo to load the bases for the home team. Manager, Joe Torre, chose to pinch hit for his starting mounds man, Chad Billingsley. Whom other than crowd favorite Dodger darling Manny Ramirez could give his team the lead? Manny has made many mystifying and majestic movement look easy. Wednesday night he starred again when he stepped to the plate without even taking batting practice before the contest. Manny nailed the first pitch he saw into the Mannywood section of the stadium and the crowd erupted. Ramirez was sidelined yesterday after being hit by a Homer Bailey pitch on his left hand Tuesday. It did not seem to affect his made-for-big-moment swing. Manny is a readymade player any day of the week, no matter how long he takes down time. He rises to the occasion in the biggest of baseball moments. Manny was beckoned with the bases juiced because he has the ability to be a game changer. He did what few others in his position could do with a tie score in a crucial situation. The stage was set for a momentum-changing Manny moment and sure enough, the outfielder walloped the 96 mph heater for an L.A. sweep of Cincinnati. It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight win.
Manny is slugging an even .300 with 8 RBIs and two homeruns in seven games. You cannot argue number 99’s production for a Dodgers team that refuses to lose in 2009. Even without his bat, L.A. admittedly did just fine. With Ramirez in Torre’s pesky lineup, the blue and white California club is that much better and harder to defeat. The Chavez Ravine faithful appreciate their hero for the hard slog he does. Baseball fans may dislike the fact Manny was pegged with a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs, but last night the man showed why his bat is still the deadliest clutch in the game. Ramirez is perhaps the best run producer the game has ever witnessed.
Billingsley lasted six frames for the Dodgers and was responsible for a pair of runs and seven hits. Los Angeles improved their season best mark to 27 games over .500. The storied franchise now holds a comfortable nine game lead in the NL West over Colorado. Dusty Baker’s Reds took the lead in the first inning by playing small ball. Leadoff hitter, Chris Dickerson, knocked a ground-rule double and Willy Taveras accomplished his goal of advancing the runner when he bunted Dickerson to third. Joey Votto, the Reds 2009 sensation, added to the early hit parade with a double down the right-field line. Andre Ethier stamped a shot to center off Arroyo for the first of L.A.’s runs, and his 20th long ball of the year. Loney blooped a ball past a sliding Laynce Nix in left field for a triple to sport the Dodgers a one run lead and another tally in the fourth. The Reds tied the score again in the top of the sixth. Votto’s third hit of the night was followed by two Billingsley strikeouts, but the Reds took advantage of a wild pitch with Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. Encarnacion proceeded to strike out to end any further Cincinnati threats. Then the thrill began, with Ramirez’s productive pounding and a plethora of applause. The Dodgers would not be run-impoverished this night. Manny’s submerged the ball into the stands for a statement slam.
Parting points: Song of the day- “End of the Road”- Boyz II Men
Friday, May 29, 2009
Cubs Crashing
It’s conclusive the Chicago Cubs are out of control. What’s less certain is whether the team is convincingly collapsing or hitting a few hurdles. The press is passionate about pouty pitchers. Chicago pitcher, Carlos Zambrano, was suspended for six games and fined my MLB for his tirade in Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Zambrano’s latest meltdown is only added to the Cubs’ misery. The pitcher who wears his emotions on his sleeves got into a heated argument with umpire, Mark Carlson. Big Z bumped the home plate man in zebra stripes and was told to leave the game. The ejections came during the seventh inning of the game. Zambrano proceeded to fire a ball into left field, toss his glove and take a bat to the water cooler. On Monday, things were just as testy in the Windy City as a frustrated Ryan Dempster smashed the cooler in a 10-8 loss. Ted Lilly was ejected, and later fined, for arguing with Bob Davidson behind the plate in the win over the Pirates. The catastrophic crisis in Chicago is causing conflict by the day.
Lou Piniella has an unsettled and uptight posse who have been pummeled nine times in their last eleven games. It is time for him to perpetuate the plight and be held accountable for his athlete’s actions. Instead of using the defenseless dugout as a target, I think the Cubs should direct their attention to the diamond. The team is batting a MLB 24th ranked, .249 as a unit. They are 10th in the league in runs scored and 7th in runs allowed. Since beginning the year as division favorites and dominators, the crashing Cubs have dismally dropped off. Their punching bag should be in the form of bashing the baseball.
Randy Wells took a tough loss Thursday night. Wells fells to 0-2 despite allowing two runs and pitching into the eighth inning. It was Wells’ fourth career start. In 25 innings this year, he has fanned 23 batters and posted an ERA of 1.80. The Cubs lost a tight 2-1 game to Randy Wolf and the hot Los Angeles Dodgers. Reliable reliever, Ramon Troncoso, fazed Chicago and wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to seal the victory for Joe Torre and the Dodgers.
The Dodgers humiliated the Cubs in the first round of the 2008 playoffs and were the better team this regular season series as well. The Cubs wasted many opportunities and a solid effort from Wells. Last night, Chicago put just one runner on base in the first seven frames. Derrek Lee’s double to lead off the second inning went for naught when Reed Johnson, Geovany Soto, and Mike Fontenot failed to advance Lee from second base.
Another chance to bust out was in the eighth. Pinch hitter, Bobby Scales, hit a leadoff home run to left field on a full count. Jake Fox, who was called up to play third base but Piniella is not ready to start, clubbed a pinch hit single to center. Kosuke Fukudome, the team batting average leader with .311, walked. The Cubs leader in homeruns and RBIs, Alfonso Soriano, struck out, Ryan Theriot hit into a double play, and Chicago went down without crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the ninth, Joe Torre called Troncoso in for the save. Jonathan Broxton is the usual Dodger closer, but Torre rested him after the hurler walked three Wednesday at Colorado. Slumping slugger, Milton Bradley, fabricated a bunt single to leadoff the ninth and spark a comeback rally for the Cubs. Troncoso intentionally walked Fukudome with two outs and runners on first and second. With crowded bags, Troncoso struck out Scales and Fox. The defeated Cubs slipped back to the .500 mark as the nosedive continues. It’s hard to remember this same team won 97 games a year ago.
Last October, L.A. swept Chicago with strong outings from their starters. Starting pitcher, Randy Wolf, kept the Cubs in check with a colossal effort. The left-hander’s breaking pitches were good enough to contain the confounding Cubs and make the Dodgers a scintillating and stellar 19 games over .500. They boast baseball’s best record at 34-15. Wolf outdueled the Chicago rookie to earn third win of the year. He allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven. The determined Dodgers did their scoring in the first and third innings. Juan Pierre led off the game with a single. Pierre stole second and Rafael Furcal bunted towards Fontenot at third base. The ball was out of Fontenot’s reach and rolled into the outfield, as Pierre paced in from second base. Furcal, back in the L.A. lineup after missing four games, reached home safely on Casey Blake’s groundout in the third inning.
The Cubs are clumsy crumbling with the club and continue to show they miss the services of All-star third baseman, Aramis Ramirez. Since his absence, Chicago is only sporting a 7-11 record. Ramirez brings a dependable clutch bat and a little life to the team. Two minor leaguers factored into the scoring against Wolf on Thursday, and that was all the offensive production complicated Chicago managed. Scales, an infielder/outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. The under-the-weather Scales was unavailable Wednesday because of the flu, but replaced an injured Ryan Freel on the roster Thursday. The 31 year old’s homer was his second pinch hit of the season. Fox, a converted catcher, added a pinch hit but could be a liability defensively. If Fox has to play the field, the Dodgers will test him with their slick bunt hitters.
The Cubs are batting some injuries, most notably to starter, Rich Harden. The imposing bat of Lee is clearly missing and Soriano’s early surge has suddenly stopped. Lee did have a team high two hits in last night’s loss. Alfonso has cooled off and has not hit in the clutch. Dempster and Zambrano are hot-headed pitchers but the rotation is a talented one. A return to Wrigley after a terrible 0-6 road trip was supposed to help the Cubs. The Pirates camped out at Wrigley starting Memorial Day, and even with his outburst, Chicago won Zambrano’s game. They scored a combined five runs during the six game stretch and only one more Thursday night. They lost on Monday despite the heated bats posting eight runs. The starting pitchers could not put away the Pirates. Dempster lasted just four innings Monday and was not his usual self. His seven scattered hits gave him a no decision, while lefty Neal Cotts, got charged with the loss. The bullpen can provide length and the Cubs have enough talented depth from their bench and in their system to be division winners again. But the steadfast stars of last season are not showing their faces this Spring. Cotts and Aaron Heilman did not pitch well from the bullpen this week. When the relievers allow runs late in games, it makes it increasingly harder for the offense to come back. The offense put up seven runs in four innings, exploding on Monday. Bradley connected for a two run bomb and four RBIs. Theriot, Soto and Freel all contributed by driving in runs, but the pitching and hitting weren’t clicking on the same night.
The Cubs can still win the series with L.A. and it would help mitigate the damage done this past month. It would also place Chicago in a position to show a semblance of swagger. The broken-down Cubs left 23 runners on base Thursday and failed to score even a run with the bases loaded. That does not equate to winning baseball. If the Cubs can’t control their emotions, at least they can maintain composure on the godly grasses of Wrigley. Lilly stands lofty on the hill to face an L.A. ball club and their ace, Chad Billingsley, today. The Cubs just cannot score even though they have the wherewithal to hit. They are struggling and stranding sluggers as I scribe this. The team with the third highest payroll in baseball has to start earning their money and challenging Chad creates a clear chance at curtailing Cubs corruption.
Parting points: The Cavs staved off elimination last night but I still feel Orlando wins the series.
What happened to the Tampa Bay Rays?
Song to end the weel: “All Over You” by Live
Lou Piniella has an unsettled and uptight posse who have been pummeled nine times in their last eleven games. It is time for him to perpetuate the plight and be held accountable for his athlete’s actions. Instead of using the defenseless dugout as a target, I think the Cubs should direct their attention to the diamond. The team is batting a MLB 24th ranked, .249 as a unit. They are 10th in the league in runs scored and 7th in runs allowed. Since beginning the year as division favorites and dominators, the crashing Cubs have dismally dropped off. Their punching bag should be in the form of bashing the baseball.
Randy Wells took a tough loss Thursday night. Wells fells to 0-2 despite allowing two runs and pitching into the eighth inning. It was Wells’ fourth career start. In 25 innings this year, he has fanned 23 batters and posted an ERA of 1.80. The Cubs lost a tight 2-1 game to Randy Wolf and the hot Los Angeles Dodgers. Reliable reliever, Ramon Troncoso, fazed Chicago and wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to seal the victory for Joe Torre and the Dodgers.
The Dodgers humiliated the Cubs in the first round of the 2008 playoffs and were the better team this regular season series as well. The Cubs wasted many opportunities and a solid effort from Wells. Last night, Chicago put just one runner on base in the first seven frames. Derrek Lee’s double to lead off the second inning went for naught when Reed Johnson, Geovany Soto, and Mike Fontenot failed to advance Lee from second base.
Another chance to bust out was in the eighth. Pinch hitter, Bobby Scales, hit a leadoff home run to left field on a full count. Jake Fox, who was called up to play third base but Piniella is not ready to start, clubbed a pinch hit single to center. Kosuke Fukudome, the team batting average leader with .311, walked. The Cubs leader in homeruns and RBIs, Alfonso Soriano, struck out, Ryan Theriot hit into a double play, and Chicago went down without crossing the plate.
In the bottom of the ninth, Joe Torre called Troncoso in for the save. Jonathan Broxton is the usual Dodger closer, but Torre rested him after the hurler walked three Wednesday at Colorado. Slumping slugger, Milton Bradley, fabricated a bunt single to leadoff the ninth and spark a comeback rally for the Cubs. Troncoso intentionally walked Fukudome with two outs and runners on first and second. With crowded bags, Troncoso struck out Scales and Fox. The defeated Cubs slipped back to the .500 mark as the nosedive continues. It’s hard to remember this same team won 97 games a year ago.
Last October, L.A. swept Chicago with strong outings from their starters. Starting pitcher, Randy Wolf, kept the Cubs in check with a colossal effort. The left-hander’s breaking pitches were good enough to contain the confounding Cubs and make the Dodgers a scintillating and stellar 19 games over .500. They boast baseball’s best record at 34-15. Wolf outdueled the Chicago rookie to earn third win of the year. He allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven. The determined Dodgers did their scoring in the first and third innings. Juan Pierre led off the game with a single. Pierre stole second and Rafael Furcal bunted towards Fontenot at third base. The ball was out of Fontenot’s reach and rolled into the outfield, as Pierre paced in from second base. Furcal, back in the L.A. lineup after missing four games, reached home safely on Casey Blake’s groundout in the third inning.
The Cubs are clumsy crumbling with the club and continue to show they miss the services of All-star third baseman, Aramis Ramirez. Since his absence, Chicago is only sporting a 7-11 record. Ramirez brings a dependable clutch bat and a little life to the team. Two minor leaguers factored into the scoring against Wolf on Thursday, and that was all the offensive production complicated Chicago managed. Scales, an infielder/outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. The under-the-weather Scales was unavailable Wednesday because of the flu, but replaced an injured Ryan Freel on the roster Thursday. The 31 year old’s homer was his second pinch hit of the season. Fox, a converted catcher, added a pinch hit but could be a liability defensively. If Fox has to play the field, the Dodgers will test him with their slick bunt hitters.
The Cubs are batting some injuries, most notably to starter, Rich Harden. The imposing bat of Lee is clearly missing and Soriano’s early surge has suddenly stopped. Lee did have a team high two hits in last night’s loss. Alfonso has cooled off and has not hit in the clutch. Dempster and Zambrano are hot-headed pitchers but the rotation is a talented one. A return to Wrigley after a terrible 0-6 road trip was supposed to help the Cubs. The Pirates camped out at Wrigley starting Memorial Day, and even with his outburst, Chicago won Zambrano’s game. They scored a combined five runs during the six game stretch and only one more Thursday night. They lost on Monday despite the heated bats posting eight runs. The starting pitchers could not put away the Pirates. Dempster lasted just four innings Monday and was not his usual self. His seven scattered hits gave him a no decision, while lefty Neal Cotts, got charged with the loss. The bullpen can provide length and the Cubs have enough talented depth from their bench and in their system to be division winners again. But the steadfast stars of last season are not showing their faces this Spring. Cotts and Aaron Heilman did not pitch well from the bullpen this week. When the relievers allow runs late in games, it makes it increasingly harder for the offense to come back. The offense put up seven runs in four innings, exploding on Monday. Bradley connected for a two run bomb and four RBIs. Theriot, Soto and Freel all contributed by driving in runs, but the pitching and hitting weren’t clicking on the same night.
The Cubs can still win the series with L.A. and it would help mitigate the damage done this past month. It would also place Chicago in a position to show a semblance of swagger. The broken-down Cubs left 23 runners on base Thursday and failed to score even a run with the bases loaded. That does not equate to winning baseball. If the Cubs can’t control their emotions, at least they can maintain composure on the godly grasses of Wrigley. Lilly stands lofty on the hill to face an L.A. ball club and their ace, Chad Billingsley, today. The Cubs just cannot score even though they have the wherewithal to hit. They are struggling and stranding sluggers as I scribe this. The team with the third highest payroll in baseball has to start earning their money and challenging Chad creates a clear chance at curtailing Cubs corruption.
Parting points: The Cavs staved off elimination last night but I still feel Orlando wins the series.
What happened to the Tampa Bay Rays?
Song to end the weel: “All Over You” by Live
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Dodgers Dominate, Defend Diamond
Los Angeles baseball continues to dominate the major leagues. The L.A. Dodgers have a 29-13 record to lead all teams. You can’t second guess Joe Torre’s first place boys in blue. Russell Martin’s 8th inning RBI single gave the Dodgers the 2-1 edge and the eventual three game sweep of the Mets in L.A. I consider Martin the most promising young catcher and leader in the game today. He’s been in a dreadful slump, but his first hit of the series turned out to be the game winner that snatched the series for L.A. Martin is now hitting .353 in May after culminating April with a substandard .205 average.
The Dodgers brandished the brooms last night and established closer, Jonathan Broxton’s brash breaking balls sealed his 11th save of the season. The Mets were held without a homerun in luxurious Dodgers Stadium. A New York player has not hit one out of the park in any of the team’s last seven road games. In fact, the last time a Met his a homer was Gary Sheffield on May 13th in Citi Field. The team wasted a phenomenal effort by Livan Hernandez. Hernandez pitched seven strong innings and allowed a run on seven hits. J.J. Putz gave up two 8th inning walks and an Orland Hudson single with one out to set the stage for Martin. The two-time All-star L.A. Martin lined a 1-0 pitch off the New York righty into left field for his 16th RBI. He hit the ball right on the screws to snap a 1-1 deadlock and make a winner out of rookie left-hander, Brent Leach. Leach retired both batters he faced in the top of the 8th and was the winning pitcher because L.A. took the lead in their half of the inning. Putz was the pitcher on the losing side, his third of the year for the Mets. The Dodgers improved their record at home to 17-3 to tie a major league record for 20 games with the 1998 New York Yankees.
The Dodgers are second in the majors in hitting and runs, and tied for first in on-base percentage. Casey Blake, Hudson and Andre Ethier are all contributing offensively, even with Manny Ramirez out of the lineup. Since his absence, L.A. slammed and slugged their way to an average of six runs per game. In those 10 glaring games, the Dodgers had at least 11 hits in seven of the first eight games. Juan Pierre, Ramirez’s replacement, has filled in adequately with a .447 average. Juan is a quiet athlete, but his shadowy presence is a far contrast from conspicuous speed. If Ramirez and Pierre were cups of coffee, Pierre would definitely be the decaffeinated. Pierre factored into the Mets’ fielding woes Tuesday with a liner to left field. New York’s Daniel Murphy charged the leadoff man’s rocket, but it skimmed off his glove. Pierre scored on Hudson’s ensuring single. Juan struck again last night with an infield single and scratched across L.A. first run on an Ethier sac fly. Pierre and Hudson give the Dodgers two too fine five-tool players with steady skills. Orlando has emerged as one of L.A.’s offensive leaders. He inherited the number three spot in the order vacated by Manny. Hudson was also the only Dodgers to start all 41 games for the team this year coming into Tuesday night. Blake leads the team in homeruns and Ethier is the Dodgers top RBI man. Blake smoked the go-ahead three run shot off John Maine Tuesday. The smash saw the slugger taking a good swing into the home field seats for a 5-3 Dodgers win. Ethier, Martin, Matt Kemp and James Loney make up the youth of the lineup. All four are under age 30 and present a potent advantage at the plate against NL pitchers. Kemp hit .325 in April with 3 homers and 3 triples and 3 doubles. The centerfielder is only clubbing .222 this month, but has a homerun and six walks. The 27 year old Ethier averaged .306 in April but a substantial drop to .194 in May should not be too concerning. The right fielder is capable of carrying a heavy load and is the only one of the core four who did not come up through the farm system originally with the Dodgers. He joined the team in a 2005 minor league deal with the Oakland A’s. Torre often draws comparisons of Ethier and Loney with Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams. I think those are two very good measuring sticks for the Dodger youngsters. L.A.’s steady catcher, Martin, was the hitting hero last night, and Kemp’s grand slam a week ago propelled the winning pulse. His diving outfield catch protected the shutout the next night. Free agent, shortstop, Rafael Furcal, improves the infield defense and Hudson brings a Gold Glove and speed as well. Hudson has already achieved and accomplished much in his career, and was one of the more-touted off-season signings. Mark Loretta has excelled as a pinch hitter. Loretta’s keen eye Tuesday caught Ryan Church off guard. Church attempted to score the go-ahead run for the Mets but Loretta appealed the run, citing Church missed touching third base. The umpires accepted the appeal and Church was called out to end the inning. The Mets gift-wrapped the victory for L.A. but credit the Dodgers for remaining focused throughout.
Randy Wolf deflated the World Champion Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last week by firing six innings of three hit ball. Wolf had a no decision in L.A.‘s extra inning victory over New York on Monday night. He was charged with two runs and six hits over 7 2/3 innings. All but one player in Torre’s lineup contributed a hit or run in the Phillies win. Kemp made diving catches in the field as put down a sacrifice bunt. Pierre stole two bases. Loney keyed a five-run fourth inning with a massive homerun. The Dodgers find ways to eradicate opposing teams by being patient at the plate and having timely hitting. They scored 10 runs and socked 23 hits in the three game sweep of New York. However, they were only 4 for 30 with runners-in-scoring position this series. The Dodgers have proved better in that department in previous games.
Pitching has been efficient and the bullpen has worked hard for Torre all year. They have a few injured arms and a shortage of bench players, but it does not seem to be a problem. Opening day ace, Hiroki Kuroda, is on the DL. Starter, Eric Stults, replaced Kuroda and has gone 5-1, including a Saturday shutout, since. Stults was scheduled to pitch Wednesday night but was scratched with a sprained thumb. He is expected to be back for his next start in the rotation. Jeff Weaver, a long reliever, replaced the sidelined left-hander and allowed a run on four hits over five innings of work against the Mets. Weaver weaved his way out of trouble with men at the corners in the first inning and lowered his ERA to 3.00. He was lifted after throwing 69 pitches and Leach shouldered the load during a tie game in the 8th. The rookie impressed in a pressure situation by inducing two groundouts. Because Torre has 13 pitchers in the active roster, Wolf was the first available pinch hitter off the bench. But, the bullpen turned in a shutout effort over four innings to facilitate the win. Chad Billingsly struggled handedly in Game 2 of the sweep as the second inning unraveled for him. He was over-throwing the ball, missing his target and got out of a rhythm. Chad lost his command early but gutted it out in time to strike out seven Mets. He escaped with a win after 6 1/3 trying innings on the hill. Billingsley is 6-1 this year and continues to roll. Cory Wade has been utilized frequently in relief. Wade pitched a scoreless eighth Tuesday but surrendered the game tying single from Gary Sheffield’s bat Monday. The Dodgers made a winner out of reliever Ramon Troncoso Tuesday, and the revamped bullpen has had few hiccups since April.
Torre has L.A. playing National League baseball impeccably. They lead the NL West by 8 ½ games. The Dodgers prevailed in each of the three series they played over the last nine days by beating the Mets last night. Backed by polished professionals, L.A. knocks in runs and advances runners, doing the little things to create offensive opportunities. The hitters consistently deliver clutch hits at Chavez Ravine in the absence of their best player. They have defended their diamond with bold plays and blossoming pitching. The Dodgers looks loose, but play a tight defense, a definite formula for success. The 2009 Dodgers were build around Ramirez, but a fully functioning crisp core can carry the franchise to the top of the division. The accurate and acute arms are authorizing and Manny’s associates are producers of only a slightly lesser degree. The scrappy young guys can certainly maintain and hold down the fort until Ramirez returns. They have the confidence to forge ahead after withstanding the past week’s schedule. The players know nobody can do Manny’s job, but if they each do their own, L.A. can still be successful.
Parting points: At volume peak with “Santa Monica” by Ever clear (for the Dodgers) and “South Side” by Moby (for the Chisox, I hear they are trading for Jake Peavy)
The Dodgers brandished the brooms last night and established closer, Jonathan Broxton’s brash breaking balls sealed his 11th save of the season. The Mets were held without a homerun in luxurious Dodgers Stadium. A New York player has not hit one out of the park in any of the team’s last seven road games. In fact, the last time a Met his a homer was Gary Sheffield on May 13th in Citi Field. The team wasted a phenomenal effort by Livan Hernandez. Hernandez pitched seven strong innings and allowed a run on seven hits. J.J. Putz gave up two 8th inning walks and an Orland Hudson single with one out to set the stage for Martin. The two-time All-star L.A. Martin lined a 1-0 pitch off the New York righty into left field for his 16th RBI. He hit the ball right on the screws to snap a 1-1 deadlock and make a winner out of rookie left-hander, Brent Leach. Leach retired both batters he faced in the top of the 8th and was the winning pitcher because L.A. took the lead in their half of the inning. Putz was the pitcher on the losing side, his third of the year for the Mets. The Dodgers improved their record at home to 17-3 to tie a major league record for 20 games with the 1998 New York Yankees.
The Dodgers are second in the majors in hitting and runs, and tied for first in on-base percentage. Casey Blake, Hudson and Andre Ethier are all contributing offensively, even with Manny Ramirez out of the lineup. Since his absence, L.A. slammed and slugged their way to an average of six runs per game. In those 10 glaring games, the Dodgers had at least 11 hits in seven of the first eight games. Juan Pierre, Ramirez’s replacement, has filled in adequately with a .447 average. Juan is a quiet athlete, but his shadowy presence is a far contrast from conspicuous speed. If Ramirez and Pierre were cups of coffee, Pierre would definitely be the decaffeinated. Pierre factored into the Mets’ fielding woes Tuesday with a liner to left field. New York’s Daniel Murphy charged the leadoff man’s rocket, but it skimmed off his glove. Pierre scored on Hudson’s ensuring single. Juan struck again last night with an infield single and scratched across L.A. first run on an Ethier sac fly. Pierre and Hudson give the Dodgers two too fine five-tool players with steady skills. Orlando has emerged as one of L.A.’s offensive leaders. He inherited the number three spot in the order vacated by Manny. Hudson was also the only Dodgers to start all 41 games for the team this year coming into Tuesday night. Blake leads the team in homeruns and Ethier is the Dodgers top RBI man. Blake smoked the go-ahead three run shot off John Maine Tuesday. The smash saw the slugger taking a good swing into the home field seats for a 5-3 Dodgers win. Ethier, Martin, Matt Kemp and James Loney make up the youth of the lineup. All four are under age 30 and present a potent advantage at the plate against NL pitchers. Kemp hit .325 in April with 3 homers and 3 triples and 3 doubles. The centerfielder is only clubbing .222 this month, but has a homerun and six walks. The 27 year old Ethier averaged .306 in April but a substantial drop to .194 in May should not be too concerning. The right fielder is capable of carrying a heavy load and is the only one of the core four who did not come up through the farm system originally with the Dodgers. He joined the team in a 2005 minor league deal with the Oakland A’s. Torre often draws comparisons of Ethier and Loney with Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams. I think those are two very good measuring sticks for the Dodger youngsters. L.A.’s steady catcher, Martin, was the hitting hero last night, and Kemp’s grand slam a week ago propelled the winning pulse. His diving outfield catch protected the shutout the next night. Free agent, shortstop, Rafael Furcal, improves the infield defense and Hudson brings a Gold Glove and speed as well. Hudson has already achieved and accomplished much in his career, and was one of the more-touted off-season signings. Mark Loretta has excelled as a pinch hitter. Loretta’s keen eye Tuesday caught Ryan Church off guard. Church attempted to score the go-ahead run for the Mets but Loretta appealed the run, citing Church missed touching third base. The umpires accepted the appeal and Church was called out to end the inning. The Mets gift-wrapped the victory for L.A. but credit the Dodgers for remaining focused throughout.
Randy Wolf deflated the World Champion Phillies at Citizens Bank Park last week by firing six innings of three hit ball. Wolf had a no decision in L.A.‘s extra inning victory over New York on Monday night. He was charged with two runs and six hits over 7 2/3 innings. All but one player in Torre’s lineup contributed a hit or run in the Phillies win. Kemp made diving catches in the field as put down a sacrifice bunt. Pierre stole two bases. Loney keyed a five-run fourth inning with a massive homerun. The Dodgers find ways to eradicate opposing teams by being patient at the plate and having timely hitting. They scored 10 runs and socked 23 hits in the three game sweep of New York. However, they were only 4 for 30 with runners-in-scoring position this series. The Dodgers have proved better in that department in previous games.
Pitching has been efficient and the bullpen has worked hard for Torre all year. They have a few injured arms and a shortage of bench players, but it does not seem to be a problem. Opening day ace, Hiroki Kuroda, is on the DL. Starter, Eric Stults, replaced Kuroda and has gone 5-1, including a Saturday shutout, since. Stults was scheduled to pitch Wednesday night but was scratched with a sprained thumb. He is expected to be back for his next start in the rotation. Jeff Weaver, a long reliever, replaced the sidelined left-hander and allowed a run on four hits over five innings of work against the Mets. Weaver weaved his way out of trouble with men at the corners in the first inning and lowered his ERA to 3.00. He was lifted after throwing 69 pitches and Leach shouldered the load during a tie game in the 8th. The rookie impressed in a pressure situation by inducing two groundouts. Because Torre has 13 pitchers in the active roster, Wolf was the first available pinch hitter off the bench. But, the bullpen turned in a shutout effort over four innings to facilitate the win. Chad Billingsly struggled handedly in Game 2 of the sweep as the second inning unraveled for him. He was over-throwing the ball, missing his target and got out of a rhythm. Chad lost his command early but gutted it out in time to strike out seven Mets. He escaped with a win after 6 1/3 trying innings on the hill. Billingsley is 6-1 this year and continues to roll. Cory Wade has been utilized frequently in relief. Wade pitched a scoreless eighth Tuesday but surrendered the game tying single from Gary Sheffield’s bat Monday. The Dodgers made a winner out of reliever Ramon Troncoso Tuesday, and the revamped bullpen has had few hiccups since April.
Torre has L.A. playing National League baseball impeccably. They lead the NL West by 8 ½ games. The Dodgers prevailed in each of the three series they played over the last nine days by beating the Mets last night. Backed by polished professionals, L.A. knocks in runs and advances runners, doing the little things to create offensive opportunities. The hitters consistently deliver clutch hits at Chavez Ravine in the absence of their best player. They have defended their diamond with bold plays and blossoming pitching. The Dodgers looks loose, but play a tight defense, a definite formula for success. The 2009 Dodgers were build around Ramirez, but a fully functioning crisp core can carry the franchise to the top of the division. The accurate and acute arms are authorizing and Manny’s associates are producers of only a slightly lesser degree. The scrappy young guys can certainly maintain and hold down the fort until Ramirez returns. They have the confidence to forge ahead after withstanding the past week’s schedule. The players know nobody can do Manny’s job, but if they each do their own, L.A. can still be successful.
Parting points: At volume peak with “Santa Monica” by Ever clear (for the Dodgers) and “South Side” by Moby (for the Chisox, I hear they are trading for Jake Peavy)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Dodger Dish
The Los Angeles Dodgers have a plentiful payroll. LA is expected to defend their division winning crown this season. A return to the playoffs, with better results anticipated, would be the ideal situation for Southern California fans of the blue and white. The pitching staff and the bat of Manny Ramirez will dictate the direction of the Dodgers in 2009. An upbeat attitude and confident approach are necessary for second year skipper, Joe Torre, and his National league team. The Dodgers are a professional and proud organization and their players are a well-disciplined squad.
The Dodgers are imploring the idea of signing Pedro Martinez, who the Mets released. I don’t think Martinez would make a difference on the mound. However, his biggest influence would come in the clubhouse, where the Dodgers made an off-season overhaul. Gone are Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones, Brad Penny and Derek Lowe. Kent was not a good teammate and the Dodgers will be a closer team without him there. LA made an effort to sign good clubhouse guys in Orlando Hudson, Mark Loretta, and even Ramirez. Pedro would add an additional veteran view and he probably would not cost the team a heavy penny. It would be quite fascinating to see him play under Joe Torre’s company. Pedro would be less productive than the now-retired Greg Maddux was last year. LA lost several of their bullpen pitcher when Jason Johnson, Chan Ho Park, Scott Proctor, Takashi Soto, and Joe Beimel all departed. Most of the position players are already decided and the rotation is pretty much set too. Here is the shape and scope of the snappy Dodgers:
The starters are understood to be Chad Billingsly, Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf. Claudio Vargas is Torre’s favorite to win the fifth man job but the injured righty, Jason Schmidt, will also figure into it. Two left-handers, Shawn Estes and Eric Stults, are hoping for a chance at inclusion in the Dodgers rotation as well. Estes has bounced around from team to team but he brings a heavy workload and is an intense competitor. If he doesn’t make the team, he will probably call his career quits. While not great, the 36 year old California native does have a just under 5 career ERA. Stults is a slightly younger version of Estes but with a little less character issues. He has a similar ERA but less experience on the mound. Billingsly and Kershaw are the one-two punch and heart of the staff. Billingsly is beckoned the ace and took leaps forward in 2008. Torre expressed faith in his starter, who was a 16 game winner a year ago. He strikes out more hitters than your average pitcher and his ERA is terrific. Billingsly’s focus this season is keeping runs to a minimum and establishing himself as the team pitching leader. Kershaw’s potential to one day be a 20 game winner is good. Odds are this youngster will benefit from the addition of the veteran, Wolf Clayton was only 5-5 in 2008 but wiffed 100 batters. He is one of the better lefty prospects in the National League. The 20 year old starter needs to work on his control because he does walk a lot of people. Kuroda is also an inexperienced pitcher looking to make a name for himself out West. Hiroki had a losing season in 2008 but already has experience in the playoffs. He pitched six innings for the win against the Phillies during last year’s post-season. He is capable of shutting teams out but must maintain command on the mound. Wolf was a nice addition to a club in need of a back-end of the rotation lefty. Randy’s consistency is his forte. He is very even-keeled but not equally productive on the road and at home. Wolf is better suited to pitch at home, with a 2.9 ERA compared to 5.7 on the road. He does have a high ERA and has to be healthy to be effective. Wolf is somewhat of a slow starter, but I think he will be great down the stretch.
Torre is well-known for his overuse of the bullpen, and that was LA’s downfall late last year. The Dodgers will field a respectable relief section again but could probably benefit from adding at least one more pitcher. Closer Jonathan Broxton has exceptional velocity and an overpowering fastball that tops out in the high 90s. Control is the issue for the 24 year old righty who saved 14 games for Torre’s club last season. He becomes LA’s full time closer now. Left-handed reliever, Hong-Chih Kuo, is good enough to close too but has an injured past. Kuo has had four elbow surgeries and the Dodgers will use him cautiously. Other bullpen stars are right-handers, Guillermo Mota, James McDonald, Cory Wade and Ramon Troncoso. Mota was signed as a free agent from the Brewers and will factor into a long relief role. Mota was a security blanket about five years ago but now he isn’t quite as reliable. McDonald is unproven, appearing in only six innings in 2008. He did strike out two batters in those innings. Troncoso and Wade won’t shut down teams because they both walk a lot of batters. Wade is the better of the two and boasted and 2.2 ERA last year in 71 innings of work. Therefore, Stults’ emergence in the pen is key for LA.
The starting lineup is not your prototypical National League one. Before Ramirez’s arrival, the Dodgers were already an offensive juggernaut. He is in an exclusive class of powerful sluggers and perhaps the game’s most exceptional clutch hitter. Table-setting shortstop, Rafael Furcal had an incredible .357 average before being sidelined last year. His power at the leadoff spot is good but Furcal doesn’t score enough runs. His run productions has decreased every year since joining LA in 2006. The second and third hitters are the recently-acquired and high profile free agent 2B, Orlando Hudson and the aforementioned Ramirez. Hudson was signed because his defense is stupendous. Orlando can also crush the ball as he proved with a .305 average in 2008. He is a workhorse who likes to play everyday. With Manny hitting behind him, Orlando should reap the rewards run-wise too.
Ramirez we know can compile the four-baggers no matter where or when he hits. LA showed trepidation in signing the malignant player but his influence and affect after the All-Star break last year cannot go unnoticed. Manny’s only knock is his less than stellar left field play. He is guaranteed to drive in over 100 runs again. Clean-up man, Russell Martin, is one of the best offensive catchers in the game. Martin shows leadership qualities to complement his 42 career homers. Russell could also hit second, in front of Ramirez. I expect Torre to mix up this lineup several times, as he usually does, throughout the year. CF Matt Kemp, 1B James Loney, RF Andre Ethier, and 3B Casey Blake are the other position players. Blake seemed to easily hit 21 Hrs and drive in over 80 last year. Casey’s crisp corner fielding gives the Dodgers a definable defense. Kemp and Ethier join Manny in the outfield. Ethier had a post-season to remember and ended 2008 with a .305 batting average. For a 26 year old, that is good news. Kemp is well-respected throughout baseball and plays a solid centerfield. He is a speedy runner and might get the chance to leadoff. Kemp is capable of stealing 40 bases, although that estimate might be a bit high. Loney should be the benefactor of having Don Mattingly as a hitting coach. The former first baseman can aid young James in becoming better all around at his position.
Reserve catcher, Brad Ausmus was signed this off-season to backup Martin. I suspect he won’t see a lot of time behind the plate, but Brad is still a mentor to Russell. Infielder Juan Castro and outfielder Juan Pierre are also on the bench. Castro won’t have to compete with Tony Abreu or Chin-lung Hu for the utility role, but both are options heading into the season. Loretta is a great infield reserve signee for LA. Mark’s got great credentials and is a swift and smooth contact hitter. There are still a few minor league candidates hoping for a big league call up. Outfielder, Andrew Lambo is a top rookie prospect but is probably still a year away. Xavier Paul also plays the outfield but the team might trade him during the year.
One player doesn’t often make a real difference. But with Manny Ramirez, the NL West is no longer a neutral division. He is an integral part of the team and his contributions are well documented. The 2008 Dodgers were overachievers. Many accolades go out to the coaching staff, including Mattingly, and the players who were inspired to achieve at a lofty level. Their diligence and structure paid off mightily and that should be enough for LA to make a repeat post-season appearance this October.
Parting points: I don’t take these things (sports) lightly. I was ecstatic when Ohio State clobbered Michigan State to reach the Big 10 Championship game today. Those three-point shots were out of this world.
One kickin’ tune- “How the West Was Won (And Where It Got Us)”-R.E.M.
Movie- The Karate Kid
The Dodgers are imploring the idea of signing Pedro Martinez, who the Mets released. I don’t think Martinez would make a difference on the mound. However, his biggest influence would come in the clubhouse, where the Dodgers made an off-season overhaul. Gone are Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones, Brad Penny and Derek Lowe. Kent was not a good teammate and the Dodgers will be a closer team without him there. LA made an effort to sign good clubhouse guys in Orlando Hudson, Mark Loretta, and even Ramirez. Pedro would add an additional veteran view and he probably would not cost the team a heavy penny. It would be quite fascinating to see him play under Joe Torre’s company. Pedro would be less productive than the now-retired Greg Maddux was last year. LA lost several of their bullpen pitcher when Jason Johnson, Chan Ho Park, Scott Proctor, Takashi Soto, and Joe Beimel all departed. Most of the position players are already decided and the rotation is pretty much set too. Here is the shape and scope of the snappy Dodgers:
The starters are understood to be Chad Billingsly, Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda and Randy Wolf. Claudio Vargas is Torre’s favorite to win the fifth man job but the injured righty, Jason Schmidt, will also figure into it. Two left-handers, Shawn Estes and Eric Stults, are hoping for a chance at inclusion in the Dodgers rotation as well. Estes has bounced around from team to team but he brings a heavy workload and is an intense competitor. If he doesn’t make the team, he will probably call his career quits. While not great, the 36 year old California native does have a just under 5 career ERA. Stults is a slightly younger version of Estes but with a little less character issues. He has a similar ERA but less experience on the mound. Billingsly and Kershaw are the one-two punch and heart of the staff. Billingsly is beckoned the ace and took leaps forward in 2008. Torre expressed faith in his starter, who was a 16 game winner a year ago. He strikes out more hitters than your average pitcher and his ERA is terrific. Billingsly’s focus this season is keeping runs to a minimum and establishing himself as the team pitching leader. Kershaw’s potential to one day be a 20 game winner is good. Odds are this youngster will benefit from the addition of the veteran, Wolf Clayton was only 5-5 in 2008 but wiffed 100 batters. He is one of the better lefty prospects in the National League. The 20 year old starter needs to work on his control because he does walk a lot of people. Kuroda is also an inexperienced pitcher looking to make a name for himself out West. Hiroki had a losing season in 2008 but already has experience in the playoffs. He pitched six innings for the win against the Phillies during last year’s post-season. He is capable of shutting teams out but must maintain command on the mound. Wolf was a nice addition to a club in need of a back-end of the rotation lefty. Randy’s consistency is his forte. He is very even-keeled but not equally productive on the road and at home. Wolf is better suited to pitch at home, with a 2.9 ERA compared to 5.7 on the road. He does have a high ERA and has to be healthy to be effective. Wolf is somewhat of a slow starter, but I think he will be great down the stretch.
Torre is well-known for his overuse of the bullpen, and that was LA’s downfall late last year. The Dodgers will field a respectable relief section again but could probably benefit from adding at least one more pitcher. Closer Jonathan Broxton has exceptional velocity and an overpowering fastball that tops out in the high 90s. Control is the issue for the 24 year old righty who saved 14 games for Torre’s club last season. He becomes LA’s full time closer now. Left-handed reliever, Hong-Chih Kuo, is good enough to close too but has an injured past. Kuo has had four elbow surgeries and the Dodgers will use him cautiously. Other bullpen stars are right-handers, Guillermo Mota, James McDonald, Cory Wade and Ramon Troncoso. Mota was signed as a free agent from the Brewers and will factor into a long relief role. Mota was a security blanket about five years ago but now he isn’t quite as reliable. McDonald is unproven, appearing in only six innings in 2008. He did strike out two batters in those innings. Troncoso and Wade won’t shut down teams because they both walk a lot of batters. Wade is the better of the two and boasted and 2.2 ERA last year in 71 innings of work. Therefore, Stults’ emergence in the pen is key for LA.
The starting lineup is not your prototypical National League one. Before Ramirez’s arrival, the Dodgers were already an offensive juggernaut. He is in an exclusive class of powerful sluggers and perhaps the game’s most exceptional clutch hitter. Table-setting shortstop, Rafael Furcal had an incredible .357 average before being sidelined last year. His power at the leadoff spot is good but Furcal doesn’t score enough runs. His run productions has decreased every year since joining LA in 2006. The second and third hitters are the recently-acquired and high profile free agent 2B, Orlando Hudson and the aforementioned Ramirez. Hudson was signed because his defense is stupendous. Orlando can also crush the ball as he proved with a .305 average in 2008. He is a workhorse who likes to play everyday. With Manny hitting behind him, Orlando should reap the rewards run-wise too.
Ramirez we know can compile the four-baggers no matter where or when he hits. LA showed trepidation in signing the malignant player but his influence and affect after the All-Star break last year cannot go unnoticed. Manny’s only knock is his less than stellar left field play. He is guaranteed to drive in over 100 runs again. Clean-up man, Russell Martin, is one of the best offensive catchers in the game. Martin shows leadership qualities to complement his 42 career homers. Russell could also hit second, in front of Ramirez. I expect Torre to mix up this lineup several times, as he usually does, throughout the year. CF Matt Kemp, 1B James Loney, RF Andre Ethier, and 3B Casey Blake are the other position players. Blake seemed to easily hit 21 Hrs and drive in over 80 last year. Casey’s crisp corner fielding gives the Dodgers a definable defense. Kemp and Ethier join Manny in the outfield. Ethier had a post-season to remember and ended 2008 with a .305 batting average. For a 26 year old, that is good news. Kemp is well-respected throughout baseball and plays a solid centerfield. He is a speedy runner and might get the chance to leadoff. Kemp is capable of stealing 40 bases, although that estimate might be a bit high. Loney should be the benefactor of having Don Mattingly as a hitting coach. The former first baseman can aid young James in becoming better all around at his position.
Reserve catcher, Brad Ausmus was signed this off-season to backup Martin. I suspect he won’t see a lot of time behind the plate, but Brad is still a mentor to Russell. Infielder Juan Castro and outfielder Juan Pierre are also on the bench. Castro won’t have to compete with Tony Abreu or Chin-lung Hu for the utility role, but both are options heading into the season. Loretta is a great infield reserve signee for LA. Mark’s got great credentials and is a swift and smooth contact hitter. There are still a few minor league candidates hoping for a big league call up. Outfielder, Andrew Lambo is a top rookie prospect but is probably still a year away. Xavier Paul also plays the outfield but the team might trade him during the year.
One player doesn’t often make a real difference. But with Manny Ramirez, the NL West is no longer a neutral division. He is an integral part of the team and his contributions are well documented. The 2008 Dodgers were overachievers. Many accolades go out to the coaching staff, including Mattingly, and the players who were inspired to achieve at a lofty level. Their diligence and structure paid off mightily and that should be enough for LA to make a repeat post-season appearance this October.
Parting points: I don’t take these things (sports) lightly. I was ecstatic when Ohio State clobbered Michigan State to reach the Big 10 Championship game today. Those three-point shots were out of this world.
One kickin’ tune- “How the West Was Won (And Where It Got Us)”-R.E.M.
Movie- The Karate Kid
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